My Torturess by Bensalem Himmich

"Thought-provoking and difficult to read"

Description from Goodreads:

"In this harrowing novel, a young Moroccan bookseller is falsely accused of being involved in jihadist activities. Drugged and carried off the street, Hamuda is "extraordinarily rendered" to a prison camp in an unknown location where he is interrogated and subjected to various methods of torture.

Narrated through the voice of the young prisoner, the novel unfolds in Hamuda’s attempt to record his experience once he is finally released after six years in captivity. He paints an unforgettable portrait of his captors’ brutality and the terrifying methods of his primary interrogator, a French woman known as Mama Ghula. With a lucid style, Himmich delivers a visceral tale that explores the moral depths to which humanity is capable of descending and the limits of what the soul can endure."

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This was a difficult book to read - not only because of the subject matter but also because of the way it was written. I found it difficult to follow and unnatural in its prose but this could have been as a result of the process of translation rather than the way the author intended.

The story follows Hamuda, a bookseller from Morocco, after he is “arrested” and interred in an unknown place in horrific conditions. There he is held without trial whilst experiencing unspeakable and unthinkable acts of violence both physical and psychological.

Whilst this is a work of fiction, it does make you wonder and question how much is actually close to the truth of what really happens with “prisoners” who go through the practice of rendition and how far Governments will go to garner information. How those “prisoners” survive, even if they undergo only half of what Hamuda did, is beyond me.

As I said, a difficult book to read but one which is thought-provoking with a lot of talking points.

Thank you to the publisher, Syracuse University Press, for providing me with a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Line Unseen by Joe Hart - Free download

"A good quick read"

Description:

“From the author of LINEAGE, SINGULARITY, and EVERFALL comes this short story of supernatural horror.

A man, walked on his entire life by others, discovers his wife's infidelity, and decides to do something about it. After a deadly encounter in an alleyway he must look into the depths of himself to find the line unseen, and face the horror beyond.”

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This is a short story I picked up for free from Amazon and, to be honest, because it’s free I didn’t expect too much but was actually pleasantly surprised. Although it’s short - about 28 pages on my Kindle and around 9,000 words - it packs a lot into a short space of time.

The book is well written, the characters believable and well developed and the story is interesting with just the right amount of gore. There is tension and atmosphere with a twist at the end which leaves you wondering where your line is and where it will take you.

Overall, a good quick read and a good introduction to the works of this author which I would highly recommend especially as I have read one of his full length novels - The River is Dark - which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I would also like to mention how great I think the cover is - it’s really eye-catching and ominous - well done to the person who came up with that.

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Author website: http://www.joehartbooks.com/

Author twitter:  @AuthorJoeHart

You can still download a free copy of this short story from Amazon UK and US, Barnes & Noble, WHSmith and others … go get it and enjoy!

The Debt by Simon Kernick

"A short but enjoyable read"

Description from Amazon:

“‘A debt is a debt is a debt.’

It’s not your debt. It’s your cousin’s. And he’s done a runner.

So now the local gangland bosses have come to you for repayment. They aren’t taking 'no' for an answer, but they will take your fingers - one by one - if you don’t get hold of the money. Very soon.

You’ve got to think fast. You’ve got to act fast. And then you’ll have to get out of here – as fast as you can.”

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Simon is one of my all-time favorite authors so when I heard there was a free download available of one of his books, I jumped at the chance. Now, I have to admit that I've had this on my Kindle since 2013 only to be rediscovered when I was looking for something quick to read in between "longer" books.

The story was originally written for BMW to promote a new car but don’t let that put you off - although the car features and there are a few obvious “selling pitches”, it’s not the star and, for me, didn’t detract from the story that much - Simon had already been open and honest about why the story was written so I was actually expecting a bit more to be honest.

As I said, the story is a short one - around 29 pages on the Kindle - so can be read in no time at all - it will probably take you as long to find it, download it, open it and read the introduction as it will reading it but despite this, I was soon immersed in the story and the characters. I admit that it is too short to really get much feeling about it and it doesn’t really showcase Simon’s talent as a fantastic author but I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoys a quick read and there is also the bonus of a sneak preview of “Ultimatum” so if you haven’t yet read it … where have you been?

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Author website - http://www.simonkernick.com/

Author's Twitter - @simonkernick

You can download a free copy of this short story from Amazon UK and US, Barnes & Noble, WHSmith and many others.

