Brutal and gritty tour de force read....

DI Rob Brennan is in his mid 40's and has just returned from six months leave following the murder of his brother Andy. His relationship with his wife Joyce and daughter Sophie is collapsing, and his affair with the lovely Lorraine is in meltdown and under immense strain especially as she has just disclosed to him that she is pregnant with his child. His attitude towards his "career orientated" Chief Superintendent Aileen Galloway is at best confrontational and he is viewed  with great suspicion by his other working colleagues. All in all it's a bad week for Brennan and to top it all the mutilated body of a young girl is discovered in a wheely bin, it's up to Brennan to get results and to get them fast!...roll over Rebus there's a new kid on the block!! in the crime infested streets of Edinburgh. Brennan rises to the challenge with vigour and an adrenalin fuelled impatience that leaves the reader breathless. There are few words wasted in this 300+ page book...the writing and style is tight and taut..." "It was the infamous Deacon Brodie that best summed up the city for Brennan, though. The respectable businessman persona Brodie adopted by day contrasted starkly with the burglary trade he plied by night. The deacon seemed to embody the schizophrenic air that the city choked on still. It was a mix of stoic kirks and grand cathedrals, of bold achievements and great plans; but it was also the place where innocent-looking teenage girls wound up, beaten and bloodied, in grimy piss-smelling back alleys. They just didn't put that stuff in the tour guides" .....The pace is relentless and the excitement never ending, I read and evaluate many crime books so much of which is plodding and mundane, "Truth Lies Bleeding" is fast, brutal and furious and totally renews my faith in the crime genre...with a lovely little twist in the final pages! Well done Mr Black I look forward to reading book 2 in the series and give a warm welcome to the troubled DI Brennan and the lonely streets of a gritty city... 

A work of Science Fiction that stands the test of time

Originally published some 45+ years ago this is still a powerful book and is best described as a novel about theology and time travel. It ponders the age old question, what importance is our existence? and looks at the nature of the human condition and our need to have a belief and to hope that our short time here has some meaning. Karl Glogauer lives a life of futile lonliness until a chance encounter offers him the opportunity to travel back in time to AD 28, and there he meets John the Baptist who in turn is awaiting the arrival of a stranger.....Glogauer it would appear has taken the role of Jesus and the story leads to the inevitable conclusion. Did Jesus really exist or was the myth invented to feed the minds and hearts of ancient world residents at that time? The need to have a belief it would appear is as important today as it has always been, we as travellers on this earth need to feel that our time here has some meaning, and when we depart these hallowed shores we do so with much contentment.

A form of worship

Lets get one thing straight...I am a runner...there i've said it and I have been running for a long time over 25 years so I am no spring chicken :)) In fact as I write this I have just returned from running the Stroud Half Marathon in a time of 1 hr 38mins...and I am a little disappointed with this...that follows on from the Bristol Half Marathon some 3 weeks ago where I was tripped at the 3 mile stage...had to spend 20 mins with the local St Johns Ambulance receiving treatment...but still as all true runners would do...I finished...so I understand the obsession that Robin Harvie has and I can acknowledge his achievements and his need to run. I did enjoy his book and his preparation for the seemingly impossible Spartathlon ( and indeed it did prove elusive )I understand the pain, the obsession and the general feeling of euphoria that goes with each run good or bad ( I suspect I have completed in access of 200 races, mostly half marathons )I understand the loneliness and the need to find one's space in a world addicted to self. I enjoyed his little side trips into the world of Turner, the first Nike Bowerman running shoe, the acknowledgement of running guru James Fixx, and his meeting with the great Rory Coleman who turned his life around simply by running. If I was to take a quote for my running experience I would however  refer to a book which in some ways is a running bible  "Holistic Running" by the renowned Joel Henning "It is indeed a form of worship, an attempt to find God,a means to the transcendent...I have power, power that propels me cross country,puts me intimately in touch with nature, strengthens me....I own the day!....

Disturbing

It is not often I do not finish a book but 60% into this particular read there was a scene I found so disturbing and ugly that I did not wish to read on. From a literary point of view the story is well structured and written if a little confusing and I can understand those who did enjoy...reading is a personal experience and what some readers find abhorrent others may find acceptable...so be it....

Rich prose poetic language not to my liking....

