Scratchman

The door squealed noisily back on its hinges as I entered the room. The semi-circle of faces within all turned to me with accusing eyes as I nervously made my way to the one unoccupied chair. As I sat, with my head sheepishly gazing at my feet, I heard a voice say, “okay, I think we’re all here now, so as is customary, shall we start with our newest attendee?”

I looked up to see everyone staring eagerly at me.

With legs wobbling like a day-old blancmange, I nervously nodded and rose to my feet.

“H…. hello everyone,” I stuttered. The silence was palpable. I looked down at the floor again.

“Take your time,” said the bodiless voice.

I cleared my throat and with a sudden surge of bravado I blurted it out.

“Hello everyone, my name is Brian and I am a Doctor Who fan”

The applause was deafening………………………………………….

 

Yes folks, confession time. I AM a Doctor Who fan. There. I’ve said it now. Luckily, I’ve made this statement on my own blog, so no-one will read it anyway!

I think it’s fair to say that back in the late 70s and early 80s, and certainly during my school days, such a confession would have got me beaten up in the playground. There is still a stigma attached to “being a fan” of Doctor Who, and for other genre shows too, to be honest, however, I think that the reboot of the show in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston and the subsequent brilliant regeneration into the excellent David Tennant did bring it some credibility in the modern world. And Jodie Whittaker is just “fantastic”, as number 9 would say (little in joke for any whovians that may have stumbled on here by mistake!)

But back to the 70s. It was around 73/74 when this then 6-year-old boy gained his first female crush…. The Doctor’s assistant Jo Grant, a.k.a Katy Manning. Jon Pertwee was the Doctor and I was immediately hooked on his famous Venusian Aikido moves, flamboyant character, Bessie his car, and the Whomobile. This weird man with white hair and velvet jackets, with his gorgeous blonde sidekick, fighting monsters and aliens and supported by a secret division of the British Army – what’s not to love?

Then along came Tom Baker. Tom Baker IS the Doctor in my opinion. He is the template by which, for me, all subsequent Doctors’ need to defer to. His incarnation/regeneration cemented my love of the show which continues to this day. I’m not the obsessive I was back then, (although I still have a Tom Baker/Who Action figure, Target Novels, back issues of Doctor Who Weekly, poster of Jo Grant posing naked with a Dalek……ahem!) but I still enjoy watching it and have fond memories of my childhood attached to it.

So….it was inevitable that when Tom wrote a novel based on his abandoned Doctor Who film proposal, surely it was a given that it was a book I just had to buy, right? Too right….

Back in the 70s, Tom and his co-star Ian Marter, who played one of his companions Harry Sullivan, developed a script for a potential big screen Doctor Who adventure. Sadly, the project never got off the ground and the script became lost until 2006 when it was discovered by the British Film Institute. Cutting a long story short, we (time) jump to 2019 and Tom, along with writer James Goss has adapted the script into a novel, thus Doctor Who: Scratchman is re-born (should have said re-generated, damnit!!)

Let me say from the start that Scratchman is utterly bonkers. It is so audaciously 70s in atmosphere and tone, and 100% Tom Baker through and through. Unusually for a Doctor Who novel it is written in the first person, which is where it gets a bit weird. This is Tom Baker, writing as Doctor Who, but sounding just like Tom Baker. He also flits between first person and third person, implying that the Doctor knows what other characters are doing, saying and thinking without him actually being in that particular scene at that time. Probably not an award winning literary style, but hey, it’s Tom so he can get away with it. And to be fair, he does.

You cannot read Scratchman without doing so in Toms’ gloriously rich tone. This is a true 1970s Doctor Who adventure, including the wonderful Sarah Jane Smith and hapless Harry Sullivan joining him as his companions. The crew land on a remote Scottish island which quickly becomes over-run by murderous scarecrows. After facing them through a series of typical Who style and “terribly British” set pieces, it soon becomes evident that the scarecrows are the least of the Doctors problems, as part two of the book then descends into what can only be described as sheer, unadulterated, drug-induced hokum, as the Doctor comes face to face with Scratchman, a Devil incarnate who throws him and his companions into a range of mind-bogglingly and completely off the wall situations which could only come from the mind of Mr Baker himself. Seriously, if Tom was not drunk, high on medication or sniffing something when he wrote this, then he should start bottling his brain cells for posterity or start marketing his DNA – it’s psychedelic stuff!

