NetGalley Review - The Left-Handed Booksellers of London

In a slightly alternate London in 1983, Susan goes to London, on the hunt to find her father, a man she has never met. However, her first real lead is Crime boss Frank Thringley. Shame Susan doesn't have time to ask him any questions as Frank turns to dust within a few hours of meeting. He turned to dust due to a silver hatpin in the hands of Merlin, a young left-handed bookseller. Booksellers are beings who police the mythic and legendary Old World (Left-handed booksellers are the fighters, while the right-handed are the more intellectual) and it looks like it's invading the modern world... 

And Susan is slap-bang in the middle of it as someone or something wants Susan. Friend or foe? And does Susan's search for her father have any connect to the mysterious death of Merlin's (and his right-handed bookseller sister, Vivien's) mother...

Oh, heck, sorry! Need to put info up. Got to get back in the habit of this. Hang on:

Title And Author: The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix
Publisher: Gollancz
Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: eProof gifted by UK publisher in exchange for honest review/reaction. However, listened to Audiobook’s via library's audiobook app. 

Audiobook Review - Thin Air

This is going to be a bit of a ramble of a write-up so, please bear with me! 

I'm not sure why I decided to audiobook Thin Air by Michelle Paver. I should be finishing one of her other series, but was chatting to Ryan from Empire of Books on Twitter and I mentioned, in passing, that I had a spare Audible credit to use as thinking of closing my Audible subscription for a while and Ryan jumped on it and said "You have to get Thin Air!" and I thought "Why not?"

In 1935, Stephen Pearce joins an mountain climbing expedition with his older brother, Kits. The elite team of five will climb Kangchenjunga, the world's third highest mountain (and one of mountaineering's biggest killers). No one has scaled it before and the expedition is planning to following the footsteps of one of the mountain;'s most famous disasters, the 1907 Lyell Expedition, where five men lost their lives. Lyell survived and become a British hero when his memoir, Bloody But Unbowed was published. 

But before Stephen is ready for the climb, he meets the only other survivor the 1907 expedition, who tries to warn him off. He hints of dark things on the mountain and that Lycell's account isn't as true as it appears as five men died, but other four were laid to rest... 

As the expedition climbs up Kangchenjunga, Stephen is sure he's seeing thing out of the corner of his eye, hearing shouts of "Below!", and he's unsure whether it's the lack of oxygen and the mountain playing tricks, or if something dark and angry is on the mountain, and it's singled Stephen out...

Book Review - Angel Mage

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

What’s this? I don’t start with my usual bulletpoints of information and affiliates. Ok, stay with me. I had plans to buy this. I honestly did! I preordered it and EVERYTHING! So it came as a huge surprise to me when I got an email from Gollancz, asking if anyone wanted to be involved in a blog tour. I jumped at it as I am a huge fan of Garth Nix’s Old Kingdom series and Keys to the Kingdom series. What came as a surprise was when the publisher said “We’re sending you a book for review for the tour”. Now, I don’t normally do reviews for tours as you all know and I had preordered my copy of the book already. But I went “Sod it!” and decided to be involved. Unless something unspeakably awful happened in the book, I was going to be involved in this tour. 

And with that out of the way, let’s talk Angel Mage, shall we? 

• Title And Author: Angel Mage by Garth Nix
• Publisher: Gollancz
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Physical
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by publisher in exchange for an honest review/reaction
• Length: 560 Pages

Over a century ago, the country of Ystara fell to the Ash Blood plague. If anyone came into contact with the magic of an angel, regardless of the angel’s level, their blood will turn into ash or the person will transform into a terrifying beastling. 

It’s been over a century since Liliath crept into the empty sarcophagus of Saint Marguerite and slept, waiting. But now she is awake, and she has a plan. She still is nineteen, she still looks beautiful and she still is as singleminded as she was before her sleep. She is determined to find the missing archangel of Ystara, Pelleniel. 