The Drowned Boy (Inspector Konrad Sejer #11) by Karin Fossum

Good story but disappointing ending

Description from Goodreads:

“‘He'd just learnt to walk,’ she said. ‘He was sitting playing on his blanket, then all of a sudden he was gone.’

A 16-month-old boy is found drowned in a pond right by his home. Chief Inspector Sejer is called to the scene as there is something troubling about the mother’s story. As even her own family turns against her, Sejer is determined to get to the truth.”

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This is the 11th book in this particular series by this author and I have to admit that I have not read a single one before. Having said that, I’m not sure that I missed out not having read others which is a testament to the author’s ability to immerse you in the story and characters with ease.

The story is a sad and difficult one - the death of 16 month old Tommy who happens to have Down’s Syndrome - but one which the author does with respect and compassion with a writing style that is easy to read and flows well.

The characters are complex, interesting and well developed with the story being told from various points of view; this is particularly helpful as it enables the reader to get into the mind of the main characters. We feel the frustration as Inspector Sejer does - he has his doubts about the explanations around Tommy’s accident - he has a gut feeling that all is not what it seems and the author does a great job at putting this across to the reader. We feel the grief caused by such a tragic event and see how people react differently to it particularly the stark contrast between the parents. There is a character that I could quite happily have drowned myself - oh my word that person brought out the worst in me - but then another filled me with empathy and I just wanted to give them a hug.

I love it when a book brings out these feelings in me and I think The Drowned Boy did this really well but, and it’s a big BUT, I was so disappointed with the ending. I actually gasped and tutted and said “what?” out loud - I was astonished it was so ridiculous and after such a well thought out story.

Would I recommend this book to anyone else? Probably, but with a warning not to expect too much at the end. Would I read more from this author? Possibly but I think I would read some reviews first.

Thank to the publisher, Random House UK, Vintage Publishing, via NetGalley for providing me with a copy in return for an honest review.

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Wake by Elizabeth Knox

Description from Goodreads:

"An invisible monster is what you can't see coming. With an invisible monster you never know when you're in danger and when you're safe—if you retreat to your fortress you can't be sure you haven't locked it in with you. The invisible monster is something on which no one is an expert. But everyone has the same relationship to it. It could just as well be peering over your shoulder as mine.

On a sunny spring morning the settlement of Kahukura in Tasman is suddenly overwhelmed by a mysterious mass insanity. A handful of survivors find themselves cut off from the world, and surrounded by the dead. As the group of try to take care of one another, and survive in ever more difficult circumstances, it becomes apparent that this isn't the first time that this has happened, and that they aren't all survivors and victims - two of them are something quite other. And, it seems, they are trapped with something. Something unseen is picking at the loose threads of their characters, corrupting, provoking, and haunting them.

Wake is book that asks: 'What are the last things left when the worst has happened?' It is a book about extreme events, ordinary people, heroic compassion—and invisible monsters."

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Once again, I am in the minority with this book. It has received so many good reviews of 4 and 5 stars that I am beginning to think there’s something wrong with me because I just didn’t get it.

It starts off brilliantly with all kinds of mayhem and unspeakable acts which are excellently described by Elizabeth Knox who really captures the fear and confusion well - this first bit is not for the feint-hearted. I thought this was the start of something that was going to keep me up and make me bleary eyed at work the next day but, alas, this did not last too long as once the initial madness was over, it became quite a monotonous story about the group of people who had survived.

The book is written from the point of view of the survivors and there are quite a few. Each of the survivors are well developed but there are a lot of them and the story changes from one person to the other which I felt was a little confusing and resulted in me not developing a connection or any particular feelings towards any of them and I wasn’t particularly bothered what happened to them either.

The premise of the story is great but it's just written in a way that neither captured nor engaged me but I would like to thank the publisher, Little Brown Book Group UK, via NetGalley for the copy in return for an honest review.

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Christmas Giveaway - 21 Killer Novels in Print

Thanks to author Nick Stephenson who has teamed up with 21 other authors:

Christmas Giveaway has now ended
fingers crossed :)

21 Killer Novels in Print

One winner will get the whole bundle of paperbacks. Everyone who enters will be sent some free ebooks once the contest is over. No purchase necessary but see below for the rules. 

Click here to enter

Giveaway Rules

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Sweepstakes Winner
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