Rattle By Fiona Cummins

Publication date: 26 January 2017

Published by: Pan Macmillan

Purchase from Amazon here

What’s it all about?

A serial killer to chill your bones A psychopath more frightening than Hannibal Lecter. He has planned well. He leads two lives. In one he's just like anyone else. But in the other he is the caretaker of his family's macabre museum. Now the time has come to add to his collection. He is ready to feed his obsession, and he is on the hunt. Jakey Frith and Clara Foyle have something in common. They have what he needs. What begins is a terrifying cat-and-mouse game between the sinister collector, Jakey's father and Etta Fitzroy, a troubled detective investigating a spate of abductions. Set in London's Blackheath, Rattle by Fiona Cummins explores the seam of darkness that runs through us all; the struggle between light and shadow, redemption and revenge. It is a glimpse into the mind of a sinister psychopath. And it's also a story about not giving up hope when it seems that all hope is already lost.

What did I think?

Wow! The first line of the synopsis set the bar high – a psychopath more frightening than Hannibal Lecter?! This was followed swiftly by me reading that Rattle is Fiona Cummins’s debut novel. Oh right, I thought, shaking my head and feeling a bit deflated. There is no way a debut author can create a character of that calibre.

I started the first few chapters, and having expecting to be bitterly disappointed I found the opposite, I was hooked. This man is a sicko!! He has his eye like an eagle watching his prey, waiting for the right time to swoop in and take his chances. As he swoops so starts the nightmare that leads to dark places. He is pursued primarily by Etta Fitzroy who is a Detective in the Met Police. Having been through some tough times she has become a hard cookie, but she has a soft centre. Will she be able to work out who he is? Will we as readers? Will she catch up with him and put a stop to him or will he get away scot free? So many questions, so many twists and turns, and so much to say – but I can’t as I wouldn’t want to give anything away and spoil it for other readers.

What I can say is that is a truly accomplished piece of writing. Dark, gritty, intelligently written, well researched and with strong characters, Rattle had a bit of everything that I love in a great book. The ‘baddie’ really felt grimy, nasty and I almost shudder in disgust when I think of him. On the other hand, Etta Fitzroy is a great Detective, and I loved getting to know both characters. I felt like there was a real opportunity to get to understand Etta more clearly as the story progressed, and I would compare her to strong female detective leads in other established authors work.

The book is written in a sophisticated way using a wide vocabulary that had me reaching for the vocab button on my kindle to look up words on more than one occasion. Being so descriptive helped bring the book to life even more for me. I love to be able to visualize a scene, and in these scenes I could imagine not only how they looked, but how they smelt and sounded too.

Does the psychopath freak me out more than Hannibal Lecter? I have been pondering this all day. For me they are different beasts, each of which have their unique personalities and how shall I say modus operandi. Both of which are captivating and scary as hell!

If you are a fan of thrillers with a touch of grisly, and if you are a fan of Karin Slaughter, Robert Bryndza or the man himself, Thomas Harris I think you would enjoy Rattle.

The Dream Team by Eva Jordan

Out Now

Published by Endeavour Press

Purchase from Amazon here

What’s it all about?

Everyone’s got a dream…

Ramona Rae is starting a new job.

She’s good at starting jobs - as she’s done it over fourteen times, maybe more…

She’d stop counting a long time ago.

But this time, she’s convinced that her new job as a file clerk will work out.

Only Ramona is harbouring a secret dream and deep down she knows she will only ever be happy if she is a writer.

When she meets Sam on her first day and he sees her scribbling in a journal, he invites Ramona to a meeting after work.

And that is the day she became a member of the Dream Team – a group of people who get together to support each other’s dreams.

Sam and Kumal want to be professional musicians, while Paige wants to get married and have a family.

When Ramona finally admits that she wants to be a writer, they challenge her to write a chapter every week.

The weeks go by, and Ramona soon finds herself writing more and more.

She’s never been so happy in her life.

But things take a turn for the worse when she suddenly finds herself declaring her love for someone who doesn’t feel the same way.

And then things start to get complicated…

The Dream Team is a heart-warming tale about facing your fears and never giving up on your dreams.

What did I think?

Aww I really enjoyed this novella. At just 79 pages this is short and sweet, but well worth a read. Perhaps if you are commuting, or have some time free and want a bit of escapism…then this is perfect!

Ramona is a great lead character. She flits from job to job never settles into anything. Her life is also lacking romance and fun. She has just landed a job working in a hospital records department in a role that she imagines will be so boring it will never last. Then she meets her colleagues, and as she gets to know them they invite her to join their after work club ‘The Dream Team.’

Ramona has always yearned to be a writer but no-one encourages her, and she has little confidence that she can make her dream come true. But once she shares her ambition with the dream team they actively encourage her to follow her dreams. But will it work and will It help her find happiness?

This book is a fab story that has a clear and lovely message about never saying never, and to go for what you want. It is great as a January read when we are setting new targets for ourselves, and often find ourselves re-evaluating our lives. I loved Ramona and could imagine this little limp flower who with some nurturing and encouragement starts to bloom.

Of course it is not all plain sailing, and there are complications along the way that threatens to throw a spanner in the works. But that is always part of the fun for me. Who wants to read about everything going smoothly all the time? I like a bit of drama and what if.

I devoured this novella and the only criticism I would have is that because it was short it was all packed so tightly it was over too quickly. I would love to have seen more of Ramona and her friends. I would love to see her character develop and appear again in the future.

A feel good, warm, fun read that urges you to take chances and never give up I will be looking out to read more of Eva Jordan’s work.

All Fall Down by Tom Bale

Out now

Published by Bookouture

Purchase from Amazon here

Description:

You tried to save a life. Now you’re fighting to save your own.

It should have been an idyllic day for the Turner family – until a dying man, beaten beyond all recognition, arrives at their home, uttering the words, HELP ME.

Rob and Wendy Turner and their children try to explain away the horrific scene as being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but in the days that follow their lives are threatened in ways they could never imagine.

The family is unaware that they are being watched by someone with their own terrifying agenda, who will stop at nothing to fulfil their own twisted desires.

But when hidden secrets come rushing to the surface, it’s clear not everything is as it seems in this happy family. Are the Turners a victim of circumstance – or does the key to their fate lie closer to home?

Forced to fight for everything they hold dear, can they save themselves before time runs out – or will their act of compassion see them paying the ultimate price…?

A heart-stopping, shocking and tense thriller that will keep you guessing to the very last page.

My thoughts:

If you are a fan of an edge of your seat thriller then Tom Bale has to be on your reading list. This is the second book I’ve read by Tom and once again I found myself entranced by a fast paced tense read that had me in its grips right until the end.

Right from the outset we are thrust into the action as the Turner family, who are enjoying a fun day in their back garden, minding their own business – that is until a seriously injured man finds his way in and turns their lives upside down. And so begins the nightmare.

Ever felt like you are being watched? Do you ever really know anyone? What really goes on behind closed doors? I found myself grabbing the rope that the author chucks out at the starting and clinging on as the plot deepened and darkened and took twists and turns. Once again Tom has used short chapters that allow us to flit between scenes quickly, and always appeal to me as a page turner.

I have seen and heard people say that the plot is implausible or unrealistic, but hello, it is fiction, it is escapism, and of course it won’t run step by step as a real life scenario, however, set yourself free and allow yourself to enter into a thrilling world of nastiness and you will lap it up. Well I certainly did!

Skillfully written, with lots of descriptive writing, strong characters and the stuff of nightmares, this thriller was great and I couldn’t put it down, and I am looking forward to Tom’s next offering.