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!