Tag: book review

BOOK REVIEW: Vampyr, Ghost, Assassin Kathryn Rossati #bookreview #netgalley #teen #read

Netgalley Review

A fun, engaging read and a different take on the usual vampire tale for younger teen readers. Instead of blood think sugary sweets and cherry soda for vampire sustanence! So, don’t expect gore, or romance, but there is suspense, threat and action appropriate to the younger audience.Well written characters and an amusing storyline bring the reader into the story successfully and keep their attention throughout the narrative. I particularly loved Sera the ghost, who loves teasing Wyn, calling him: ‘Needle teeth,’ and Eva, the assassin too, all the characters are ones you feel drawn to, and end up caring about, even the ‘bad guys.’You will appreciate the storytelling adventure to recover Wyn’s parents and enjoy the quirks of this cool gang, with the revelation about the villain concluding the story in a totally satisfying and relatable way.A lovely read, I’m much older than the intended readership but being young at heart I really enjoyed it. Highly recommended, I guarantee it will make you smile.

Synopsis

When Wyn Gatteaux discovers the body of a human girl in his garden, his carefully ordered life begins to unravel. Vampyrs don’t drink blood – that’s only a human myth – but within hours, Detective Cerry Vanell, heir to a feared line of vampyr hunters, arrests Wyn’s parents and leaves him trapped under guard.Desperate and alone, Wyn attempts to send a message to his aunt in Worldunder, the hidden city beneath the streets where non-humans seek refuge. His plea for help goes unanswered. Worse still, the ghost of the dead girl, Sera, appears at his side, unable to stray far from him without being dragged back by an unseen force.With a relentless teen assassin on his trail and time slipping away, Wyn must risk everything to free his family and sever his connection with Sera before the Vanell family do their worst.

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Book Review: Cecil Moves Home @lilmissmorfett#bookreview

I’m delighted to be on the blog tour for Cecil Moves Home, written and illustrated by Suzanne Stephenson.

Blurb

Cecil’s web is about to be swept away and he is scared.

Then he meets Mr Perkins the cat who decides to help him, taking him to the house across the road. This belongs to Mr Tizard who likes all creatures and who offers Cecil a place to stay.

There Cecil meets Flo another spider and is able to find a home.

About The Author

Living in the English countryside I already had a couple of careers before I became an author. Having been a Family Lawyer and Family Mediator I became a District Judge in the year 2000 and officially retired from judging in early 2021. Sitting on complex family cases did not leave me much time for my interests of writing and sketching but when I had free-time I tried to visit interesting places. I hope my ancestors helped provide some inspiration as well. My father was a Holocaust survivor and my maternal grandfather a gynaecologist and composer. The people and countryside of Eastern England also are embedded in my psyche.

Book Review

Cecil Moves Home is one of the books I’ve read from Suzanne Stephenson, all of which I’ve enjoyed. If you like gentle books about animals with sketches this will be for you! There are little touches of humour, such as the benefits of spiders, (keeping flies from your home,) and giving them a human quality such as courting and marrying! The prose is written in a poetic rhyming style which I enjoyed.

There is a new character, Mr Tizard, and you get to hear about a black cat called Mr Perkins, and the kitties, rooks and crows. All lovingly illustrated throughout.

My recommendation: This is for readers who are interested in the delights of animals and would like a book to make them smile.

My rating 4 stars

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Book Review: The Star Conspiracy Julia Sutton

Book Review

The Star Conspiracy by Julia Sutton

I really enjoyed Julia Sutton’s young adult novel, The Star Conspiracy.

It tells the story of Issy and Dan, their families the members of the Star Institute and the villaneous Doctor Fraser.

The storyline initially focuses on teenage problems such as Dan’s parents splitting up, Issy’s father passing away, and their parents having new partners, the problems of coping with bullying, and the challenges of teen romantic relationships.and growing up.