Maybe it is just that this book it's style, it's prose did not translate well for me here in the UK but I cannot understand the fascination with something I do not understand. It's a coming of age novel but the language is too rich and poetic for my liking " They ran in urine smell of shadow, they ran in clean ice smell of moon. The calliope steam-throb whispered, tatted, trilled."...."in flight, in heat-spell river of wind and blaze of metal, in jog of July and August horses whose hoofs thudded the air like thrown fruit, his eyes blazed"

I thought Boy's Life by Robert McCammon truly inspiringly brilliant (in fact I find anything by McCammon brilliant) but Something Wicked This Way Comes for me had few redeeming features the richness of language made a truly boring experience and I struggled to finish...I admire those of you who found inspiration from Bradbury's words but sadly not me :((

Not so much a story about war but...

This is an amazing poignant read, it is not so much about the war in Afghanistan but rather the effect such a conflict has on the human mind and spirit. Kenny Meighan always wanted to be an infantryman, just like his dad John and his dad before him. John was an infantryman in Northern Ireland and the death of a close soldier/friend was one of the many scenes that were to haunt him when he left the services. One day on civi street a firework celebration sent him over the edge and he spiralled  into depression and alcoholism attempting to take his life on no more than 9 occasions. Kenny loved his dad and knew that he could cope with war but as a Point Man in Helmand province, the pressure was to prove too much and when he finally returned back to England..his life also went out of control. As a Point Man he lead his men from the front, seeking out all hazards and assessing them before the patrol continued, and as Point Man he would naturally be the first man to be shot at by the waiting Taliban. There were two real turning points for Kenny whilst on active service; the first enemy he shot, had in his sights was nothing but a young man like him fighting for a cause, and the death of a close friend who stepped on a improvised explosive device (ied)  his remains being collected in a body bag by Kenny....how can you return home to a normal life following exposure to war on this scale..the answer is you cannot and remain sane. Kenny returned to the love of his life,his girlfriend, and life spiralled downwards...how could he cope with no job (although finally getting a job as a bus driver)and a world that just did not understand the type of sacrifice an infantryman gave, people only concerned with their own paltry and greedy existence. In essence this book is a story about the human spirit and the failure of a system/government/people who cannot understand or have any idea of the effect on war on that spirit. It is a humbling but hugely important read and a memory that will stay with me for a very long time...to people like Kenny Meighan we all owe a great deal....

Brilliant touching horror/crime story...

I loved it! Not often do I read a horror/crime (I suppose it cuts across the two genres) story that is emotionally powerful and uplifting yet with an ultimately sad conclusion.Mark Sieber's world is turned upside down when he is seemingly captured by a group of kids ranging in age from 12-19. As the story unfolds Mark has a mission to deliver the kids back to their parents and kill the perpetrator "Grendel" who should inflict such horror pain and mutilation on those so innocent. The reader is with Mark all the way from the emotional reunion of those longs lost kids with their parents...to the killing of Grendel..and the destiny that falls the scarred and emotionally injured Christopher. The writing is very powerful and one scene in particular had me on the edge of my seat...Christopher and Mark are travelling in the van and Christopher is explaining to Mark how Grendel has managed to destroy all their lives...as he talks the speed of the van increases from 50...to...60...up to 100 miles per hour. At this point I could feel the tension as if lifted off the pages of the book and entered my mind it was one stand out moment amongst many in this tour de force story. This is my first Gary Braunbeck book and most certainly not my last, it has been a great introduction into the mind of a first class author, and I look forward to reading many more of his books in the weeks to come..I highly recommend!

A very enjoyable horror crime story

Ken who? that was my first thought when I happened upon this little gem on a kindle ebook download site. I do love good horror and am also a great crime fan so if you can combine the two and throw in a smidgen of eroticism then you must have the perfect recipe for a good fast read (and that is what the kindle is there for good fast reading)The book description says it all but in addition Jim Monday is receiving telepathic messages from a woman in New Zealand who he can also communicate with telepathically...now here we have a perfect example of what makes a good book adding a "quirky" little sub story all wrapped up in an ancient Maori curse. Needless to say this book moves at a relentless pace, it's just a fun read that does not take itself too seriously but is there simply to entertain. It's also great to see that Jim, a man in his mid 50's,has great sexual prowess with the ladies and being a reader in my mid 50's I am most heartened by this news :)) Simply put read this little gem and enjoy!

tour de force start...but blows out of steam.....

