The Exiled by William Meikle

This is the story of John Grainger. He is the detective in charge of investigating the disappearance of several young girls. With the girls seemingly disappearing into thin air and the brutalised bodies of swans left at the scene, he has nothing to go on and more girls go missing. His brother, Alan is a reporter and he stumbles on the story. Deciding to come at it from a different angle, they come together and find there is far more to this than initially meets the eye. Will they find out where the girls have gone, or will more go missing before it is too late?

This starts off as a police procedural crime thriller, but about a third of the way through it takes a sharp turn into the supernatural. The swing though, is so subtle, it feels perfectly natural. The pace is fast and kept me glued to the book over 2 sittings. The characters were spot on and the addition of gritty Scottish slang added another layer of realism. I have read many of Willie's books now, and always look forward to a new one with baited breath. This was no exception. I cannot wait for another new one now!

Sunblind by Michael McBride

This is the story of Mayra. She is an illegal immigrant who is attempting to cross the inhospitable Sonoran desert to get into the US. Along with the rest of her party, she soon realises it is not just the searing heat they need to worry about, as they are picked off one by one by an unseen enemy. Enter a Federal Agent and his team who stumble over her near dead body. Puzzled by a warning she has carved into her skin, can they find out what happened before they are picked off themselves?

This was brutal and claustrophobic. It was all the more moving because it was based in 'real life'. The characters were solid and the story well paced and tight. I enjoyed it, and had, I have to say, some of the scariest, most claustrophobic cave scenes I have ever read! I have read a few of Michael's books now, and they never disappoint. I am eagerly awaiting the next one!

Art by Matt Shaw & Michael Bray

This is the story of a serial killer bent on creating a gallery of gruesome displays, and the detective assigned to catch him. Before too long the chase starts to become personal. Can Detective Andrews catch him before anyone else dies, and before his family are at risk?

This was an all out no holds barred serial killer thriller/horror. I loved it, and read it in two sittings, and loved it so much I read it twice! Written equally by Matt and Michael, it wasn't difficult to tell whose role was whose, and they clearly had great fun writing the book. The characters were solid, and I love a flawed hero, and Detective Andrews was certainly that! The pace rocketed along, the level of gore was just right. The ending was unexpected and shocking and fitted in well with the story. I recommend this for fans of serial killer thriller or horror fans.

Created, The Destroyer by Warren Murphy & Richard Sapir

This is the story of Remo, a well respected cop who has been framed for a murder he didn't commit and now finds himself on the electric chair. Given a chance of survival by a mysterious monk with a hooked hand, he is now an invisible assassin for a company that does not exist.

This was originally written over 40 years ago and it has stood the test of time well. Now being republished for a new generation of readers, I was asked to read and review it. I thoroughly enjoyed this, it was a great romp with a subtle sense of humour running through it. The story belted along at a nice pace, and the characters were solid. I understand there are many many more books in this series, so I had better get reading! I recommend this for fans of thrillers with a vein of humour running through them.

The Bone Architect by Ian Woodhead

This is the story of a mask. The mask holds the spirit of an entity whose only wish is to turn friends against friends and disembowel them to get at their bones to make her furniture. Enter four friends who have gone to the house where the mask is hidden, as they have heard it's a murder house. Being horror movie fans, they thought it would be good fun to explore. Now something or someone is stalking them and picking them off one by one. Can they stay alive long enough in a house that is constantly changing around them, to find out what or who is after them?

This was amazing! There was something to make me jump at every corner. Ian has gone to some pretty dark places with this book, and I love it. The characters were solid and believable and the pace was utterly blistering. This is relatively new territory for Ian, or at least he hasn't written this type of book for a while, so please may we have more? I totally recommend this for fans of 80's schlock 'pick em off one by one' type horrors!