Author:John Connolly

A new addition to the long running Charlie Parker series is always welcome. Once again set in Maine, this, the 23rd in the sequence, is another absolute corker. Hired to investigate the death of a teenager at a remote school for troubled children, Parker soon realises something far more sinister is afoot. Meanwhile, a group of men are playing The Game, involving the kidnap and murder of itinerant women – but it appears one of them has broken their rules. As Parker digs deeper, troubling new facts emerge about both himself and his long standing colleagues Louis and Angel. There are tantalising glimpses into their back-story, but frustratingly it appears there are more questions than answers – for now at least. As the main story unfolds, there are in the background more unexplained developments in the mysterious nether world inhabited by Parker’s dead daughter. Another gripping novel which successfully merges a crime novel with a parallel supernatural world, and one which fans will love. If only we didn’t have to wait another year for the next instalment!

Length of Read:Medium

Might appeal to people who enjoyed…

Although this can be read as a standalone novel, it really works » Continue Reading.

Author:Richard Butterworth, Emma Stott

Back to the sixties with the latest two books in this series. First up is MC5, who produced three uncompromising high octane albums between 1969 and 1971, with a very belated fourth effort appearing in 2024. This book is rather heavy on the hyperbole for my taste, but in fairness it does a good job of disecting the releases as well as examining the cultural ecosystem that spawned them. I suppose Kick Out The Jams is their enduring legacy, but realistically they are something of a historical footnote musically in the UK at least. This is an enjoyable well researched read, but realistically it’s aimed squarely at the hard core fan. Forever Changes is one of those iconic sixties albums whose appeal has transcended the passing of time, still sounding fresh six decades later. It’s forerunner, Da Capo, is often somewhat in its shade but is also well worth reacquainting yourself with. Again, we have a detailed look at the albums from the various phases and incarnations of the band, as well as a peek behind the scenes of what was going on internally within the ranks. The band soldiered on after their initial heyday, although » Continue Reading.

Author:Anthony Horowitz

A welcome new instalment in this series of murder mystery novels, in which the author himself appears as a character playing the ‘Watson’ role to ex copper Daniel Hawthorne’s ‘Holmes’. The first book in this series, The Word Is Murder, is being filmed for a movie adaptation, but when the pair arrive to visit the set they find a far from happy camp. The two stars hate each other due to incidents in their past, the director is pretentious, the screen writer is an eco warrior determined to impose their views on the script, and to cap it all the producer is about to run out of money. It seems things can’t get any worse until the actor playing Hawthorne is fatally stabbed, leaving the real life Hawthorne with no choice but to step in and investigate his own murder! The plot is as convoluted as the many suspects’ intertwined pasts, but along the way we are given some more tantalising glimpses into Hawthorne’s puzzling private life and his rather mysterious childhood. A very entertaining and captivating read that really keeps the pages turning, and leaves the reader eagerly hoping for further revelations in the next novel.

Length » Continue Reading.

Author:Andrew Wild, Chris Sutton, Stephen Lambe

The Doobie Brothers were an FM radio staple in the US in the seventies, and it was something of a surprise to see them barely mentioned in the Raised On Radio book by Paul Rees that was recently reviewed on here. Their career had two distinct phases, the early seventies period that produced classics such as Listen To The Music, China Grove and Long Train Running, and the post 1975 era featuring Michael MacDonald that gave us a rather different smooth sound with the likes of Minute By Minute and What A Fool Believes. They are one of those bands that just seem to keep on going with differing line ups, with their most recent album appearing just last year. This book gives a thorough appraisal of their whole career, as usual taking the albums song by song, but also providing a potted history of the goings in the band over the decades. A very enjoyable read for fans of this band which has shifted over 40 million albums over the years, and is currently touring to celebrate their 50th anniversary..

Black Sabbath were in a hole when Ozzy was fired after the Never » Continue Reading.

