Lee Allen's Blog, page 20

New Author Interview

It was my great pleasure to be interviewed by fellow author Sara Louisa and to be the first to appear on her blog as part of her new author interview series.

Read our full interview on Sara Louisa's website.

You can also follow her Goodreads blog and check out her profile, where you can learn more about her books.

Thank you, Sara Louisa, for this interview and the opportunity to appear on your fantastic blog as part of your new author interview series.

Don't forget you can pre-order my brand new short story Will o' the Wisp on Amazon now!

Just four more weeks 'til Hallowe'en!

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Rona Halsall's Keep You Safe - Review

Keep You Safe by Rona Halsall

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A gripping, fast-paced thriller that follows a woman’s quest to find her young son.

Recently released from prison, Natalie has dedicated herself to a sole purpose – to be reunited with her son and ensure his safety. Having broken her parole conditions, she has only a limited time to find him and escape.

Travelling to the Isle of Man, she enlists the help of both a stranger and an old friend, hoping they may be able to help her track down her husband, who spirited their son away following her arrest. Having recently received threats against her and her family’s lives, she fears she is being pursued by someone who means them harm.

As her fears are realised, Natalie races to find her son, on the run from the authorities, a dangerous enemy and her own demons.

‘Keep You Safe’ is Rona Halsall’s debut novel, a psychological thriller that captures you from the first page and keeps you in suspense throughout, expertly written to keep the plot’s secrets obscured for as long as possible.

Central character Natalie is broken, scarred and flawed, but has developed an admirable strength and determination throughout her time in prison. Throughout you are rooting for her and hope she will be vindicated of the crimes and transgressions of which she’s been wrongfully accused. I liked her relationship with Jack, the stranger whom she meets and seeks to help her, and the burgeoning potential of it. From their first meeting, I hoped it would be possible for her to find future happiness with him by her side.

Also punctuated by fleeting glimpses of Natalie’s pursuer, the novel hurtles through to its conclusion as it navigates twists and turns, jumping backwards and forwards in time as flashbacks reveal what has led Natalie to this point of desperation, keeping you guessing as each chapter concludes, culminating in a final major twist that turns the entire plot on its head.

Part prison drama, part race-against-time thriller, ‘Keep You Safe’ is a gripping and hugely enjoyable read. This is the first of Rona Halsall’s books I have read, and it certainly won’t be the last.



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Will o' the Wisp - A Jack O'Lantern Tale

I'm delighted to present the synopsis for my brand new short story, creeping out of the dark this Hallowe'en:
___

It may be safer for some questions to remain unanswered...

Whilst running an errand late one Hallowe'en night, a young gentleman comes across a young lady in need of assistance. From whom or what she flees is unclear, but nevertheless he desires to help.

When she vanishes without trace, he determines to find the reason for her disappearance, a quest which may lead him into unknown peril.

For, amongst the shadows, there lurks something sinister...
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A gothic horror short story from the author of "The Jack O'Lantern Men" and "Whispers from the Dead of Night".

Available to download 31/10/2021.

Just six weeks 'til Hallowe'en!

🎃 TRICK OR TREAT?! 😉

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John Grisham's A Time for Mercy - Review

A Time for Mercy by John Grisham

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A gripping thriller which explores how the law and justice may sometimes be at odds.

Josie and her children anxiously await her partner’s return home, hoping to avoid the usual escalation into violence that follows his drinking. But their hopes are in vain. Erupting into a frenzied rage, he beats Josie unconscious. Her children believe she is dead. Fearful for their lives, young Drew Gamble takes the man’s own gun and shoots him dead.

Jake Brigance is reluctant to take the case. The dead man was a police officer, well liked and respected in the community, which is demanding justice be done. Defending his killer could be career suicide and he is currently busy with a potentially lucrative civil case.

But as Jake gets to know his new client and his family and learns more about their circumstances, he becomes determined to save him from death row. Nevertheless, a man is dead and the law is very clear. If Jake is to build a successful defence, he must pose a question to the jury and hope to provide them with its answer – it is possible that homicide can ever be justified?