With the holiday in Crete the mystery of the Star Institute and Dead Man’s Island begins. This is followed by the circus scenes and psychic, gifted children aspects.

Heartfelt, a lovely tale to become immersed in. Well plotted, imaginative and with engaging characters.

I loved the sentiment of the epilogue which concluded the story in a very satisfying, positive way.

Highly recommended.

Book Review: The Star Conspiracy Julia Sutton
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Book Review: Graeme Cumming – @GraemeCumming63 Borderline #bookreview #thriller

Synopsis:

Winner of the Bronze Noose Award 2026

Gritty, sharp-witted, and packing a serious emotional punch!
Lauren North

‘Thirty years ago the dominant voice in PI fiction was Robert B. Parker. His ‘Spenser’ novels are probably the best thing since sliced Chandler. Ever since I first read a Spenser novel I’ve wondered about an English Spenser to no particular conclusion, but in Graeme Cumming’s ‘Rand’ Scott (yes, that really is his name) I think we have a contender. Rand is the Spenser mix of borderline criminal and white knight, the hard-case with a heart of gold. That said, Cumming doesn’t pretend to copy Parker’s style, his voice is his own, his dialogue crisp, his sense of place superb … and he doesn’t give a flying F about food (sorry, Robert B.)
John Lawton

What an incredible novel. Cumming’s strong and authentic writing explores the murkiest worlds of covert policing in the most gripping and compelling way. Exquisitely plotted and expertly told.
Graham Bartlett

As good a crime thriller as I’ve read in years.
Rudders Writing

I love how he writes about vulnerable people with such care and compassion, and this adds an extra layer of complexity to the characters in this novel as well as giving the reader some interesting things to think about
Portable Magic

A cracker of a thriller that has the perfect ingredients for a great read!! Gritty, dark and twists that are perfectly placed.
Sharon Beyond the Books

Funny, smart, and with plenty of twists and turns.
Rambling Mads

Borderline is a cracking crime thriller, it’s dark, there is violence, there is intrigue and I was hooked!!
A Knight’s Reads

When the system isn’t working, work outside the system.

A search for a missing man thrusts Rand Scott into the dark realms of homelessness, drug dealing and sex clubs.

Kirsty Moore wants to find her brother Johnny, a one-time rock star.

The police also want him – for murder.

And there are others looking who don’t play nicely.

A simple job turns deadly as Rand uncovers a world where money talks louder than the screams of innocent bystanders.

My Review:

I don’t often read thrillers but when I do I often enjoy them so thought I’d give Graeme Cumming’s book, Borderline, a go.

And I’m glad I did, I enjoyed.

My thoughts: A well crafted, and plotted book which is gritty and exciting, (especially the last third of the book, which really sizzles). Expect musical references and realistic social commentary and dialogue including some laugh out loud moments.

Liked: Characterisation, particularly the main character Rand, (Cowboy,) not a policeman, not a pushover either. Rand follows his own moral code. He investigates and tries to find a missing man, Johnny Moore, a former fairly well known rock star who’s fallen upon hard times, (expect references to crime, drug culture, social issues, and homelessness,) and his sister Kirsty’s wish to help her brother, Johnny, at all costs.

Setting: Seedy sex club culture, homeless refuge, unscrupulous criminal elements, vulnerable women. Storyline and setting/s worked well. 

A recommended read for thriller and other readers.

Well done to Graeme on his Bronze Noose award!

M.J. Mallon’s review of Borderline | Goodreads

Buy link:

Borderline eBook : Cumming, Graeme: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

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Book Review Haiku Dan Costinas #poetry #haiku #climatechange AND Preorder – Almost Posthumous: One Hundred Pages of Solitude #literary #darksatire #preorder #psychologicalthriller #fiction

My Review – It Is Not Too Late To Restore Planet Earth

Dan Costinas’s Haiku It Is Not Too Late To Restore Planet Earth is as its title suggests – a poetry collection about climate change and our human responses to it, our lack of care and action taken.