Now don't get me wrong I did enjoy this book, it's brutal in its delivery and the evil prevalent through the eyes of two characters is stomach churning and not for the faint hearted but necessary as the author draws a picture of innocence and evil....evil that comes calling one day into the lives of Hank Small, his wife Bev and two lovely kids...not forgetting the dog Wylie..ah the good old American homestead :) Hanks nephew Bill (who himself has some serious sexual/psycho problems!) calls on good old uncle Hank to help him out of a spot of bother..namely two very unsavoury characters Fatboy and Snake are trying to kill him. FB and Snake are the lowest forms of evil and depravity and the scenes depicting them are brutal and at times difficult to read but they are there to show the reader that real evil exists and someday it may come calling on you...as it did on Hank and his family. The story follows a predictable line with Hank and his family barely surviving a sadistic attack by FB and Snake...and up to that point I was enjoying this page turner of a story..but then..in true John Wayne fashion Hank and his mates get all tooled up, saddle up...and go lookin for those baddies!! Baddies are blown away..Hank saves the day...end of story...good but no cigar :(

Don't take this train.....

"John continued staring until the train moved on, and her peculiar words floated back to him, resonating with threat "We'll all cook before the end" A great line in what is a cracking short horror story by a very talented author. A pulsating London, a crowded tube station, a busy rush hour and always the fear of the unknown...all these ingredients come together to make this novella an exciting albeit short read. Who is the mysterious John Rowe, where is Melody the girl he wants to marry, what is the significance of the Lady and the child and what part does the young Asian gentleman play??? All is revealed in a surprising and timely conclusion but let's leave the final word to the woman announcer "This is a Hell-bound train...to your impending demise"...read and enjoy :))

Disappointing Kindle horror read:((

Now lets get one thing straight I do love horror and I am always searching out good new unique well written horror..and what's not to like about it! You are alone at home late at night, a little spooky music in the background,low lighting (essential) hot drink, feet elevated (comfort)...lets start reading. The Haunted has a familiar theme (not necessarily bad)young family...Sarah and Cap and the unborn baby...move into an old house which they happened to buy at just the right, once in a lifetime purchase (now that would probably have made you and I suspicious...why so cheap?? what's the catch?..but not our Sarah and Cap..and not forgetting the unborn baby :) As soon as our happy couple (and unborn baby) move into the said house things not surprisingly go badly wrong...for the remainder of this book we are treated to a long list of ghostly characters who are determined that Sarah and Cap (I hate that name!) will not remain...or rather will not escape alive...and that my dear readers is the synopsis of "The Haunted". A good horror story of this type will have one main theme running throughout the read...and that is "isolation" indeed isolation and a sense of dread...with no means of escape is essential to fully portray the sense of loneliness but, in this instance, I would substitute the word isolation for "dreary" To me the only haunted house (hotel) novel that ever successfully worked was "The Shining" a truly brilliant horror story that showed one man's disappearance and downward spiral into mental illness (and an unbelievable movie..good old Jack) The Shinning give new meaning to the word isolation and was the greatest example ever written of this type of book...but back to The Haunted. I had hoped that with the introduction of a third character towards the latter part that the writing/story would improve but unfortunately the third character's role had a predictable feel and outcome (trying not to give the story away) So in conclusion I really did not enjoy this book and thought it did little to add to horror genre..it was predictable in both it's content and conclusion, and not a book I would recommend.....

Face of Evil...pure brilliance!!!