‘A Time for Mercy’ is the third novel featuring Jake Brigance, following 1989’s ‘A Time to Kill’ and 2013’s ‘Sycamore Row’, taking place in the fictional town of Clanton, Ford County, in 1990, just five years after the Hailey trial. Like the first in the series, the novel centres around a criminal trial which causes much unrest and divided opinion in this traditional American county.

Much like the ‘victims’ in the first novel, the murdered man is a vile example of humanity and the world is doubtless better off without him, but his behaviour in his role as a police officer and as part of the wider community differs to how he behaves at home and while under the influence of alcohol. However, someone’s behaviour behind closed doors if often far more indicative of their true nature than the persona they present to the wider world – though this is something that many, unfortunately, cannot appreciate. While I would never advocate vigilantism, when circumstances arise which result in harm to a violent and abusive individual it may appear ludicrous to seek to punish their attacker – particularly in a country that still uses capital punishment. Is that ironic, or simply hypocrisy?

Exploring themes of domestic abuse and violence, how society views victims of abuse and members of law enforcement, and a plethora of ethical and moral dilemmas, while racial prejudice remains ever present, the novel poses many questions which remain timely to this day. We follow Jake as he builds his case and forms a bond with this broken and damaged family, forming a picture of their tragic circumstances, building to the climatic courtroom scenes.

The Brigance family’s personal life is interspersed with the legal case; I love Jake’s relationship with Carla and Hanna. Portia makes a return from the previous novel, working as Jake’s paralegal and about to embark on her studies at law school. Other characters also return from the previous two novels – making this as much a personal drama as a legal one, and the continuing story of the town and community of Clanton, with an emotional core and a moral conscience.

Thought-provoking and suspenseful, ‘A Time for Mercy’ is an engrossing legal thriller and a fantastic addition to the series. I hope we will get to return to Clanton for another of Jake’s cases in the future.



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Lynda La Plante's Unholy Murder - Review

Unholy Murder by Lynda La Plante

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A chilling case for Jane Tennison as she investigates a long-buried and brutal murder.

During excavation of deconsecrated church land, the construction crew unearth a coffin and immediately alert the police. Inside is discovered the body of a nun. On closer inspection, the inside of the coffin lid displays signs of scratches, as if the buried young woman was desperately trying to claw her way out, indicating she may have been buried alive.

DS Jane Tennison is determined to identify the victim and bring her killer to justice. Her superiors are initially reluctant to dedicate resources to such a case, believing it an impossible task after potentially so long. But when Jane uncovers evidence that the murder took place only two decades before and that the victim’s disappearance was covered up, the police are compelled to act.

Coming up against obstruction from the Catholic Church, Jane and the team doggedly pursue the case; the suspects discovering that, even twenty years later, they cannot outrun the truth and that everything that’s buried will eventually rise to the surface.

This is the seventh novel in the Jane Tennison series, prequel to the TV series ‘Prime Suspect’ starring Helen Mirren, which ran for seven series and charted Jane’s career from her first case as a DCI through to her retirement (La Plante has also released novelisations of the first three series). ‘Prime Suspect’ this year celebrates its thirtieth anniversary, and what better way to mark the celebration than with this superb novel.

In ‘Unholy Murder’, we find Jane now working at Bromley CID, having committed herself to studying for the inspectors’ exam she plans to take the following year. It is 1982, nine years into her police career. Called to the scene of the coffin’s disinterment, Jane is plunged headlong into what may be the most disturbing and challenging case of her career to date.

The Roman Catholic Church is renowned for dealing with sin locked behind closed doors, and the Metropolitan Police for its political concerns – such approaches from both organisations enabling corruption to poison their ranks and allow abuse and discrimination to flourish unimpeded and without punishment. But Jane is unafraid to stand up against both, though the might of such powerful establishments is rarely able to be dented.

