Voodoo Heart by John Everson Blog Tour.. New Orleans.. Rituals Flame Tree Press.. RandomThings..

ABOUT THE BOOK:

VOODOO HEART
John Everson
Publication date: Oct 2020
When Detective Lawrence Ribaud wakes alone in a bloody bed with his wife
missing, he knows this is more than justa mysterious case of murder. His wife
is the latest victim in astring of bizarre disappearances. All across New
Orleans, on one night each month, people are vanishing, leaving behind
nothing bu ta pool of blood on the bedsheets… and an abandoned heart.
Ribaud doesn’t believe in voodoo, but he soon finds himself moving
through the underbelly of a secret society of snakes, sacrifices and obscene
rituals in search of the mysterious Black Queen … and the curse of her
Voodoo Heart

MY THOUGHTS:

My first read by this author and hopefully not my last. A book full dark menace, voodoo rituals and a hard boiled detective who is tasked with investigating a series of brutal murders. All that is left on the scenes is a blood soaked bed and human heart. The main character is not easy to like, he’s a serial cheater and a bit lazy for a detective. I usually need to get behind a character to engage with a book and although I disliked him a lot he was strangely appealing and I had a bit of a soft spot for him.

The book is well written and you can overlook the flaws in the main character. I thought the while gory in places was never over the top. I also thought the voodoo was well handled. It seemed to ring true for me and I’m sure the author did his research.

On the whole a dark, scary and enjoyable book and though not about vampires seems to inhabit the same world as the True Blood novels. I’m sure you will enjoy reading this book if you are into horror.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

JOHN EVERSON is a staunch advocate for the culinary
joys of the jalapeno and an unabashed fan of 1970s
European horror cinema. He’s also the Bram Stoker
Award-winning author of Covenant and eight other
novels, including Night Where and Siren.

THE PUBLISHERS:

FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing.
Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more
established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.

After Sundown Edited by Mark Morris/ Anthology/Horror Short Stories/FlameTreePress @RandomThingsTours

ABOUT THE BOOK:

AFTER SUNDOWN
Mark Morris
Publication date: Oct 2020
This new anthology contains 20 original horror stories,16 of which have been
commissioned from some of the top names in the genre ,and 4 of which
have been selected from the 100s of stories sent to Flame Tree during a2-
week open submissions window. It is the first of what will hopefully become
an annual, non-themed horror anthology of entirely original stories,
showcasing the very best short fiction that the genre has to offer

MY THOUGHTS:

I received a copy of this anthology from Flame Tree Press. Billed as horror, some were and some weren’t. I say some were more SciFi or speculative fiction. I liked some and disliked others. But that is the beauty of short stories you can move on if one doesn’t grab you. I liked the stories by C.J. Tudor, , Ramsey Campbell, Michael Marshall Smith and Grady Hendrix the most. I liked the others to varying degrees. The C.J. Tudor story was fast and though not in your face horror set the the reader in a state of unease. Likewise Ramsey Campbell who is a master of telling you that the bogeyman is just over your shoulder or in your own mind. I think this is going to be the start of an annual series. As I said on the whole all the stories wont please everyone but if the majority do then most readers will be happy. Another advantage of anthologies is that the reader gets a taste of the authors work before committing to a novel.

ABOUT THE EDITOR:

Mark Morris has written and edited almost forty novels,
novellas, short story collections and anthologies. His
recent work includes the official movie tie-in
novelizations of The Great Wall and (co-written with
Christopher Golden) The Predator, the Obsidian
Heart trilogy (The Wolves of London, The Society of
Blood and The Wraiths of War), the anthologies New Fears (winner of
the British Fantasy Award for Best Anthology)and New Fears 2 and many
more

FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing.
Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more
established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.