Periodically I read a book that is so brilliant, intelligent, and entertaining that I am empowered by a sense of duty to share my feelings with the rest of the universe! Face of Evil is the story of Matt Cahill who spends his day at work in the Pacific North West, keeping his friend Andy out of trouble, moaning the early demise of his wife, and attempting to understand his feelings towards Rachael a work colleague and it would appear his greatest fan. Matt is involved in a skiing accident and buried alive under an avalanche. Some three weeks later his body is found miraculously still showing signs of life and suddenly we see the emergence of a new Matt! He has the ability to see the evil in man which manifests itself as putrid and pus riddled dead flesh!! What makes this short story so special is the direct and witty use of dialogue and the brilliant blending of thriller and horror…highly entertaining and funny in its approach. I am reminded of Scott Sigler’s adrenalined fuelled horror read “Infected” and the classic American Werewolf in London. Lee Goldberg as author is a very capable screenwriter and his very brash, visual and bold audience grabbing approach is very evident in this short compulsive read. I highly recommend and look forward to reading the continuation of the series.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games is the first in a trilogy and what a great book it is. Although aimed at the "teen" market it is a pleasant and very enjoyable read for an adult. The plot is simple...2 contestants are selected from 12 areas (giving 24 in total) to travel to the capital and fight in the yearly Hunger Games. Of those 24 only the winner will survive in a contest of kill and be killed and only those quick of foot and mind can hope to successfully compete as the numbers reduce and the contestants are systematically killed. There are without doubt parallels with the Ancient Romans and the bloody games held in the Colosseum but I loved the fresh and direct approach of the author, the contestants really came alive and as a passive observer I hoped that Katmiss Everdeen would be crowned the eventual winner. My favourite character is the beautiful Caesar Flickerman (a name that seems to draw parallels from both Roman and German origin) and he is the man who has hosted the interviews, prior to the games, for more than 40 years...."He bounces onto the stage, it's a little scary because his appearance has been virtually unchanged during all that time, same face under a coat of pure white make-up. Same hairstyle that he dyes a different colour for each Hunger Games. Same ceremonial suit, midnight blue dotted with a thousand electric  bulbs that twinkle like stars...." I am looking forward to reading books 2 & 3...a great treat for all teenagers and adults alike...read and enjoy and give thanks for the flamboyant  Caesar Flickerman :))

A stunnng debut :)

A truly exciting and original first novel by Oliver Stark. The writing is taut and the storytelling top notch!! Quite often crime stories can suffer from overcomplicated plots and unnecessary action...this is never the case here and there are some great red herrings to keep the reader guessing and at the edge of his seat :)) Read and enjoy.....

My top favourite 5 Horror reads...

Everyone must have a list of favourite reads so here our mine and in no particular order...

No 1 The Season of Passage by Christopher Pike, a great mixture of horror and fantasy, a story within a story, a lonely space trip and vampire infection....lovely :)

No 2 No collection would be complete without a book from the master himself and in The Shining we have a very frightening horror story set in a desolate location...all adding to the horror!

N0 3  This little gem is a recent discovery by me (see my review below) it is more than a horror story but a deeply sad tale of survival.

No 4  A modern horror story by Gary Mcmahon who writes like a true veteran, the images and the sense of nihilism throughout provides a depressing yet unputdownable read....I can't wait to read more by this up and coming master of the horror genre.

No 5 This book was a real surprise to me and my first experience of Scott Sigler. It is a tantalizing mix of horror and humour and all done to great effect.

Brilliant, emotional and unputdownable!

Every so often we pick up a book that is truly unputdownable, a book that is so well written, a book that has so much feeling and emotion it lives in the memory for a very long time....Alone in Berlin certainly did that for me. I was attracted firstly to the cover of this book in various book shops around Bristol and Bath and being a penguin publication the print, pages and binding were superior. I then noticed that it was originally published in 1947 and had just been republished here in the UK, the subject matter intrigued me as did the author Hans Fallada. When we consider stories set during WW2 very few are written from the German point of view and naturally we are inclined to believe that most Germans/Berliners were happy to support Hitler as he appeared to have put their country on a sound economic footing following the very lean years after the 1st WW. Alone in Berlin looks at one mans extraordinary and single handed stand against the forces of Nazism. Berlin at the time was a city of treachery, intrigue, deceit and suspicion, citizens were encouraged to report on any unnatural activities that might undermine the word of the Fuhrer. Into all of this steps Otto, an ordinary German living in an apartment block in Berlin, when he receives a message that his only son has been killed fighting at the front. He's shocked and saddened and decides to carry out his own personal crusade and act of resistance. He begins to drop anonymous postcards across the city attacking Hitler, knowing that if he is caught or betrayed not only will he be tortured and killed but so also will members of his immediate family. There evolves a silent war between Otto  and an ambitious Gestapo Inspector called Escherich. The prose, the use of dialogue, the sense of atmosphere and the inevitable sad conclusion all come together to make this a fantastic and emotional read, a read that never loses pace of sense of direction, and a read that I would certainly  recommend as one of the most memorable and intelligent novels of all time!

Welcome to the new blog...