Full of twists and revelations that evolve through a gripping and fast-paced plot, including fascinating insights into forensic science, authentic police procedure, themes of religion and spirituality, a well-developed cast of characters, and a dash of romance for Jane, all centred around an horrifically brutal crime, this has all the ingredients you could want in a mystery thriller. Once again, Lynda has delivered an intense and immersive read which I did not want to end. ‘Unholy Murder’ may just be my favourite of the series since ‘Tennison’ – though the entire series is of such high quality, it is always difficult to make such a distinction as to pick a favourite; I absolutely love this series and highly anticipate every new entry. I cannot wait for book eight!

A dark and compelling thriller, ‘Unholy Murder’ is a chilling police procedural that will keep you turning the pages; another enthralling chapter in the life and career of Jane Tennison.



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Agatha Christie's Midsummer Mysteries - Review

Midsummer Mysteries: Secrets and Suspense from the Queen of Crime by Agatha Christie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A fabulous collection of summertime mysteries selected from the works of the Queen of Golden Age Crime, Agatha Christie.

Miss Marple hears a tale of murder from a Cornish fishing village…
Poirot investigates an audacious jewellery theft…
Parker Pyne’s holiday is interrupted by a fellow guest who believes she is being poisoned…
The mysterious Mr Quin is present for another opera of star-crossed lovers…
Poirot assists in the investigation into the brutal murder of an Italian nobleman…
A young woman answers a job advert and finds herself embroiled in royal intrigue…
Poirot reviews the case of an alarming disappearance of a financier…
Miss Marple solves the mystery of death by supernatural influence…
A young man finds himself implicated in the theft of a Rajah’s emerald…
Parker Pyne may be the only hope to thwart a plot of kidnap and ransom…
Tommy and Tuppence Beresford are asked to investigate the ransacking of private papers…
Poirot is called upon to uncover the whereabouts of stolen submarine plans…

A companion volume to ‘Midwinter Murder’, ‘Midsummer Mysteries’ features twelve short stories taken from a variety of previous collections; the detectives investigating daring thefts, mysterious disappearances and malicious murders. From sleepy coastal English villages to the majestic shores of Egypt, experience the fiendishness of Agatha Christie’s plotting and the psychological authenticity of her characterisations.

As with the previous volume, I’d encountered many of these stories in the past, but it was a thrill to revisit them, while the standalone stories (which originally featured in ‘The Listerdale Mystery’) were new to me. Those stories featuring Poirot and Miss Marple shone, despite my familiarity with them. Agatha Christie’s stories can be revisited again and again and never grow old. Included here are Poirot’s first encounter with Countess Vera Rossakoff, Miss Marple at her finest solving puzzles from the comfort of her armchair, and many more. Highly recommended for both the stalwart Christie fan and newcomer alike, these seasonal collections are intensely enjoyable and make for pure escapism.

Featuring twelve delicious slices of nostalgia and intrigue, ‘Midsummer Mysteries’ is comfort-reading at its finest. So grab your refreshments and bask in the sunshine and sea breeze as you delve into these tales of mystery and murder. But, be warned: as a wise man once said, “there is evil everywhere under the sun.”



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James Patterson & David Ellis' Unsolved - Review

Unsolved by James Patterson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In a gripping sequel to ‘Invisible’, Emmy returns to hunt another elusive serial killer.

Emily "Emmy" Dockery, Research Analyst with the FBI, has acquired a modicum of fame for detecting and hunting down a serial killer several years earlier. Yet admitting serial killers of whom no one is aware may be continuing to kill is embarrassing for the FBI, so Emmy’s work remains unauthorised as she continues to trawl through data, searching for the patterns that may indicate more previously undetected predators.

Emmy’s fiancé, Harrison "Books" Bookman, has retired from the FBI and now runs a struggling bookstore. Called upon by his old mentor and now FBI director, Books finds himself tasked with investigating leaks about a moral crusader terrorist to a local reporter – which the FBI suspects Emmy to be responsible for.

With no one believing in her theories and feeling as if everyone is turning against her, Emmy is determined to hunt down the killer whom she’s been tracking for months – one who is always one step ahead, none of his murders believed to be homicides, and who has now turned his sights on her. Emmy finds herself up against an adversary more dangerous than any she’s previously encountered, in a cat and mouse game she may be unable to wriggle free from.