The Portal by Russell James Blog Tour/ Small Town Horror The Devil/ Portal/ Witches/Hell @RandomThingsTours

ABOUT THE BOOK:

THE PORTAL
Russell James
Publication date: Oct 2020
A black speedboat arrives at the small island community of Stone Harbor. Its
mysterious passenger, Joey Oates, inspires terror by his very presence. He’s
Satan incarnate, back to complete a ritual left unfinished three hundred years
ago. A lost talisman called the Portal can open a doorway for the demons of
Hell to enter our world. Oates plans to find the Portal and finish unlocking it.
Former lovers Scott Tackett, family hardware store owner ,and Allie Layton,
flamed-out Hollywood actress, are about to reconnect after years apart, until
they discover the evil growing in town. Only they can stop Oates’s awful plan
and save the world from the living nightmares standing ready to crawl out of
Hell.

MY THOUGHTS:

The year is 1720 and a coven of witches are uniting to open the Portal; a gateway that can open the door for all the demons of hell to roam the earth. The townspeople of Stone Harbor thwart their plans and all the witches are captured and executed. The Portal is buried and know one knows where.

Three hundred years later in the year 2020 the Devil turns up in the guise of Joey Oats a man who terrifies everyone he meets. He plans to unlock the Portal and finish the business began three hundred years earlier.

Scott Tackett and Allie Layton, past lovers, reconnect after years apart and find themselves in the frontline to stop the Devil’s plans.

If you like your horror with well drawn characters, vivid scenes and plenty of action then this is a book for you.

There is not a wasted word in prose that is crisp and sharp, all characters are well rounded and essential to the story. This is a story that spans generations and brings the small town of Stone Harbor to life.

I know we are supposed to cheer on the heroes, namely, Scott and Allie in their fight against the Devil in the person of Joey Oats, I found myself developing a soft spot for Joey. He is such a fascinating character.

Thanks to the publishers for the ARC; and Anne for the tour invite’

THE AUTHOR:

Russell James grew up on Long Island, New York and
graduated from Cornell University and the University of
Central Florida. After flying helicopters with the U.S.
Army, he has had multiple horror and paranormal thrillers
published. His wife reads his work and says “There is
something seriously wrong with you.

THE PUBLISHERS:

FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing.
Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more
established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.

Betrayal by Lilja Sigurðardóttir @RandomThingsTours/BlogTour @OrendaBooks Icelandic Politics

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Burned out and traumatised by her horrifying experiences around
the world, aid worker Úrsula has returned to Iceland. Unable to
settle, she accepts a high-profile government role in which she
hopes to make a difference again.
But on her first day in the post, Úrsula promises to help a
mother seeking justice for her daughter, who had been raped
by a policeman, and life in high office soon becomes much more
harrowing than Úrsula could ever have imagined. A homeless man
is stalking her – but is he hounding her, or warning her of some
danger? And the death of her father in police custody so many
years rears its head once again.
As Úrsula is drawn into dirty politics, facing increasingly deadly
threats, the lives of her stalker, her bodyguard and even a witchlike cleaning lady intertwine. Small betrayals become large ones,
and the stakes are raised ever higher…
The award-winning internationally bestselling author Lilja
Sigurðardóttir returns with Betrayal, a relevant, powerful, fastpaced thriller about the worlds of politics, police corruption and
misogyny that feels just a little bit too real…

MY THOUGHTS:

I loved Lilja’s Snare trilogy and as soon as I got a chance to be on this tour I jumped at the opportunity to grab a copy of this book. I was not to be disappointed!

This was a tale of corruption and misogyny and politics in Iceland. A landscape that is as alien to me as the features of Iceland itself.

Ursula an aid worker in the conflict zones of Lybia and Syria returns home to Iceland, burned out and fearing for the state of her marriage she takes a job in a Government department. Her first job in her new position is to promise to help a mother who’s daughter has been raped. The mother feels the investigation into her daughter’s case has not been given the investigation it deserves.

As Ursula probes into this case she is shocked to find the amount of corruption there is in Icelandic politics and police force.

Lilja has written a tale that grips from page one and wont let the reader go! this is not just a thriller but a tale of of corruption and misogyny

The most harrowing of these crimes is misogyny. She paints a portrait where she and every woman in the tale are blocked at every turn as the old boys network closes ranks. At the end of this book you are left the question what would I have done. A great book and I urge you to read it.