Aside from this however, there is a genuine love and warmth for the character and the show radiating from every page. Die-hard fans will love the nods that Tom gives to past and present incarnations of the Doctor, as well as some of his adversaries. The characters of Sarah Jane and Harry are lovingly and accurately portrayed, and the inclusion of anecdotal interviews with Tom and Ian about the original Scratchman concept may bring a lump to the throat.

Whilst its appeal to long term Who fans is apparent, there is still enough in Scratchman to also cater to those with a passing interest in the series, and for any science fiction fan overall. There is a hint of the madcap 1970s sci-fi of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and The New Avengers and even the outlandishness of The Goodies about it, along with a touch of the slightly more modern Red Dwarf. It is gloriously ridiculous, terribly British and truly reflective of the national treasure that is Mr Tom Baker.  Scratchman will help you escape this current “Groundhog Day” world we currently live in and transport you to somewhere you would never even begin to imagine. Or would probably want to!

Scratchman is published by BBC Books and available in all formats. The audiobook is read by Tom Baker himself so I should imagine that being an immersive and somewhat hallucinatory experience!



King of the Crows

Greetings peeps
How are you all bearing up in this Groundhog Day world we are currently living in? It's all a bit weird innit??!!


Thank God for books then eh? There's so many great new releases around at the moment, and superb deals on e-books and paperbacks, especially from indie bookshops and publishers - a veritable pick 'n' mix of literary treats and I have certainly been filling my, ahem, sack with plenty of selections over the last few weeks.


If you follow me on Twitter (and if not, why not?) 😏, and/or if you read my previous review for the excellent Slow Bear in my Double Whammy Weekend review post, then you'll be aware of my love for the awesome publishers Fahrenheit Press, and the gibbering anticipation I have had for their forthcoming blockbuster King of the Crows by Russell Day. Well, the day of release is nearly upon us, with publication due on 1st May and if you're very quick and get your pre-order in soon, like, NOW, Fahrenheit have indicated a mysterious announcement to be made which may be of benefit - no idea what it may be but look - you can go to the Fahrenheit Press site Using this link and pre-order your copy now, along with any other of their superb titles, and I'll wait for you to come back before I continue. Go.....


Done?




Need a bit more time?




Finished?




Great


So.......what can you expect from King of the Crows? Well, I and a select few other bloggers have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to read it so without further ado may I present.........



I don’t even know how to start reviewing Russell Day’s King of the Crows to be honest, and even this review took several drafts, believe it or not! I think it is fair to say that it is probably one of the most unique books I have read in terms of its style, structure and content. This is no ordinary novel; its intricate plot threads and set pieces deserve some attention so it’s not a book to read lightly. Although that might just be me, who knows!

Looking at recent entries on Twitter, there appear to be some fledgling authors seemingly trying to “cash in” on the current Covid-19 outbreak by submitting works based on current events, causing some agents to denounce them and refuse to look at them. I agree that this is wholly inappropriate and definitely not something that I think many people would want to read at this time. Taking this into consideration, I can totally understand why publishers Fahrenheit Press were in two minds whether to go ahead with the release of King of the Crows. It is after all a novel about a pandemic that hits Europe and the UK and the resulting impact this has on the global economic and political infrastructure, not to mention the social and health implications for the public.  


However, Russell Day wrote and developed King of the Crows back in 2016 which in itself is scarily prescient and uncanny; add to this he is currently working on the frontline in the NHS helping to fight Covid-19.  Whilst the timing may seem unfortunate, this is not a novel based on actual events as they currently stand, albeit there are some unnerving parallels that could be interpreted as such, like an inept U.S President and a UK Government that seemingly favours power and patting themselves on the back over helping the struggling majority in a time of crisis. To that extent, it does reflect a somewhat damning indictment of the world we are currently living in. But I agree that Fahrenheit Press made the right decision to release it, after delaying it for some time. Whilst comparisons could be made, King of the Crows is an utterly absorbing and addictive read, and outrageously funny in parts as well. To that end, I think it’s exactly the right time to lose yourself within its pages.

King of the Crows reads like a masterclass in creative writing, in that Russell presents the story using a range of assorted styles and perspectives across an eight-year timespan yet still manages to maintain a tight storyline filled with chilling imagery, darkly black humour and scarily accurate portrayals of modern society in the grip of madness. Incorporating passages from main character Colin Robertson’s memoir; pages from the big budget Hollywood screenplay of his life (hilariously highlighting the skewed “artistic licence” for portraying accuracy that such films have); internet forum chatrooms; chapters from academic research and papers, as well as army records, a police procedural investigation, interviews, eye witness accounts and the third person perspective of the main story narrative itself, King of the Crows is a huge literary jigsaw puzzle with every piece slotting together to form a stylish and compelling novel of chaos and corruption. Oh……and zombies!