It’s a short book of haiku poetry about climate change with a big heart.

It has three sections D, beginning with the devastating effects. This part is hard hitting, it doesn’t hide behind a flimsy wall.

One such example from the collection:

seas mourn their new pain
plastic chokes the waves to death
countless megatons

H, offers glimmers of hope,
An example:

whispers wash red skies
smooth pearls twirl upon dry leaves
Earth drinks, reborn new

The author Dan Costinas illustrates the D & H series with Kanji (Japanese characters.)

And in the final section E, he challenges the typical 5, 7, 5 syllabic structure by using a single word on each line to convey a deeper overall meaning.

As in:

undeniable
totalitarianism
intolerable

I’d recommend to poetry enthusiasts who appreciate how a few words really can drive the message home.

Poetry truly is powerful!

A worthy collection with dire warnings but optimistic overtones to make life on this much loved Earth better through change.

My review on Goodreads:

M.J. Mallon’s review of Haiku: It Is Not Too Late To Restore Planet Earth | Goodreads

To buy:

Haiku: It Is Not Too Late To Restore Planet Earth eBook : Costinas, Dan: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Also, keep a look out as Dan has a new book coming out on 1st July, you can preorder with this link: Almost Posthumous: One Hundred Pages of Solitude eBook : Costinas, Dan: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Synopsis – Almost Posthumous: One hundred Pages of Solitude

Fame. Fraud. Second Chances. Welcome to the ultimate literary deception.

Jordan J. Justice spent his entire career playing by the rules. He poured his soul into brilliant, fiercely honest prose, only for his books to gather dust in forgotten discount bins. In a world of short memories and toxic literary gatekeeping, the public met his talent with deafening silence until he decided to rewrite the rules entirely.
He realised the world only devours the work of an author whose voice has been forever stilled. So, he gave them exactly what they desired: a ghost.

By staging his own disappearance, Jordan orchestrates a grand illusion. Overnight, his name roars onto global bestseller lists, and his ignored manuscripts are suddenly fought over like holy relics. He is forced to watch his lifelong ambition succeed from the shadows of a monumental irony, living a double life where his talent is finally honoured, but only at the cost of his identity.

Yet, when a cynical literary world threatens to pull down the curtain on his masterpiece, Jordan refuses to remain buried. If the traditional publishing establishment demands a corpse to find value, the entertainment industry demands a survivor. Escaping to the glitz and grit of the silver screen, Jordan takes his genius for deception into Hollywood, transforming the ultimate literary fraud into a highly lucrative commodity.

Almost Posthumous is a genre-bending, multi-layered narrative that offers a unique, multi-part perspective:

The Wilderness Files:
The brilliant, surreal short stories written by Jordan during his dark years of obscurity: tales of quiet desperation, existential dread, and sharp irony.

The Hollywood Aftermath:
The voyeuristic thrill of the scripts, treatments, and character bibles that document Jordan’s chaotic evolution from a failed novelist into a ruthless television showrunner.

Part psychological thriller, part dark satire, and part metafictional anthology, Almost Posthumous is an artefact of our collective obsession with celebrity culture. It is a sharp, biting commentary on how society values its prophets only when they are gone—and how a clever man can use that cynicism to mould himself a brand-new life.
Read it now, before he changes his name, and his story, once again.

Almost Posthumous: One Hundred Pages of Solitude eBook : Costinas, Dan: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

I’ve featured Dan on my blog before (he is a generous chap and a great supporter of fellow writers, a fantastic poet and an author who is well worth discovering):

Interview with Dan Costinas, alias Dan Quijote #Shakespeare #reading #reviewing The Last Folio – M J Mallon YA Author and Poet

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Book Review: Poetic Justice Dan Antion & Willow Willers

