Sinema 3 - The Troy Consortium by Rod Glenn

This is the third in the Sinema series featuring Hannibal (Han) Whitman. The world thinks he is dead, killed at the hand of one his previous surviving victims. The truth is a somewhat different story, taken in by the 'Troy Consortium' - a sort of guns for hire outfit - he is given a new life and a new identity. But something is rotten in the consortium and it is up to Han to go toe to toe with an even worse psychopath than himself. Soon everything he holds dear is in danger, and to save the day he must go full circle to where it all began....

This was utterly brilliant. Despite the fact that is the third in a series, the story shows no signs of flagging at all. The pace was brutal, grabbing me from the beginning, and hurtling me face first into the explosive climax. This could easily be made into a feature film, maybe with John Woo at the helm! Han is still the flawed hero (or antihero?) but his previous experiences have changed him somewhat, he seems more emotional and introspective now. Once again there was only a small cast but from a small cast came a BIG story. It is essential that one reads the others or else many things in the book won't make sense. I do hope there are more as I feel Han's tale is not quite told yet!

Rags and Bones by Ian Woodhead

This is the story of Cerchester, a town with some very dark secrets. Dave and Phil start off on what should be a great night out. Within hours all hell is unleashed and the townsfolk turn on all non locals. This is a town teetering on the edge of Armageddon and it wont take much to push it over the edge. Nor will it go down quietly....

This was tense and very very gritty. It pulled no punches. Cerchester is most certainly NOT a place to visit! Most of the characters were flawed in some way or another and very difficult to like but their characterization was well rounded. The pace was spot on and never flagged, keeping me up late to see what happened next! This was something of a different offering from Ian and it worked well, I recommend this for an unrelenting horrorfest, just don't ask me to move to Cerchester!

The Plot Bunny by Kristina Jackson

This is a children's story - aimed at 3-7 year olds. It tells of a magical bunny that appears to children to give them ideas and help their imaginations flow in their storytelling.

This is quite simply a gorgeous book. With a lovely storyline and beautiful illustrations, no child could fail to enjoy reading this story. For reading on the Kindle I recommend this be read on the Fire to make the most of the glorious illustrations, likewise I suggest the Nook Colour for the same reason.  Buy this for your child today, they will love you for it and you won't regret it.

God Particle by Toby Tate

This is the story of 16 year old Chloe. Whilst studying for her exams at MIT, she gets two phone calls that mean life will never be the same again. The first is from her best friend in Geneva telling her she is pregnant. The second, far more serious is her mother telling her her father has gone missing. Her father is an eminent physicist and has discovered something both dangerous and wonderful. Something many people would kill to get their hands on. Suddenly Chloe is launched into an adventure to find her father that will change her life forever....

At first glance I really thought this book would go straight over my head, despite being a YA novella. All the talk of Higgs bosons and Hadron Colliders had me wondering if I had made the right decision. Boy how wrong was I! This was a high octane race across the four corners of the Globe to stop the wrong people getting their hands on this amazing discovery. It was a thrilling ride and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Chloe is not your normal 16 year old heroine. She is smart, and funny and has her head screwed on right. Having read a previous books of Toby's, this was not what I was expecting! It made for a pleasant change and I totally recommend this as a rip roaring YA sci fi thriller!

Stalking You Now by Jeff Strand

This is the story of a man who feels he has been wronged. He sets out to exact revenge on the man he feels ruined his life 25 years previously. It starts off well, but soon it turns into a night he will never forget and things will never be the same again...

This was an unexpected treat. It was dark, and atmospheric but there were moments of surreal humour as well. Some of the situations the protagonist finds himself in when things don't quite go as planned make for quite funny reading. It was a quick read, and a well paced one. The characters were all a bit nuts but that made them all the more engaging. I recommend this one for a dose of deliciously dark humour!

Wild Wolf's Twisted Tails by Various Authors

This is an anthology of short stories, all with a dark and twisted theme to them. This anthology is to showcase the very best Wild Wolf has to offer but also includes a couple of authors who are not in the Wild Wolf stable.

I love anthologies. You can dip in and out of them at will, whenever you have a quick five minutes, but they are also really hard to review! This was a great introduction to Wild Wolf's principle genre of writing. Each story was deliciously dark, and as ever there were one or two stand outs. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting both new authors and authors I have had the pleasure of reading before. hopefully those not in the stable will be snapped up before too long!

Bitten by Matt Shaw

This is the story of Adam. One night he stops and gives help to a lady in distress on the roadside. It is a decision he soon begins to wish he had never made as his life slowly crumbles around him. For now he finds himself in a battle for his life and his very soul....

This is the start to what will become a trilogy. Matt has once again diversified and shown us he is not afraid to try new genres. This is completely different to his usual style but also still essentially 'Matt-ish'. It was high octane and high paced. From the very start you are drawn into Adam's plight - and unusually for Matt he has allowed the lead character to survive! I cannot wait to see what atrocities are heaped upon Adam in the next two instalments!

Season of the Wolf by Jeffrey J. Mariotte

This is the story of a town called Silver Gap. Silver Gap has developed a wolf problem. Wolves are unheard of in this part of America and it starts with the death of Mike Hackett. Soon the Chief of Police realises they have a serious dilemma on their hands as more and more people are killed. Alex Converse has come into town ostensibly to film an eco-film about trees being killed off by Bark Beetles but he also has other reasons for visiting Silver Gap. Someone is also using the confusion and shock of the wolf attacks to kidnap women and use them for their own twisted agenda. Can Alex find the women and can the wolves be stopped before there is too much bloodshed?

This was a fast paced and well written story. There were three distinct threads that ran through it - the wolves, the missing women and the real reason Alex came to town. These threads all came together in a truly exciting finale. Throughout the second half of the book I was on the edge of my seat as things were moving so fast I didn't want to miss anything! This is the sort of story I could easily see being made into a blockbuster film. There were elements of suspense and supernatural in places and it made for an interesting mix. There were a couple of niggly points but that's all they were - niggles, they weren't enough to put me off or spoil my enjoyment in any way.