Yes, zombies for want of another word. Although these guys aren’t the lumbering, flesh eating, walking dead we’ve all come to know and love throughout the movies. If the virus doesn’t kill its victims, it continues to cause brain lesions resulting in their increasingly psychotic behaviour, leading to random acts of violence and a developing horde mentality that Robertson and his “band of merry men” must contend with, whilst plotting the mother of all heists against the backdrop of a ruined London financial sector. Yes, despite the apparent apocalyptic demise of Europe as we know it, the lure of being rich is still enough to risk life and limb it seems.

The tagline for King of the Crows is “Ocean’s Eleven meets 28 Days Later” and that’s a pretty fair summary. But for me, add elements of The Dirty Dozen, World War Z, The Walking Dead and even The Italian Job and The Long Good Friday into the mix and this gives you an idea of what awaits you within the pages of this glorious novel. It’s a superb mix of action, horror, social commentary and pure escapism, albeit terrifyingly realised against the world as we currently know it.

Do yourselves a favour, scroll back to the top of the review, click on the link and pre-order your copy now. If you haven't already guessed it, I can't recommend it highly enough.

Huge thanks to Fahrenheit Press for the opportunity to read it and I can clarify that there was no obligation to write a review - I just wanted to!

As always, thanks to you all for reading.

Dead Wrong/Dead Inside

Greetings peeps - how are we all doing? I have lots planned for the Easter weekend......not! Thinking of doing a bar crawl and leaving various bottles of alcohol in different rooms of the house just for a change of scenery! The gutting thing is I would have been flying off to Santorini this weekend - will just have to eat Greek food in the garden instead and smash a few plates, although my wife would say that's nothing different to how I normally do the washing up!


Anyway, back to business and my review of Noelle Holten's gripping new thriller Dead Wrong. I have also reproduced my original review of her first book in the series Dead Inside - I say reproduced, I mean copy and pasted it! 😄

Dead Wrong is the second book in a series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson, however it is also a great ensemble piece, giving the reader further insights into the characters of psychologist Dr Kate Maloney; Maggie’s boss DI Rutherford and her colleague Nathan Wright, all of whom share some of the spotlight throughout the story. Although a direct follow up to Noelle’s debut in the series, Dead Inside (see my review below), there is enough background info here to allow it to be read as a stand-alone novel.

Plot wise, Dead Wrong is a page turning cat and mouse thriller with Maggie Jamieson going head to head with not only convicted serial killer Bill Raven, but also her boss and colleagues as she battles to ensure he is not released on bail pending his appeal against conviction. The difficulty being that the body of one of the victims that he confessed to killing three years previously has just been found, and the pathology report shows she could only have been killed within the last two days. Maggie is convinced that Raven is guilty; the trouble is she is walking a fine line between convincing her boss that she is acting professionally and not holding a personal vendetta against him. The plot, as they say, thickens – and in this case, it not only thickens but twists, turns and gets darker on every page.

As the body count rises, so does Raven’s chances of release. With mounting pressure from DI Rutherford and a baying press hungry to scapegoat Maggie for convicting an innocent man, the clock is ticking down to Raven’s appeal, however Maggie is determined that will only happen over her dead body – but is that what Raven wants? Add to this a creepy sub plot involving Dr Kate Maloney and you have a compulsive and highly entertaining police procedural in your hands.

There is a real Hannibal Lecter/Clarice Starling element to the exchanges between Raven and Maggie as she reluctantly engages with him to “assist” with her enquiries. He is clearly a manipulative and calculating psychopath, playing games with Maggie and the Justice System to get what he wants. I can’t help but think that Noelle has drawn some elements of his character from similar individuals she would have come across in her previous career. Her years of experience in the Probation Service have been utilised to great effect throughout, highlighting the multi-agency approach to public protection and the important work that the Probation Service does that pretty much goes unnoticed.

Dead Wrong is dead brilliant – a slick, well written and highly absorbing thriller, great characterisation, meticulously researched with an authentic and intricately woven plot - and one hell of an ending! The third in the series, Dead Perfect is released later this year and I have already pre-ordered it. Definitely recommended.