Thanks to Lilja for the story, Orenda for the ARC and Anne Cater for the tour invite.

ABOUT LILJA SIGURÐARDÓTTIR
A powerful new thriller from the award-winning author of Snare
SHORTLISTED FOR THE GLASS KEY AWARD
FOR BEST NORDIC CRIME NOVEL
Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurdardóttir was born in the town of
Akranes in 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. An
award-winning playwright, Lilja has written four crime novels, including
Snare, Trap and Cage, making up the Reykjavik Noir trilogy, which have
hit bestseller lists worldwide. The film rights have been bought by
Palomar Pictures in California. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner.

The Ice Killer by Ross Greenwood Blog Tour/Crime Thriller Rachel’sRandomResources

MY THOUGHTS:

Ellen has her issues. Born Sue Ellen and named after a TV character, she has just lost her mother and no one seems to care about her. Her only friend is Scarlett that she knew from school who has done rather well for herself as she knew she would and Ellen has no chance of stepping into her shoes.

When she meets someone from work in the pub he persuades her to go back to his to listen to their band video. What transpires is something she never would have thought in a million years or would she?

Meanwhile D.I. Barton becomes acting Chief Inspector, a role he finds doesn’t sit easily with him; being a hands on person he finds it hard to delegate. Coupled with the fact that two of his team are about to sit their inspector’s exams.

Three bodies are found in a run down house, each with a potential weapon by them. A tall man was seen leaving the building however things don’t quite add up and the hunt is on for a potential murderer. As the murders begin to pile up with seemingly no witnesses or motives the team find their hands full.

 I enjoyed this – it was slightly different from the norm as we know from the beginning who the perpetrator is (or do we?) and some is written in the first person from Ellen’s side of things. A very cleverly written well thought out plot with twists and turns along the way. It’s almost a hybrid psychological thriller/ crime book in how the story pans out. A brilliant read that is gripping and gritty

A great book three in the Killer trilogy and I would recommend it!

THE AUTHOR:

Biography

I was born in 1973 in Peterborough and lived there until I was 20, attending The King’s School in the city. I then began a rather nomadic existence, living and working all over the country and various parts of the world.

I found myself returning to Peterborough many times over the years, usually when things had gone wrong. It was on one of these occasions that I met my partner about 100 metres from my back door whilst walking a dog. Two children swiftly followed. I’m still a little stunned by the pace of it now.

Station Helix by Ash Greenslade Blog Tour/Love Books Tours Thriller/Genetics/SciFi

ABOUT THE BOOK:

“I DON’T WANT YOU TO FEEL PARANOID ABOUT ME LYING TO YOU.” An inexplicable suicide… A devastating car wreck… A secret Ministry of Defence facility… Told with pace and tension, STATION HELIX is an exciting and modern novel rooted in the tradition of British thrillers. Alex Hannay makes a shocking discovery which draws him into a perilous world of conspiracy and murder. As operatives from the CIA pursue their own operation on the streets of London, Alex is torn between protecting those who share his secret and seeking retribution for a terrible crime.

MY THOUGHTS:

This the first in a series and what an enjoyable book it was. Slow to start but picked up pace as the story progressed.

The story begins with a person jumping to his death from Tower Bridge. Did he jump or was he pushed? Thus we start with an enigma. This story had lots going on to intrigue the reader. Spies, unexplained murders and genetic engineering. Then we have a car crash killing two scientists and leaving their son Alex Hannay badly injured.

After his parents funeral Alex is drawn into a perilous world of conspiracy and murder. He is left reeling and he wonders who to trust and even wondering did he even know his own parents. He unwillingly becomes an agent for the MOD. This brings him into conflict with the CIA. who are pursuing their own agenda on the streets of London. If you like thrillers with a hint of conspiracy theory then I would recommend this book to you.

The writing and story is of a quality that makes the reader keep reading. Broken into twelve segments each containing short chapters that move the story along and keeps the reader saying one more chapter!

