Broken Sigil by William Meikle

This is the story of Joe Connor. An inspector in Internal Affairs, he not generally liked by his peers. One day he is called to a cop killing - the cop he instantly recognises as his ex-friend and police partner. Now Joe must find out why his ex-partner died and what drew him to the Brownstone where he was found...

This was a great little crime noir story. It was also at its heart a love story and what people will do and how far they will go to hold on to that love. But more than that it was creepy, look over your shoulder at shadows creepy. I was glued to each page and read it in two sittings although it can easily be read in one. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and the characters sang to me. Well done Willie, another goodun!

DarkFuse #1 - DarkFuse Anthology Series

This is an anthology containing six stories. Some are really short, taking ten minutes to read and others take around half an hour. They all have a fairly dark theme running through them.

This is the first anthology to come out of DarkFuse and it doesn't disappoint. Each story is deliciously dark and they are all enjoyable. With anthologies it can be hit or miss as to what you get, but with only six stories there isn't much room to hide. Luckily all of these were of a high standard with two of them standing above the rest. 'Better Heard and Not Seen' and 'Jaws of Life' were my favourites. Both had slight twists in the tale that made for unexpected endings. I recommend this for fans of short stories and anthologies.

Dream of the Serpent by Alan Ryker

This is the story of Cody Miller. He has his whole life ahead of him - engaged to the girl of his dreams, a dream job lined up and everything is going his way. Then it falls apart when he is burned in a horrific accident at work. Suddenly his whole life changes and things are not what they seem. What is the significance of the serpent he keeps seeing in his dreams?

This is one of those stories that makes you think. It starts off going one way and then goes in a completely different direction and you are left thinking 'Wait, what?', but not in a bad way as everything soon becomes clear. Cody wasn't a particularly likeable character, but I was still interested to see what happened to him. The pace went along at a fair clip and kept me page turning, and the ending was good but ultimately quite sad. I think this one will stay with me for a while to come.

Kingdoms of the Dead:Chemical Rot by Ian Woodhead

This is the story of a ruined world. Doomed to destruction by a plague that refuses to let the dead die. Even when they do finally die, the bodies don't rot down, leading to more infection and so the cycle goes on. It is up to two young men who seem to be immune to save their race. Can they do it or is there another solution?

This was something very different from the usual zombie fayre. Combining elements of sci-fi, horror and a sprinkling of Running Man, it made for a very enjoyable and unique read. There was always something going on and the pace was relentless. At first it was quite hard to work out what was going on but as the story progressed and I had sorted out who was who and what went where there was no stopping me. I loved the characters, even the bad guys. Bring on the next Ian, I can't wait to find out where this is going!

The Black Church by Toby Tate

This is the story of Daniel. One day he receives a tragic call informing him his father has died in a horrific accident.As he is going through his fathers belongings, he comes across a beautiful, ornate prayer rug. Daniel takes it home and hangs it on his wall. Soon he starts imagining he is seeing things in the rug, and people close to him begin to die horrible deaths. Is there something wrong with the rug or is Daniel losing his mind from grief? Now there is a race against time to find out what is going on before anyone else dies...

This was really, really good. The story took me slowly by the hand and then held on for dear life until the final climax. it was creepy, and the pace was spot on, and some of the descriptions have been seared into my brain! Although there were few characters, they resonated with me. This is a quick easy read, best read in one sitting. All in all, another blinder from Toby and from DarkFuse.

Whom the Gods Would Destroy by Brian Hodge

This is the story of Damien. Rejected by his mother and brother growing - he is now an astronomy graduate at University. Content with his life, he is stunned when his brother turns up after 13 years with news of their mother, and a discovery he has made that will change all of their lives forever....

This was an interesting story, I really liked the originality of it but for me a lot of the 'sci-fi' bits went right over my head. I didn't understand much of the terminology and that spoiled the story a little bit for me. That being said, if 'sci-fi' is your thing then you will enjoy it immensely. The story underneath the 'techy' stuff was unique, and it captivated me. The characters seemed real, and I related to them. The pace was spot on, and the story read well. My caveat is that this will appeal to 'techy', 'sci-fi' fans more.