Dead Wrong is published by Harper Collins and available on all formats now

I have nothing but huge admiration for anyone who can write a book. It's something I would love to do but quite frankly I haven't got the slightest beginnings of an original idea for a storyline or the patience to write one so I'll just stick to reading. One thing that is always said when embarking on writing a novel is for the author to "write what you know". Dead Inside is the perfect embodiment of someone writing about a subject matter they clearly have a wealth of experience of. The fact that it is a debut novel and the subject is domestic abuse and the impact of this upon all those it affects really raises the bar further.

Noelle is a former Probation Officer and has clearly drawn on her years of experience to accurately reflect and highlight exactly how difficult this role can be through one of the main characters also being a Probation Officer. It's a refreshing change to see this other side of the criminal justice system being depicted within a crime novel and I hope it goes some way to really show the complexities of the job to members of the public as it is definitely one of those roles you only tend to hear about if anything goes wrong (and I speak with eighteen years’ experience myself).

Dead Inside is a serial killer thriller with a difference. The difference for me was that I was on the killer's side. Noelle has not shied away from frighteningly realistic depictions of the horror of domestic abuse and the life changing physical and emotional scars it leaves on its' survivors. The brutal acts of power and control acted out by the abusive perpetrators made for some very uncomfortable reading, so when such characters get their well-deserved comeuppance, you can't help but punch the air and cheer. Despite my own professionalism, it is hard not to be affected by such crimes and quite frankly makes you ashamed to be a man sometimes. Thankfully, these so called "men" are a minority, but I digress....

Dead Inside is a fast moving, harrowing and very realistic psychological crime thriller and the start of what looks to be a fantastic new series from Noelle. A very confident, no holds barred debut not afraid to tackle an extremely emotive subject with equal amounts of personal knowledge, experience, objectivity, respect and understanding. Had me completely hooked from the opening chapter. Highly recommended.

So there you have it - two fantastic books to see you through the Easter weekend if you have not already read them.

Just want to also take this opportunity to thank all of you for taking the time to read my silly little blog. I do it for fun, and to share my love of reading. I am in awe of the hundreds of bloggers out there who are prolific and highly professional with their reviews. You might not think it from reading them, but it takes me a while to write a review without resorting to "I really liked this book" every time or sounding like Trump (it's a big book, very big, lots of words, big words and big chapters, also some numbers, some small and some big, bigly big......) and keeping it as original and "spoiler free" as possible. It's just nice to have the freedom to write a review without some of the restrictions of that other site with the jungle river name!!

Have a fantastic Easter folks, stay safe and well - see you in the next chapter!





Double Whammy weekend review

Greetings one and all! I know it may not feel like it, but it's FRIDAY! And I have a double hander review to share with you all

Incidentally, I saw a meme on Twitter earlier which I thought was brilliant and sums up the current climate perfectly....

Anyway, back to business.... First up is this gobsmacking thriller......



There are many superlatives I could use to describe The Chain, none of which I feel would ever give it the credit or kudos it deserves, or reflect just how brilliant the book is. One word that goes some way to sum it up for me however is relentless. From the opening chapter, Adrian McKinty aims for the readers’ jugular and does not give up his hold until the very last line. This is a juggernaut of a thriller, never once taking its’ foot off the pedal and fully deserves every ounce of hype it has had since its’ release.

So, for those of you who don’t know (where have you been? Anyone would think you’ve been stuck indoors and not allowed out for weeks!), here’s the cover blurb….

Your phone rings. A stranger has kidnapped your child. To free them you must abduct someone else’s child. Your child will be released when your victim’s parents kidnap another child. If any of these things don’t happen, your child will be killed.

Chilling, right? Understatement!

Over 20 years ago, I lost my then young son in a busy market. He let go of my hand, ran off and basically just got swept up amongst the crowd. Luckily, we found him within what must have been less than ten minutes or so, standing with an old lady outside a shop. But that was the longest ten minutes of my life during which I think I must have experienced nearly every negative emotion around; shock, fear, panic, guilt, anger at myself for not holding him tighter, I could go on. I’m sure every parent who may have had a similar experience in the past would know exactly what I’m talking about.

So, imagine those feelings magnified tenfold when you find out your child has been kidnapped, then having to manage those feelings for four days whilst also trying to plan the kidnapping of someone else’s child. This is the dilemma that single mum Rachel has to deal with. Adrian perfectly captures the psychological impact this situation has on her as the story develops, reflecting the fear, self-doubt and anguish of what must be every parents’ worse nightmare.