Author:Alan Bennett

This fourth volume of diaries appears a full ten years after 2016’s Keeping On Keeping On, and covers the years from then up to 2024, the year in which Bennett turned ninety. It covers a turbulent era, encompassing Covid, Brexit, the death of the Queen and the rise of Johnson and Trump, so there’s certainly plenty of grist for the writer’s mill! Nonetheless, there’s still plenty of opportunity to mull over the minutiae of life with his deadpan wit, evidenced in trips to Europe and pilgrimages back to his native Yorkshire, alongside the serious business of writing several more best selling books, the premiere of his play Allelujah!, the revival of Talking Heads and the filming of The Choral. However, there is an underlying air of poignancy and even melancholy that pervades the book as he contemplates the changes in the country coinciding with the changes within himself as he deals with the physical and mental challenges of old age, along the way reminiscing fondly about his long gone childhood years. His distinctive voice shines throughout this captivating volume as he finds joy and sorrow in the most unexpected places, while at the same time giving vent to » Continue Reading.

Author:Hans Meertens, David Waterfield

This book takes a deep dive into Iggy Pop’s output between 1977 and 1999, a period which saw the release of no less than 13 albums. I’m only really familiar with the first two, the Bowie collaborations The Idiot and Lust for Life, both of which still stand up almost fifty years later. For some reason I lost track of his subsequent albums, all of which are considered in depth in this comprehensive and well researched book – and there certainly is plenty to mull over, the sheer variety of styles, the musical detours, the highs, the lows and the ones that got away. If you’re a fan, you’ll devour this breakdown of each record, and even if, like me, you’re only a casual listener it will pique your interest sufficiently to encourage you to have a listen to some of the albums that may have passed you by first time around.

Is it really 45 years since Making Your Mind Up won Eurovision – suddenly I feel very old! I must confess I know nothing about them, other than remembering their other big hits, My Camera Never Lies, Now Those Days Are Gone, and the » Continue Reading.

Author:Liz Nugent

This is Liz Nugent’s sixth novel, the preceding five titles all being award winners, so no pressure then! I’m pleased to predict though that she’s certainly in line to make it six out of six with this excellent new title. It’s another dark and deeply disturbing tale of a dysfunctional family, set between the USA and Eire. Ruby Cooper and her sister seem to have an idyllic life until a cruel incident fractures their world and causes the family to implode, with the aftershocks reverberating down the generations for years to come. Even decades later, the wave of destruction continues to affect all their lives, but it seems inevitable that the truth and its long hidden dark secrets will eventually be dragged into the harsh glare of daylight, and then the inevitable consequences will be unleashed for both innocent and guilty alike. Despite the subject matter, I really enjoyed this book, but be warned this unsettling, compelling tale of a damaged individual will totally ensnare you in its tangled web for the entire duration. Another distinctive and unique novel from this outstanding writer!

Length of Read:Medium

Might appeal to people who enjoyed…

Nugent’s previous novels, dark fiction and » Continue Reading.

Author:Mario Giammetti

Italian journalist Mario Giammetti has written numerous books on Genesis and the individual band members over the years, although this is only the third to be translated into English. It is, in fact, a revised and updated version of a title that was originally published in Italy twenty years ago, now bringing Banks story completely up to date. He is undoubtedly a very gifted writer and performer – I think he maybe doesn’t always come across in the best light in interviews, but he was undoubtedly one of, if not the, main musical and creative driving forces in Genesis. This very comprehensively researched book delves exhaustively into his life and work, from his childhood days through the various iterations of Genesis and on to his frequently overlooked solo outings, which are finally given the in depth attention they deserve. The translation can at times perhaps feel a little clunky, but nevertheless you can’t fault the level of detail the author goes into, with quotes from numerous interviews over the years both with the man himself and with an extensive and impressive cast of friends and collaborators. As always, Kingmaker have done a great job on the book, producing » Continue Reading.

Author:Andy Stuart

This lovingly produced detailed book documents the making of the new Big Big Train album, Woodcut, while also analysing the meaning behind the heartfelt lyrics and the wonderful music it contains. It takes the reader on a journey from the initial sparks of inspiration all the way through the creative process and on to the album’s recording and mixing sessions. Candid in depth interviews with the band members give a behind the scenes peek into how the album was made, and reveal some of the influences and events that shaped the final record. Part history, part creative journal and part cultural commentary, the book has been painstakingly compiled and comes on beautiful top quality art paper, and alongside the text it includes a plethora of previously unseen photographs. It’s a very fitting way to commemorate and document the making of the album, which is surely set to become a classic in the band’s now extensive canon.