Thank you to @lovebookstours and Ash Greenslade for a copy of the book to read.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ash Greenslade is a former police officer and trainer who became hooked on thrillers after reading David Morrell’s THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE ROSE. Despite dabbling with numerous writing projects since his schooldays, it took over two decades from reading Morrell’s landmark book for Ash to finally take writing seriously. Determined to accomplish an original novel, he embarked on STATION HELIX, a conspiracy thriller inspired by a visit to Orford Ness. Originally intended as a standalone novel, STATION HELIX prompted another two books, THE ELZEVIR COLLECTIVE and TORUS, plus the RYAN KERREK spin-off series (SINISTER BETRAYAL, DEADLY ACQUISITION, BLACK SCARAB and HUNTING CARACAL).

Ash credits his love of words to weekly spelling tests from the age of four, an incredibly enthusiastic English teacher who wrote children’s stories in the 1960s, and his collection of Enid Blyton, CS Lewis and Willard Price books. Captivated by the escapism of stories, the young Ash wanted to become a children’s author, and he still has a few early projects hidden away which might resurface one day. But it was the thriller genre which grabbed him as an adult. Although Morrell remains his favourite author, he’s a fan of the old-school British stalwarts such as Buchan, Ambler, MacLean, Bagley and Higgins.

Despite his working background, Ash doesn’t write crime thrillers, preferring the more secretive and enthralling world of espionage for his stories. Betrayal and conspiracy are recurring themes. And while he avoids revealing too much of his own character through his pages, some aspects of Ash’s books are very personal, such as the scuba diving scenes in BLACK SCARAB. (Ash worked as a divemaster in the Red Sea before qualifying as an instructor in Grand Cayman.)

When time permits, Ash researches his family tree and takes photographs. Several family surnames feature in his books, and he took the cover shots for the STATION HELIX series. And while he enjoys the occasional trip to London to meet friends, visit the theatre or conduct some research for his books, he’s more at home exploring the solitude of rural Essex in search of wildlife. He can be found online at www.ashgreenslade.net. 

Buy Link; Amazon and all Booksellers.

Thanks To Random Things And Orenda Books# Blog Tour A Song Of Isolation By Michael J Malone

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Film star Amelie Hart is the darling of the silver screen, appearing
on the front pages of every newspaper. But at the peak of her
fame she throws it all away for a regular guy with an ordinary job.
The gossip columns are aghast: what happened to the woman who
turned heads wherever she went?
Any hope the furore will die down are crushed when Amelie’s
boyfriend Dave is arrested on charges of child sexual abuse.
Dave strongly asserts his innocence, and when Amelie refuses
to denounce him, the press furore quickly turns into physical
violence, and she has to flee the country.
While Dave is locked up with the most depraved men in the
country and Amelie is hiding on the continent, Damaris, the victim
at the centre of the story, is also isolated – a child trying to make
sense of an adult world…
Breathtakingly brutal, dark and immensely moving, A Song of
Isolation looks beneath the magpie glimmer of celebrity to
uncover a sinister world dominated by greed and lies, and the
unfathomable destruction of innocent lives… in an instant.

MY THOUGHTS:

Yet again Michael J Malone has written an outstanding book that tackles a very sensitive subject and how this can be manoeuvred by a heartless media and false accusations.

Amelie and Dave are in a relationship that is on shaky foundations and is further undermined when Dave is arrested and accused of molesting a neighbours young daughter.

As the tale progressed you find yourself rooting for Amelie and Dave and hoping that they can find their way out of the terrible mess they find themselves in. They are well drawn characters and we find ourselves discovering how they are affected, inside and outside of prison. We also get to meet Damaris, the young girl Dave is accused of sexually molesting.

I was drawn into their lives and wondering if Dave is guilty or innocent. Told from various perspectives this is a story covering a disturbing subject. It does so with thoughtfulness & sensitivity. I really enjoyed reading it. The characters were well rounded & were easy to like (& in some cases dislike!) A five star read! 