The Chain is one of the most gripping and original thrillers I have ever read. It touches all kinds of nerves and at times can be a harrowing read given the subject matter. There are clear moral dilemmas raised within the pages, however given the set-up, knowledge and power that the unseen instigators of The Chain have over Rachel and their other victims, they are left with very little choice in the matter. Adrian McKinty has crafted a well written, meticulously plotted and completely absorbing blockbuster of a novel. It’s a real race against time thrill ride that will leave you breathless and probably make you want to keep an extra eye on your children in future. Cannot recommend it highly enough.

The Chain is published by Orion and available everywhere – not that you can go everywhere to get it but you know what I mean!

Next........the small, but perfectly formed.....

Imagine a mash up of Mad Max, Kojak and The Dukes of Hazzard, directed by Quentin Tarantino……. say hello to Slow Bear!
Micah “Slow Bear” Cross is a mess quite frankly. He’s a grizzled, angry, one armed, ex reservation cop, filling his days hanging around the bars and casinos of North Dakota, flirting with the Bar lady, Kylie and trying as best he can to mind his own business. But there are people with other ideas for him, and after becoming involved in an (unintentionally hilarious) “tricky situation” shall we say, Slow Bear finds himself working undercover (badly) to try and bring down one of the head honchos of the area.

Slow Bear gets inadvertently teamed up with Kylie (whom he calls The Lady, somewhat ironically) and what follows is a fast paced and frenzied tale of rednecks, roughnecks, bar brawls, shoot outs and overall mayhem. It’s rude, crude, dark, violent and a whole lot of fun. Despite his many faults, you can’t help liking Slow Bear, and credit must go to Anthony Neil Smith here for his character development and giving the reader enough glimpses of his humanity to want to be on his side and care about what happens to him.

I’ve been to Dakota. I’ve driven through it, stayed in a dodgy motel overnight and got stopped by the Highway Patrol for speeding. It’s very flat. And boring. Slow Bear brings it to life, albeit a very dysfunctional life, and probably not a great advertisement for the tourist industry either, however despite all the violence, corruption and dirty deals depicted, there’s also a kind of warped and abstract charm about it that you can’t help weirdly admiring!

At barely 130 pages, Anthony Neil Smith’s novella is the perfect escape to fill a couple of hours of isolation! Believe me, a lot can happen in 130 pages and I finished this book desperately wanting more. It genuinely has the makings of what could be one of the most graphic TV cop shows around -  I can already see the title – “Slow Bear and The Lady”. Thankfully, I believe Anthony is working on a sequel which is fantastic news and I can’t wait. Go grab yourselves a copy!

Slow Bear is published by the powerhouse that is Fahrenheit Press and is typical of the type of content they unleash upon the world. No holds barred, no cares given, no frills attached original and daring works of brutal and honest noir at its finest. This is a publisher that thinks outside the box to bring us the best that money can buy. And at the moment, if you haven’t got the money, you can download a different e-book every day FOR FREE direct from their website! How’s that for generosity? As well as books, you can also grab some cool t-shirts, mugs and even their very own branded Hot Sauce! See what I mean about thinking outside the box?

As well as Slow Bear, Fahrenheit will introduce you to the delights of Jo Perry’s sublime “Dead is….” Series of Charlie and Rose (his ghost dog) adventures; Derek Farrell’s hilarious Danny Bird mysteries; Ian Patrick’s Rubicon and Stoned Love (the former now optioned for a BBC TV series) and so many more. Plus, if you buy the paperback, you get the e-book to download for free too! They are hugely interactive and very entertaining online, and very receptive to their followers, as are their authors. There is even a bi-annual festival of all things Fahrenheit in February, “Fahrenbruary”, co-curated by my good friend Mart @LaughingGravy71 and the equally brilliant @ThatMattKeyes on Twitter. I know I’m the new kid on the blogging block and you probably already know them, but go and check out their respective blog sites – The Beardy Book Blogger Here and It’s an Indie Book Blog Here      

Fahrenheit are also imminently about to release the long awaited and highly anticipated zombie heist, yes, I’ll say it again louder, ZOMBIE HEIST novel King of the Crows by Russell Day – any day now. I have been gibbering for this since it was originally announced what seems like aeons ago so will be snapping this up as soon as it’s released. There is a very cool website where you can register for more info about the book Right Here     

But anyway, don’t just take my word for it – go and check out Fahrenheit Press Here Sign up to their newsletter for exclusive discounts and exclusive offers too, you’ll thank me later!!

NB: - I have not received any incentives or payment of any kind for this review. Purely sharing the love of Fahrenheit Press and will gladly do the same for other independent publishers and bookshops doing their bit to bring us the best in fiction and keep their heads above water in these current unprecedented times.

Thanks for reading and have a fantastic weekend!