Length of Read:Medium

Might appeal to people who enjoyed…

Passengers on the continuing journey of Big Big Train!

One thing you’ve learned

A great tribute and accompaniment to a fine album.

Author:Stuart MacBride

At just over 200 pages I’m not sure if this is a short novel or a long novella, but either way MacBride is back! No sign of Logan MacRae though, it’s his long standing colleague and foil Roberta Steel who takes the starring role here for the first time since 2018’s Now We Are Dead. The author describes the book as his homage to the golden age of detective fiction, and indeed there is certainly something of an Agatha Christie feel about the plot and setting – a murder occurs at a wedding party at a remote Highland castle hotel, but suspects and culprit alike are stranded there when bad weather cuts them off from the rest of civilisation. Steel is one of the guests at the event and feels, somewhat reluctantly, obliged to take charge of the investigation to try to bring the killer to justice. This is a very entertaining read, with the all the usual MacBride elements of gripping suspense, macabre violence and black humour lovingly mixed together in equal measure, and is certainly highly recommended for his legion of followers.

Length of Read:Short

Might appeal to people who enjoyed…

MacBride’s previous work, whodunnits in » Continue Reading.

Author:Richard James, Opher Goodwin

The last thirty years of Rush’s long career broadly speaking are not their strongest, a view which the author seems to agree with. Gone were the long prog epics and the great songs such as Tom Sawyer and Red Barchetta, with the band seeming to favour a new wave influenced sound, almost sounding like The Police at times. That’s not to say there aren’t some good songs among the dozen studio records they released in this period and actually there are some good albums too – I always liked Power Windows even though it sounds rather of its time now, Vapour Trails was a decent comeback after a six year hiatus, and their swansong, Clockwork Angels, is one of their best and is hugely underrated and too often overlooked. In fact, although this new style divided the fan base, they became an increasingly big draw on the live circuit. The author does an excellent job pf picking apart the albums, even though he often doesn’t appear too enamoured with much of the music on offer. He also covers the eight live albums from this era, which in their later yeas seemed to accompany every tour – » Continue Reading.

Author:Gerald Seymour

This is now the sixth consecutive novel in a series featuring elderly intelligence service operative Jonas Merrick, a man the powers that be keep trying to put out to grass but who makes himself indispensable with his acumen and know how in the world of counter terrorism and crime. The Met ask for help to bring down a major player in the drugs world, who seems to be untouchable. However, his desire for one last big deal provides an opportunity to infiltrate an undercover agent into his close circle via his disillusioned daughter. As with many of Seymour’s novels, the pace is initially quite slow as he sets the scene and introduces the various characters, but as the story progresses the tension gradually ratchets up page by page to an exciting and satisfying climax as family loyalties shift and old alliances are tested to breaking point. Another very enjoyable, well plotted and captivating read from this master of the thriller genre.

Length of Read:Medium

Might appeal to people who enjoyed…

Although this is part of an ongoing series, the book still works perfectly well as a standalone novel for thriller fans.

One thing you’ve learned

Despite the fact » Continue Reading.

Author:Eddie Read, Andrew Wild

I do have a long standing love of the twin guitar sound of Wishbone Ash. This entertaining and well researched book covers the years from their 1970 self titled debut through to 1982’s Twin Barrels Burning, although for me their imperial period ended with 1974’s There’s The Rub. Even that short period produced five superb studio albums plus the classic in concert set Live Dates. There aren’t too many books around on the band as far as I know, Martin Turner’s No Easy Road and the collaboration between Andy Powell and our very own Colin Harper, Eyes Wide Open, being the only ones that spring to my mind, and both are from some time ago now. In that light, it’s good to have a fresh look at their work, and the author provides a detailed look at the dozen studio albums plus various live releases, incorporating bonus material that appeared on reissues over the years. There’s plenty of historical research about the band’s musical journey combined with the writer’s own original interpretation as he delves into each album track by track. Overall, a very enjoyable in depth read for fans of the band and their classic » Continue Reading.