It might be March (seriously, how?), but it still felt wrong to write 2018 in the title of this post!
I’m not going to lie, so far this year has not been the best for reading. That’s no reflection on the books I’ve been reading, it’s more of a reflection on the state of my poor, addled brain that’s been trying to focus on too many things for too long. My reading habit has been the biggest victim.
So this post is a two for one, covering the books I’ve read since the beginning of the year.
The Dying Game, by Asa Avdic
When workaholic bureaucrat Anna Francis is given the opportunity to take on a new assignment that will allow her to finally break free from the organisation that has controlled her life for so long, she is reluctant. It will mean she can finally spend time with the daughter she has all but abandoned, but something about the assignment just doesn’t feel right.
She is to spend the weekend on a remote island, observing a group of bureaucrats who are in contention for a lucrative position. Her assignment is to stage her own death and then secretly monitor the group to see who takes control and who crumbles under pressure.
But the arrival of a former colleague is the first sign that something isn’t right. And soon things on the island begin to go seriously wrong…
I picked this up on a whim in Tesco over the Christmas break, expecting it to be another Scandinavian crime thriller. But I was surprised.
This is actually a dystopian thriller, set in a future version of Sweden, in a world where the Soviet Union never collapsed but instead came to take over much of Europe. The story follows a similar pattern to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, with several people staying on a remote island for the weekend, under the pretence of being tested as part of an application for a government job.
But nothing is as it seems.
The dystopian elements of the story serve to make this unusual and hold it apart from the standard crime thriller, although it still fits into that genre too. A solid mystery that has a few surprises in store, with a back story that could probably be a novel in its own right.
Find out more on Goodreads | Buy it on Amazon
Dark Matter, by Blake Crouch
Physics professor Jason Dessen is happy with his life, despite it not turning out as he planned. Years earlier, he was on the road to becoming a celebrated academic, but a surprise pregnancy put an end to his ambitions. Instead he has a beautiful family and teaches at a local college.
But all that is put in jeopardy when he is attacked one night and brought to an abandoned warehouse, where his kidnapper renders him unconscious.
When he wakes, he finds himself in a scientific facility where everyone seems to know him and they want to know where he’s been for the last year. Increasingly afraid and desperate to get back to his family, Jason escapes from the facility and begins to unravel the truth about the place he finds himself in.
I’d heard fantastic things about Dark Matter, when I decided to read it for research. The book I’m currently working on features an alternate lives narrative and it’s been interesting to look at the ways other authors have handled their own stories.
Dark Matter takes a scientific approach, with a man who discovers a way to visit alternate versions of his life. But this causes a ripple effect, with consequences that spill out, affecting people in other realities.
This is a dark and intriguing adventure, with a couple of chilling reveals as the story progresses. I’m not entirely sure if the story makes sense by its own rules, but I was willing to suspend disbelief and go with it. It’s a high concept setup and it can be difficult to deliver a satisfactory conclusion. This book just about manages it, although there are a few silly moments towards the end.
Still worth reading though; a thought-provoking scientific adventure.
Find out more on Goodreads | Buy it on Amazon
Don’t Call Us Dead, by Danez Smith
This poetry collection by award-winning US poet Danez Smith explores what it means to be an African American man in today’s US, with themes of police brutality and sexual awakening.
The poems are often angry and volatile, addressing the injustice within society, as well as dealing with what it means to be HIV positive.
Watch Smith perform his work live in YouTube videos to add an extra dimension to this powerful collection.
Find out more on Goodreads | Buy it on Amazon
Electric Arches, by Eve L. Ewing
The second poetry collection I’ve read this year, Electric Arches was slightly more accessible and lyrical in style.
An exploration of Black girlhood and womanhood, this collection is about identity, race, gender and growing up. Ewing’s work is beautifully descriptive and evokes the city of Chicago, where she’s from.
Find out more on Goodreads | Buy it on Amazon
A Murder to Die For, by Stevyn Colgan
When hordes of people descend on the picturesque village of Nasely for the annual celebration of its most famous resident, murder mystery writer Agnes Crabbe, events take a dark turn as the festival has its very own murder.
Gangs of cosplaying fans, known as Millies, are soon hunting for clues to the killer’s identity. But will they find him before he strikes again, taking half the fan club leaders with him?
A Murder to Die For is published by Unbound, who will also be releasing my debut novel. One of the best things about working with Unbound is that we have a Facebook group for authors, where we can share tips and encouragement on anything from writing to marketing our work. Stevyn Colgan is a big presence in the group and his recently released novel quickly became high on my to-read list. It’s true that word of mouth plays a huge part in attracting readers to your book, and that’s something Stevyn is an expert in!
His novel fits squarely in the cosy crime category, somewhere on the murder mystery scale between Agatha Christie and Midsomer Murders. Not something I would usually go for, but I enjoyed it immensely, particular once all the characters had been introduced and the story kicked into gear with the murder of a festival attendee.
The author has great fun playing around with the rules of the murder mystery genre, sending his characters in entertaining and often unexpected directions.
A sequel is currently underway, with a crowdfunding campaign up and running here.
Find out more on Goodreads | Buy it on Amazon
The Furthest Station, by Ben Aaronovitch
The latest in the Rivers of London series, this new novella sees PC Grant taking on the mysterious case of a haunting on the London Underground.
One of my favourite series, this is quirky and full of supernatural adventure, kind of Harry Potter for grown-ups, with issues of race and class identity thrown into the mix.
Although much shorter than the other books in the series, this novella nicely punctuates the story, while branching away from the ongoing narrative. PC Grant’s teenage cousin, Abigail, has a much bigger role here; perhaps paving the way for her to play a bigger role in the series as she begins to tap into her magical powers.
Find out more on Goodreads | Buy it on Amazon
What have you been reading so far this year?
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