The Last Mile by Tim Waggoner

This is the story of Dan. He has been made a thrall in a post-apocalyptic world, destroyed by entities known as the Masters. His job is to procure sacrifices for his Master. Along the way he has to negotiate a long road fraught with many pitfalls, and predators. Can he make it to the Master before his latest sacrifice escapes, like the last one?

This was really good. I read it in one sitting and was utterly hooked. The action was just enough to keep me reading and I was rooting for Dan to make it. His sacrifice, Alice was feisty, without being over the top. The pace was spot on, and the characters were strong. There were a couple of heart stopping moments, when I was on the edge of my seat. The descriptions were amazing, Tim must have a very vivid imagination! Another fantastic release from DarkFuse, I hope this trend continues.

It's Only Death by Lee Thompson

This is the story of Elmore, also known as James. When he was younger, he held up a bank and shot and killed his policeman father. He has been on the run for ten years when he gets an email from his sister saying his mother is dying from cancer. Despite the bad feeling towards him, he knows he needs to see his mum before she dies, and decides return to see her one last time. On arriving in town, he realises that he has MANY enemies, not least of which is his dad's ex-partner and best friend, Don, who is out for his blood. Can Elmore get everything sorted, and see his mother before Don catches up with him?

This was a slow burner, but once it got going I really enjoyed it. It was dark and gritty and utterly absorbing. The characters resonated with me and I felt for Elmore's plight. A couple of things didn't make sense, like how would his sister know where he was to email him if he was on the run, and if he was on the run would he come back anyway?? Once I had put those niggles aside however, the story unfolded nicely and I was taken in. A great story with a satisfying ending, but don't expect happy ever afters with this one!

SickER B*stards by Matt Shaw

This picks up exactly where Sick B*stards finished. Brother is back home and is having conflicting feelings about everything owing to his memories resurfacing. Eventually, after Father insists they leave to find other survivors, he tells the Family what really happened. This does not go down well, and Father storms off. Can Brother find a happy ending with his real family or is he destined to live the life he has been for the last few months.

This is typical of a Matt Shaw book, he has the ability to drop you in the middle of the action, make you feel about the characters and then whack you round the chops with a twister of an ending! This was full of gore, and sex and I loved it! If this sort of thing is not for you, then I advise you walk away now. If you DO like that sort of thing, and you like Matt Shaw's books in general then come in, you will not be disappointed!

Conduits by Jennifer Loring

This is the story of Mara. She is a Japanese American still haunted by the death of her sister. She cuts herself to bring release and was checked into a psychiatric hospital at the time. Now the death of her boyfriend has pushed her already fragile mind to its limit, and when she is unable to discern dreams from reality, her roommate decides to check her into hospital to get some help. Can she unravel the mystery before it's too late and she is committed again?

This was an eerie look into Maras soul. Jennifer's writing caught me from the beginning and I read most of the book in one sitting. The narrative flowed and was so beautifully descriptive I felt I was there. The interjection of Japanese folklore made the reading interesting and gave Mara a good background. I ached for her as she tried to find out what was real and what was not while still holding onto her sanity! This is definitely my favourite read of the year so far, well done Jennifer and DarkFuse!

Bloodeye by Craig Saunders

This is the story of Keane. He is called to what he thinks is a routine plumbing job, until he turns round and see a woman pinned to the wall. She has a third eye carved into her forehead, and it sends chills down his spine as he has seen the symbol once before, on his late wife's face after she was killed in suspicious circumstances. Suddenly Keane has a fight on his hands, a fight between good and evil, between light and dark.

This was a confusing book, but an enjoyable book. It flicked from past to present, and much of the story is set in the days leading up to Keane's wife's death. I found it difficult in places to keep the threads together but once I had everything straight I was zipping through. This is not a quick read, more a read that needs to be savoured and thought about. Once again DarkFuse has served up a blinder!

Blockbuster by Lisa von Biela

This is the story of two pharmaceutical companies, tasked by the President, to battle it out to find a cure for the next generation MRSA. Known as MRSA-II, it is the next superbug, resistant to all forms of medical intervention. One team finds a cure and all looks to be good, until the other team try and make another cure and things begin to get out of hand. Can they find a cure before the epidemic turns into a pandemic?

Set 10 years in the future, the story details the efforts made, and failed by the two companies to find a cure. This was another awesome read by Lisa. I was taken from the first page and swept along, only to come out hours later! The characters resonated with me, and the storyline was top notch. Lisa specialises in stories that give you that 'what if?' feeling when you have read them. I could totally see this happening, with the hospitals closing because of MRSA. This is another top class release from DarkFuse.

Travel Agent by Sean Sweeney

This is Jaclyn Johnson's (codename Snapshot) 6th outing. This time around she is taking a well earned rest with Tom and Tasha in Australia. Next thing she knows, she is being accused of trying to assassinate the Israeli PM who is in Australia for a conference. His bodyguard just happens to be their old friend from Mossad. Can Jaclyn find out who framed her, and put them down before anyone else dies, in a country with a 'no gun' law?

This was the usual no holds barred actionfest I have come to expect from Jaclyn. This time Tom and Jaclyn's relationship moved onto the next level and Tasha has a secret that may or may not please Jaclyn. The story built slowly with the action reserved for the last quarter or so of the book. The new characters were great, with the bad guy skating on the thin edge of sanity before totally losing his marbles in a spectacular way. There are also some moving moments, so have some tissues ready!