Told in Patterson’s trademark short, lightning-paced chapters, ‘Unsolved’ is an FBI procedural jam-packed with twists and turns and plenty of sleight-of-hand writing to keep you guessing and second-guessing as the plot races towards its conclusion. The clues are all there, yet you still may not see the well-executed twists coming until they are right upon you; throughout, we gain detailed insights into the killer’s psyche without giving too much away before each revelation.

I find Emmy a very endearing character – her determination to ferret out the truth, even when she is the only one who has faith in what the data suggests, and her willingness to go against the male-dominated FBI hierarchy is admirable. Yet we find her more damaged, her scars and her obsessiveness having a detrimental effect on her health and her life.

I adore Emmy and Books’ relationship - they bring the emotion to the story, whereas the case itself is heavily procedural, as we don’t often get an insight into the experience of the victims or their families. Despite the challenges to their relationship, their differences of opinion, and what feels like an almost inevitable conflict and disintegration within their relationship, there is an unshakable bond between them that keeps them in each other’s orbit and you hope will keep them coming back stronger.

Like its predecessor, ‘Unsolved’ is a gripping, page-turning thriller. I do hope we will get a third chapter in Emmy and Books’ story, complete with another of Emmy’s analytical hunts for a serial killer.



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Gemma Iversen's Nykur - Review

Nykur by Gemma Iversen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A folkloric fantasy about friendship, perseverance and the resilience of the human heart.

Teenager Hugh does not have the carefree life of his friends. He has the responsibility of caring for his younger brother, Dylan, while their mother is often bedridden and unable to function on the rare occasions she emerges, suffering with severe depression. Hugh’s existence is a lonely and painful one.

But that changes when he meets a homeless man and his horse in the woods. A bond begins to develop between them, these three lost and broken souls. All the homeless man wishes is for somewhere where he and the horse can live in peace, and Hugh vows to help him.

But as the line between Hugh’s everyday life and his nocturnal escape becomes frayed, he begins to realise that his new friends may not be as they seem. As danger mounts and threatens harm to his friends and family, Hugh strives to find a resolution before it’s too late.

‘Nykur’ is the debut novel by Gemma Iversen, a vividly told tale fraught with emotion, taking inspiration from the imagery and themes of folklore and mythology to create a modern, young-adult fairytale. From the outset, you are immediately immersed in Hugh’s life and you cannot help but feel sorrow for him and his brother and the tragic existence their family endures. Together with Hugh, we meet the homeless Gamel, a mysterious character who appears to have a deep understanding of suffering, but still possesses a kind heart; and the nykur, Sanna, a wild beast with whom Hugh develops a deep connection.

A nykur is a demonic species of water-horse which originated in Scandinavian mythology. They have the reputation of being cruel and malicious, often manipulating their prey by appearing to be tame and gentle until they can snare them and drag them into the depths. Arguably, a nykur doesn’t behave any differently to any wild animal in an everyday battle for survival. And yet, it is with a nykur that Hugh finds peace and freedom.

There were moments when I was reminded of C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, perhaps on one level due to the nature of the relationship between a horse and his boy, but also something deeper in the way that fantasy can sometimes observe more keenly the human soul than a genre bound by realism can. At its core, this is a story about love and the pain borne in its absence.

Tragic and heart-warming in equal measure, ‘Nykur’ is a brilliant debut, swirling with poetic prose and vivid imagery. I look forward to diving into the dystopian fantasy of Gemma’s second novel, ‘The Galven Border’.



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Alex Kingston's The Ruby's Curse - Review

Doctor Who: The Ruby's Curse by Alex Kingston

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


From the universe of ‘Doctor Who’, archaeologist Professor River Song must hunt down a reality-altering weapon and solve the mystery of ‘The Ruby’s Curse’.

AD 5147. River breaks back into intergalactic high-security prison Stormcage, seeking peace and quiet to finish writing her new novel.

