63) City of the Lost : Part One by Kelley Armstrong

The Blurb :

Casey Duncan once killed a man and got away with it. Since then she’s become a talented police detective, tethered only to her job, her best friend, Diana, and the occasional evening with her sexy, no-strings-attached ex-con lover, Kurt. But then Diana's abusive ex finds her again, despite all Casey has done to help her disappear. And Casey’s own dark past begins to catch up with her. The two women need to run—and Diana’s heard of a place where they won’t be found, a town especially for people like them…

My Thoughts :

I won't spend a lot of time on this review because this just the 1st of 6 parts in the City of the Lost.  For some reason this book is available as a whole novel but priced pretty high but there are the lower priced six installments on Kindle which I have chosen to read through.

This first installment sets the story.  You learn all about Casey, her past and her current situation.  You also get to know about Diana her best friend.  A woman who has gotten herself into a bad place and wants to runaway.  There is also Kurt, the lover that Casey may actually have feelings for but doesn't want to admit it.

How things will progress is something that will certainly be revealed in part two and part one has already done a great job of getting me hooked.  I love this author and even though there hasn't really been a paranormal aspect revealed yet, I still can't wait to read more.  The novella/short story collection may not appeal to everyone but this was a quick read and I will be reading the next part very soon.

26) Paths of the Dead by Lin Anderson

The Blurb :

When Amy MacKenzie agrees to attend a meeting at a local spiritualist church, the last person she expects to hear calling to her from beyond the grave is her son. The son whom she'd only spoken to an hour before.

Then the body of a young man is found inside a neolithic stone circle high above the city of Glasgow and forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod is soon on the case. The hands have been severed and there is a stone in the victim's mouth with the number five scratched on it. DI Michael McNab is certain it's a gangland murder, but Rhona isn't convinced. When a second body is found in similar circumstances, a pattern begins to emerge, of a killer intent on masterminding a gruesome Druidic game that everyone will be forced to play . . .

My Thoughts :

Many years ago on a trip to Edinburgh I dragged my guy into every book shop and sale I could find.  This was before I got a Kindle and I remember my suitcase being very full and heavy.  Anyway, while in one of those bookshops he came across a display for this series.  There were only three books available back then and they were on offer 3 for 2.  He pointed me in that direction and said something like 'This is something for you' and I read one of the blurbs and saw the offer and decided to take them.  The mixture of the Scottish location, forensic theme and my guy actually suggesting a book for me factoring in to my decision.

What a great decision it was.  I owe my guy big time because this series is amazing.  It doesn't fail to surprise, shock and thrill me.  The characters are like old friends and the author describes the locations so vividly that I could swear I have actually been to Glasgow.  The plot is always so well thought out with some exciting and scary story lines.  These are stories that you can't believe to be true but have to wonder how much reality is woven into them.  I think the answer would be the scariest thing of all.

If you like dark but thrilling mysteries that come across more as realistic than far-fetched then this is a series for you.   A series that definitely needs to be read in order and offers not only a scary insight to the streets of Glasgow but offers a wonderful look at some of the other more beautiful places too.

 In this tenth installment there are some lovely twists and turns that affect the regular characters even more than the previous scrapes and tumbles.  I can't wait to see what happens in the next part.  If it wasn't for all the books on my to be read pile I would already be reading the next installment.

127) Throttle by Stephen King & Joe Hill

The Blurb :

Inspired by Richard Matheson's classic "Duel," "Throttle," by Joe Hill and Stephen King, is a duel of a different kind, pitting a faceless trucker against a tribe of motorcycle outlaws in the simmering Nevada desert. Their battle is fought out on twenty miles of the most lonely road in the country, a place where the only thing worse than not knowing what you're up against, is slowing down . . .

My Thoughts :

A father and son project that was over before it really began.  Throttle is a short story that failed to interest me and I can't say that I liked it at all.  It was fast, furious and not at all what I was expecting from these two authors.

There isn't much else to say about this one.  It was a quick read and I failed to enjoy it but I am sure other readers may find this one exciting.

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121) Wolverton Station by Joe Hill

The Blurb :

Saunders made his fortune as a hatchet man for hire and has come to England to do what he does best: chop down the little guys to clear the way for a global firm. But his train north just made an unexpected stop to let on some passengers straight out of the worst kind of fairy tale. Now he's up to his ankles in blood and finding out just what it really means to live in a dog-eat-dog world.

My Thoughts :

I know of Joe Hill and I believe I have one, if not two, of his books on my bookshelf.  Despite not getting to them I decided to try this short story over the Halloween weekend because I know his books are supposed to be on the more thrilling and scary side.  Wolverton station was definitely a little dramatic and certainly bloody but I am not too sure if I like the style.

This novella was a good way to try the author and I have to say I did enjoy the story quite a bit.  However it was over too soon and I felt it missed out on a lot of information.  I wanted to know more about Saunders and the wolves.  Why?  Who?  What?  Yes this is a common problem with short stories but maybe my expectations were too high.

I would definitely recommend this short read to someone who wants to get a feel for the author or if you need/want something quick to read.  It has left me more interested in Joe Hill's work and hope I will get around to reading more of his books soon.

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