Book Review

Synopsis

Trevor Barcroft enlists the help of crime and mystery writer Brody Thompson to help solve his father’s murder — a murder the police and the FBI have been ignoring for five years. Trevor is convinced he knows who killed his father. Brody doesn’t agree, but he becomes convinced that there is much more to the story than anyone is sharing. He takes a strong interest in the murder and a series of related crimes.Rascal Todd wants to help, but her editor keeps her away from the story. Why? What was Wilson Barcroft doing at Gateway Park the night he was killed? Who is the mysterious Poet? What do the odd bits of poetry he has spread around tell us? Is the Poet still alive? Will he survive? Will Brody and Trevor find the answers—will they survive?Join Rascal and her friends and coworkers as they try to help from the sidelines without becoming targets in an ever-growing list of deadly crimes. Real life turns out to be far more dangerous than any fiction Brody could create as the history of a war long over comes back to haunt the city of Pittsburgh.Consistent with previous books by this author, this is a character-driven story with an ensemble cast. Some characters will be familiar to readers of Antion’s other novels. Some are new faces that you might just come to love. The addition of poetry by Willow Willers provides an interesting mechanism driving this story forward, and driving Brody Thomson into dangerous territory.

Book Review

This was a different read from Dan Antion and Willow Willers which caught my attention due to the connections and references to Vietnam, and its veterans and drugs and homelessness.

My favourite characters are Brody, an author turned sleuth and The Poet who has been hiding in fear for years, ( the poetry penned by Willow Willers in this book is an added bonus, and works well.)

The plot idea is intriging: Brody sets out to find out out why was Trevor’s father (who served in Vietnam) killed? Was he silenced? And why did a murderer try to kill his son Trevor too?

And what is Trevor’s mum doing in a care home?

What’s going on?  Is it a hush up?  What’s really happening?

There are revelations, and threats too.

Brody’s quest to find the truth brings gritty real life drama with him in potential danger!

Things to note:
The violence and threats tend to be non-graphic in nature with the story being told as if through the eyes of a storyteller. So if you like blood and gore this is not for you. It’s what I’d call a thoughtful rather than a tense read.

A lot of the storytelling scenes occur in meetings in cafes with tempting food,  newspaper offices, or in the care home, all of which give clues to the investigation, as the plot progresses to its conclusion where all is revealed!

Recommended for readers who enjoy tales with a human interest/Vietnam mystery/sleuthing aspect.

Buy Link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Poetic-Justice-Mystery-Featuring-Thompson-ebook/dp/B0FBLH5YKB

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Book Review: Poetry Treasures 6 Seasons Robbie Cheadle & Kaye Lynn Booth #poetry #anthology #review

Poetry Treasures 6: Seasons

My Book Review:

There’s much to say about seasons and life in this collection of poetry, compiled by Kaye Lynn Booth and Robbie Cheadle.

Anthologies are a wonderful way to discover new poets and to enjoy old favourites too.

All are lovely contributions in various poetic styles/voices, including limericks, freestyle, free verse, micropoems, tanka, tanka sentence, haiku sentence, spring sonnet, (Shakespearean style) bussokusekiki, haibun, haibun haiku sequence, mondo, double ennead.

My favourite poems in the collection were those by: Colleen Chesebro, Spooky Witch’s Brew, The Fight For Spring

Robbie Cheadle, Micropoems

Jean-Jacques Fournier, I The Bumblebee, (ode to the ever diminishing bumblebees)

Kevin Morris, I Saw Carefree Spring Kiss Winter Goodbye.

Joy Neal Kidney, What is it about Winter, Swallowtail Nursery

Nolcha Fox, Prisons View

Marsha Ingrao, God’s Clouds, My Memory

Michelle Ayan Navajas, Winter Grief

V. M. Sang, Joy of Spring, Autumn in Sussex

Cindy Georgakas, Douse Me In Cooking Bliss

Freya Pickard, Dance

Melissa Lemay, Summer

Yvette Prior, Dear Spring Love Rising One, Dear Warm Blooming One

Highly recommended for poetry enthusiasts.