AD 1939. Based in New York, the novel’s heroine and River’s alter ego Melody Malone is hired to track down a priceless Egyptian ruby, purported to hold the secret to the location of Cleopatra’s tomb, only to find herself embroiled in a case of murder.

From a fellow inmate of Stormcage, River hears about a dangerous new weapon and soon finds herself hunting it, travelling back to 30 BCE Egypt and into her own fiction to find the answers and prevent further death and destruction.

River Song is one of my favourite characters in Doctor Who’s 58-year history. Created by Steven Moffat, who also created some of the modern series’ most memorable characters and monsters, as well as having written some of my favourite episodes, River is a mysterious time-traveller with a dark past and knowledge of the Doctor’s future, one of those rare recurring companion-esque characters who possess as much mystery and alien otherness as the Doctor themselves.

Alex Kingston absolutely owned the character and shone in every episode in which she appeared. If anyone can know River as much as Moffat, and even more so than the Doctor, it is Alex Kingston – and here she presents the first full-length River Song novel, with the timey-wimey, futuristic/historical blend of mystery and adventure and all-out bonkers storytelling that ‘Doctor Who’ (and perhaps only ‘Doctor Who’) does so well. Packed with allusions and a seasoning of spoilers and cameos, ‘The Ruby’s Curse’ is a fun, clever and thrilling journey that blurs fiction and reality, taking us from a space prison of the 52nd century to 20th century inter-war old New York, Earth, and further back in time to the mystery and grandeur of Ancient Egypt.

Much like ‘Doctor Who’ itself, the story is accessible to all ages and will prove a delight to fans. There is an edge to River that, much like John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness, gives her a more adult appeal than many other characters may do, with much darkness and moral ambiguity to explore. River could seamlessly carry a more mature series alongside her appearances for a wider audience, as was so successfully done with ‘Torchwood’. But there is already so much River material to enjoy: Alex Kingston also stars in the Big Finish audio series ‘The Diary of River Song’ – much like the novel, set somewhere prior to her final and first appearances on TV, as well as featuring in some other audio adventures led by other characters. For more Melody Malone, we also have the novella ‘The Angel’s Kiss’ – River’s second book.

Due to the nature of River and the Doctor’s convoluted timelines, if you’re ahead, behind or somewhere in between River’s TV episodes, I’d recommend watching them all before diving into this gem – it always pays to avoid those pesky spoilers!

An absolute thrill to read, ‘The Ruby’s Curse’ does not fail to entertain. More please, sweetie!



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Eileen Ormsby's Little Girls Lost - Review

Little Girls Lost by Eileen Ormsby

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Shauna Howe, eleven years old, attends a Hallowe’en party in 1992, but never returns home.

Sian Kingi, twelve years old, is kidnapped and abused by a predatory, sadistic couple in November 1987.

Leigh Leigh, fourteen years old, attending a party in November 1989, is gang-raped and murdered.

Martha Puebla, sixteen years old, becomes the target of gang vengeance after being falsely labelled as a witness to a crime.

Eileen Orsmby reviews four horrific cases of child murder; young lives brutally torn from the world, leaving their families bereft and communities in shock. Each narrative builds a portrait of the victims and the tragic circumstances in which they met their killers, reviewing the police investigations and studying the psychology of the perpetrators.

The book explores themes of sexual violence, three of the crimes being sexually motivated, and toxic masculinity, which had a strong influence on two of the crimes; highlighting where there were flaws in the response of the various police forces, which in some cases go as far as corruption; as well as conducting a social analysis, in both how the crimes are viewed by the communities, and the effect that the crimes have on their communities. The cases of Shauna Howe and Leigh Leigh in particular struck a chord with me, the latter shocking in its brutality and in the response of the community at large.

Intriguing, emotional and thought-provoking, Eileen Ormsby’s accounts of these four cases deal sensitively with such difficult subject matter, striving to ensure that the names of the victims will never be forgotten, their memory a lasting legacy. I shall undoubtedly be looking out for more of Eileen Ormsby’s true crime work in the future.



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