Well a new year and a new makeover for my horror blog....first of all I hope you like the title, it's a random selection of words that when generated will make you concentrate your mind on horror!! The words zonacrypt do have a rather bloodthirsty rhythm and can give me direction in my ramblings over the next few months...and months...on into the misty future. I have spent a rather frustrating evening attempting to use book tokens to the value of £20 online and by doing a google search it would appear that www.pickabook.co.uk  will allow you to use the said tokens....wrong!!...yes you can use but with strict guidelines, if I spend over the £20 amount then the discount is not passed on to me...why waste my time searching for books and promising good things...when it just does not happen...anyway enough moaning :)) I am reading at present a fantastic horror story called....

and is everything that good horror should be...scary..and I will do a full review when completed which should be soon. This was recommend as one of the great discoveries of 2011 by the Ginger Nuts Of Horror and you can see the full Ginger Nuts review here http://thegingernutcase.blogspot.com/2011/12/top-ten-discoveries-of-2011.html

The Wolfen...prepare to be eaten!!

Some time ago I made a comment on an online forum that I felt annoyed and depressed at the complete lack of intelligent and readily available horror reading material. Recently I have been pleasantly surprised to discover such gems as “The Concrete Grove” by Gary McMahon and the ultimate werewolf tail (little play on words !) High Moor by Graeme Reynolds a new and rising star in this genre…so belief and a smile are slowly returning to my face.

After some difficulty I was successful in securing a copy of “The Wolfen” by Whitley Strieber and am so pleased that I did. In essence The Wolfen is a story of man and Canis Lupus Sapiens or more commonly referred to as the Werewolf trying to eke out a living and cohabit in an overcrowded world and a world that refuses to acknowledge it’s existence. Two policemen are murdered whilst carrying out routine duties at a car pound in a district of New York, and the investigating officers Rebecca Neff and George Wilson are tasked with bringing the perpetrators to justice. Wilson and Neff soon discover that this is not a simple case and suspicion soon falls on the Werewolf, The Wolfen as named in the book. The story evolves with a great list of characters and a cracking storyline that never relaxes. It soon becomes clear that The Wolfen pack are themselves hunting Wilson and Neff, as the knowledge these two officers now possess concerning the existence of The Wolfen, threatens the werewolf community and way of life….the hunters have become the hunted!! The chief of police Underwood is only interested in his promotion to Commissionaire and refuses to accept that a pack of Werewolves are living and running amok in his city, and are responsible for the death of two of his officers. Carl Ferguson the curator of the Natural History Museum is haunted by the possibility of an imminent Werewolf attack and in one particularly tense scene he is walking the museum late at night and is deeply troubled and frightened by every sound the building exudes. This tension and fear prevailing throughout the book draws the reader in and creates a great sense of unease. The Wolfen is a silent predator who can destroy his prey efficiently and with clockwork precision. To understand the mind of The Wolfen it must be appreciated they only really attack to satisfy their hunger and they view man as a means to exist and a good source of nourishment. They are also selective in their choice of victim,(the murder of the two policemen was a mistake) and choose to kill only those who they see as weak and who live in the fringes. They kill with ruthless and silent efficiency and it is this ability that totally immerses the reader in a nightmare reading experience! The brutal strength and beauty of The Wolfen is best described in one memorable scene from the book……

“Now she was down, she was pushing her nose past cloth, slick hot flesh, feeling the vibration of subvocal response in the man, feeling his muscles stiffening as his body reacted to her standing on it, then opening her mouth against the flesh, feeling her teeth scrape back and down, pressing her tongue against the deliciously salty skin and ripping with all the strength in her jaws and neck and chest, and jumping back to the wall with the bloody throat in her mouth. The body on the bench barely rustled as its dying blood poured out….Now her job was over,she dropped behind the wall and ate her trophy. It was rich and sweet with blood. Around her the pack was very happy as it worked….Then the pack ate in rank order. The mother took the brain. The father took a thigh and buttock. The first mated pair ate the clean organs. When they returned from their duty the second mated pair took the rest. And then they pulled apart the remains and took them piece by piece and dropped them in the nearby lake…When this was done, they went to a place they had been earlier, a great meadow full of the beautiful new snow that had been falling. They ran and danced in the snow, feeling the pleasure of their bodies, the joy or facing headlong across the wide expanse, and because they knew that no human was in earshot they had a joyous howl full of the pulsing rhythm they liked best after a hunt…..

Neff has a difficult home life and a complicated working relationship with Wilson, however they must lay aside these differences to keep focused and avoid being consumed by The Wolfen. The chase becomes a game of cat and mouse and a marvellous experience for the reader as the tension never relaxes and we rush towards a bloody conclusion. This is not merely a horror story but the portrayal of a misunderstood group trying to exist and survive in the shadows of the city and avoid the wrath of man….I strongly recommend!