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Book Review Mystical Greenwood Andrew McDowell #bookreview #fantasy

I absolutely loved Andrew McDowell’s Mystical Greenwood.

There is environmental heart in abundance in this book.

Expect a tale of brothers, family relationships, forest creatures, fantasy elements, magic, battles to overcome, a villian, sorcerers, unicorns, dragons, dogs & gryphons.

Wow, what’s not to love!

Everyone who feels at one with nature, and the creatures of the natural and the magical world will thoroughly enjoy this book.

Highly recommended.

Beautifully written descriptive passages, engaging dialogue/characters and exciting scenes. Book one ends with extraordinary discoveries, and an enticing cliffhanger with the promise of more adventures and battles to come between the forces of good and evil.

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Book Reviews: Letters From Mozambique Stephen Powell #travel #bookreview #Mozambique #Africa

Stephen Powell’s latest book, Letters From Mozambique, is a gem, showcasing the ‘beauty, pain and new connections,’ he’s made in his travels. And what diverse connections they are.

What a fascinating insight into Mozambique and its people.

As he says, ‘Travel can spark new thinking and bring back old memories.’

Expect a knowledgeable, amusing and thought provoking account, as you would expect – this is his ‘8th time on the African continent.’

He shares his thoughts on climate change, conservation, endangered species, drought and mining pollution, the ‘blood-stained history,’ and troubles in the region.

He fondly mentions the extraordinary kindness of Mozambicans. Most people in the country are poor, but that is no impediment to generosity. He is struck by the beautiful Mozambique shoreline: ‘it captures peoples’ souls.’

He journeys and explores in all sorts of ways including, a chapa, travelling on moto taxis, back of lorries, hiking and biking, a Dhow craft, ‘the glorious craft that sails these seas all the way up to the Gulf.’ Even taking an refresher course in scuba diving to see the underwater world.

How adventurous!

There are a few ‘hairy,’ moments, which you must discover by reading the book yourself!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about authors such as Doris Lessing, African writers, Paulina Chiziane, Mia Couto and others who are inspired to write about the region.

And undoubtedly the positive investment in the spiritual Gorongosa park, the chapters about Malawi’s Mulanje Massif, and Ilha de Moçambique, both, UNESCO world heritage sites. A fantastic book.

Highly recommended. 5 stars

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Book Review: Sunflower Tanka #anthology #tanka #poetry #bookreview

Book overview

Sunflower Tanka, edited by Robbie Cheadle and Colleen M. Chesebro, is an annual anthology showcasing contemporary tanka, tanka prose, and experimental tanka. Each volume brings together a vibrant tapestry of voices—both emerging and established—from across the globe.

For 2025, our theme “Dreams” invites poets to explore the symbolic language of dreaming, where metaphors blur the line between reality and imagination. Dreams often serve as gateways to layered meaning, offering fertile ground for syllabic poetry.

This year’s contributors journeyed deep into their dreamscapes, opening portals to boundless creativity. Through the timeless form of syllabic verse, they captured visions that transcend waking life, weaving poetry that resonates with mystery, wonder, and the infinite possibilities of the human imagination.

REVIEW

Sunflower Tanka 2025 anthology of Tanka, Tanka Prose and Experimental Tanka begins with an introduction and a short explanation of the different forms of poetry included in this collection: Tanka, Tanka Prose, Bussokuseki, (a new form for me to try,) Rensaku, Experimental Tanka, Garland Tanka, Tanka Puente, and Taiga! The topic is dreams. And what dreams they are for poets to indulge their creative juices in! Resulting in such a range of marvellous interpretations. You’ll find poems from a wide variety of international poets to connect with. There are 54 poets in the 2025 anthology! It is lovingly compiled by the contributing editors, Robbie Cheadle and Colleen Chesebro with a short analysis of their favourite poems at the end.It’s a delightful collection and a great introduction to new poets to enjoy as well as old favourites to return to again. I bought a paperback copy. What a treat.

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