ABOUT MICHAEL J. MALONE
International bestseller Michael J. Malone, the critically acclaimed
author of A Suitable Lie and House of Spines, returns with a
powerful standalone thriller about secrets, celebrity, and greed
Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and
brought up in the heart of Burns’ country. He has published over 200
poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing
Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut
novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. His
psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and the
critically acclaimed House of Spines, After He Died and In the Absence of
Miracles soon followed suit. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber &
Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr.

Thanks To Flame Tree Press @Random Things Tours. The Raven by Jonathan Janz Blog Tour /Horror Book

ABOUT THE BOOK:

THE RAVEN
Jonathan Janz
Publication date: Sep 2020
“One of the best writers in modern horror to come along in the last decade.
Janz is one of my new favorites.”- Brian Keene
Fearing that mankind is heading toward nuclear extinction,a group of
geneticists unleash a plot to save the world. They’ve discovered that
mythological creatures such as werewolves, vampires, witches,and satyrs
were once real,and that these monstrous genetic strands are still present in
human DNA. These radical scientists unleash the bestial side of human
beings that had been dormant for eons,and within months, most people are
dead,and bloodthirstycreatures rule the earth. Despite the fact that Dez
McClane has no special powers, he is determined to atone for the lives he
couldn’t save and to save the woman he loves. But how long can a man
survive in a world full of monsters?

MY THOUGHTS:

Well this was my first read by Jonathan Janz and what a stonker it was! Set in a world that could never happen. Or could it?

Set in a world where mankind has a secret buried deep in their DNA. A secret that can only be released when a virus is uploaded by a group of genetic scientists and mankind becomes a race of monsters. Those who do not die must survive in a world populated by werewolves, vampires, witches etc.

Janz has created a doomsday scenario where monster fights monster and also mankind must fight all to survive! You could liken this world to The Walking Dead, Hellboy etc., but Janz has created a world that is uniquely his own. Where dread rules the streets and only the fittest or only the most monstrous can survive! The world building is second to non and his prose is crisp and immerses the reader in the story and keeps them reading.

This book finishes on a cliff hanger and a twist I for one did not see coming. I hope this is the first in a series and if not all I can say is Jonathan Janz you are a cruel, cruel writer!

SOME DTAILS ABOUT THE AUTHOR OF THE RAVEN:

Jonathan Janz is the author of more fifteen novels and
numerous shorter works. Since debuting in 2012,
Jonathan’s work has been lauded by Booklist, Publishers
Weekly, The Library Journal and many others. He lives in
West Lafayette, Indiana, with his amazing wife and three
incredible children.

ABOUT THE PUBLISHERS:

FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing.
Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more
established; the award winners and exciting, original voices.

Misfits by Hunter Shea Blog Tour Horror Tale# Melon Heads #Scary Book #Anne Cater@RandomThings

THE BOOK:

MISFITS
Hunter Shea
Publication date: Sep 2020
“I don’t know how Hunter Shea keeps churning out terrifying stories that feel
original, but I want more.”– Cedar Hollow Reviews
During the height of the 90s grunge era, five high school friends living on
the fringe are driven to the breaking point. When one of their friends is
brutally raped by a drunk townie, they decide to take matters into their own
hands. Deep in the woods of Milbury, Connecticut, there lives the legend of
the Melon Heads ,a race of creatures that shun human interaction and prey
on those who dare to wander down Dracula Drive. Maybe this night, one
band of misfits can help the other. Or maybe some legends are meant to be
feared for a reason.

MY THOUGHTS

This is my first book by Hunter Shea I have read. I like horror tales set in small towns in America. Derry, Maine springs to mind.

This book is set in the Grunge era. of the 90’s and concerns a group of teenagers, who are known to the general population as ” stoners” They seem to be drifting along aimlessly until their lives are shattered by an event which changes their lives for the worse.

One of their numbers is raped and they decide to take the perpetrator to an area known as Dracula Drive, the home of mythical creatures known as Melon Heads. If this is just to scare him or something more sinister is unknow as events are taken out of their hands and things go pear shaped and downhill fast.

One of the things I did like was although the Melon Heads are described the description is vague and you are left with the feeling the bogeyman is hiding just over your shoulder.

Misfits is a whole lot of fun. However, there’s a ton of heartbreak mixed in with the fun. Much of what happens is spurred on by an act of brutality and the author doesn’t shy away from the horror of that moment.

If you like horror and like it gory I’m sure you will like this book.

Thanks Hunter for the tale.

Flame Tree Press for the ARC. and Anne Cater for the tour invite.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hunter Shea is the product of a misspent childhood
watching scary movies, reading forbidden books and
wishing Bigfoot was real. He’s the author of over17
books, including ‘The Jersey Devil’ and ‘We Are Always
Watching’. Hunter’s novels can even be found on display
at the International Cryptozoology Museum.

The Seven Doors by Agnes Ravatn Blog Tour # Scandinavian Crime @ RandomThingsTours.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

One of Norway’s most distinguished voices, Agnes Ravatn’s first
novel to be published in the UK was The Bird Tribunal. It won an
English PEN Translation Award, was shortlisted for the Dublin
Literary Award and the Petrona Award, and was adapted for a
BBC Book at Bedtime. She returns now with a dark, powerful and
deeply disturbing psychological thriller about family, secrets and
dangerous curiosity…
University professor Nina is at a turning point. Her work seems
increasingly irrelevant, her doctor husband is never home,
relations with her adult daughter Ingeborg are strained, and their
beautiful house is scheduled for demolition.
When Ingeborg decides to move into another house they own,
things take a very dark turn. The young woman who rents it
disappears, leaving behind her son, the day after Nina and
Ingeborg pay her a visit.
With few clues, the police enquiry soon grinds to a halt, but Nina
has an inexplicable sense of guilt. Unable to rest, she begins her
own investigation, but as she pulls on the threads of the case, it
seems her discoveries may have very grave consequences for her
and her family.

MY THOUGHTS:

Having read Agnes’s previous book The  Bird Tribunal I was keen to get my mitts  on a copy The Seven Doors. And I was not disappointed, I loved it!  But having said that this might not be a book for everyone. It is a dark , very dark psychological thriller. As dark and bleak as a Norwegian winter; but hey some people like winter as a season. No accounting for taste.

The story starts out with University professor Nina who is not happy at her work which is becoming  more and mote irrelevant and her marriage to her husband is also under strain. He is never home. Also they need to find a new home to replace her home which is due for demolition.

Also her daughter Ingeborg and her family are looking for a new home. There is one possibility, another  home that the family own. There is only one problem, it has a sitting tenant, who mysteriously vanishes the day after Nina and Ingeborg visit the property and leaves her young son with his grandparents.

The lack of clues soon finds the police investigation stumbling to a halt and Nina finds herself the only person willing to dig for the truth but the more she digs the more fingers may be pointing at her and her own family!

As I’ve said a dark and brooding book that has you thinking, the plot is deliciously creepy and twisty. Look out for red herrings. The prose is crisp and sharp and of a high quality. One other thing that may disturb some readers is the lack of quotation marks but personally I thinks it adds to the subject matter.

Thanks to Agnes for the story,

Orenda books for the ARC, and also Anne Cater for the tour invite.

AUTHOR BIO
THE LONG-AWAITED NEW NOVEL
FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF
THE BIRD TRIBUNAL
Agnes Ravatn (b. 1983) is a Norwegian author and columnist. She made her
literary début with the novel Week 53 (Veke 53) in 2007. Since then she
has written three critically acclaimed and award-winning essay collections:
Standing still (Stillstand), 2011, Popular Reading (Folkelesnad), 2011, and
Operation self-discipline (Operasjon sjøldisiplin), 2014. In these works,
Ravatn revealed a unique, witty voice and sharp eye for human fallibility.
Her second novel, The Bird Tribunal (Fugletribuanlet), was an international
bestseller translated into fifteen languages, winning an English PEN Award,
shortlisting for the Dublin Literary Award, a WHSmith Fresh Talent pick and a
BBC Book at Bedtime. It was also made into a successful play, which premiered
in Oslo in 2015. Agnes lives with her family in the Norwegian countryside.