But for her plans to succeed, her quest centres round four young Sarancians, each so different and yet, share something important. But what connects the doctor-in-training Simeon, the fortune hunter Herni, the musketeer Agnez, and the scholar and icon maker Dorotea? 

When the four meet by sheer chance, they feel the kinship between them instantly, though they have no idea why. Only Liliath knows why they are so important and she has plans to manipulate the Queen, her musketeers and everyone around her to achieve her ends… 

So… where do I begin?

Murder Month 2019 - The October Man

• Title And Author: The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch
• Publisher: Gollancz
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Audiobook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 192 Pages or 4 Hours 20 Minutes

I am in two minds over whether or not to write this as part of my Murder Month. I decided, probably against my better judgement, that I will on the condition that I attempt to read the first book in the Rivers of London series this month as well (yes, I know, this is my first within this series and before you all have a go at me, when have I EVER read a book series in order? This is very on me brand).

The reason I bought this is because back in October last year, at the Orion Book Blogger Event, the sampler of this audiobook was played and I went “Ok, I need to read this!” so I preordered it a few weeks later and thought “I’ll have plenty of time to catch up”. Oh, foolish book blogger, do you know nothing about yourself? You’ve been doing this for how long and still, you don’t know yourself? 

So, in this 7.5 novella of the Rivers of London series, we are no longer in London, but Germany. In Trier, to be exact. Famous for being Germany’s oldest city, its wine and now a dead body covered impossibly in fungal rot. Enter Tobias Winter, an investigator for the Abteilung KDA, the branch of the German Federal Criminal Police that handles magic and the supernatural. His aim is to get in, solve the case and get out, with little fuss, danger and, more importantly, paperwork. 

Together with a frightening enthusiastic local cop, Vanessa Sommer, the two link the first victim to a group of ordinary men who create a wine club to handle their midlife crisis. But is it possible this club has reawaken a bloody conflict from the previous century? Looks like the duo will have the unearth the secret, magical history of Trier that goes back two thousand years. That is… is history doesn’t kill them first…

eBook Review - Sanctuary

• Title And Author: Sanctuary by V.V. James
• Publisher: Gollancz
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: eBook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review/reaction
• Length: 320 Pages

As I told you a while back, I first heard of this at the Gollancz Book Blogger/Bookseller Event and it was one of the few books that made me sit up in my chair a little straighter. The idea of a modern day witch-hunt intrigued me hugely and hearing the author V.V. James (or Vic James, author of the Guided Cage trilogy [only read the first and need to read the rest!]) chat about her research and inspiration (#MeToo movement), I knew I wanted to read thus as/when I could. So when I saw I could get my hands on the eProof of this, I requested and popped it onto one of my “Pick My Next Read” polls (yes, I suck at doing and sticking to these polls, aren’t I?), I was glad it won (though it was a real close between that and From the Wreck by Jane Rawson) 

The small town of Sanctuary, Connecticut is a perfect little town where everyone gets along. But behind perfect hides some dark secrets as Detective Maggie Knight is about to find out. She has been asked to go to Sanctuary to investigate the tragic death of Sanctuary’s star quarterback. It was accident, a terrible accident. 

But the rumours start. Rumours that his ex-girlfriend killed him using witchcraft. She’s the daughter of a town’s witch and, even though she doesn’t have magical abilities, is that the truth? 

Bereaved mother Abigail will stop at nothing until she has justice for her dead son. Sarah, Abigail’s best friend, will do whatever she can to protect her daughter. And both women share a secret that could shatter the fragile peace of the town and their lives. 

Maggie must find out the truth and prevent the town from spiralling dangerously out of control. But mob mentality is slowing being to take its grip the town… Sanctuary no longer feels safe.

#GollanczPreview2019

Last week, the day before I had to get up SUPER early for a mini weekend-break, I was kindly invited to Gollancz with a bunch of other bloggers, booksellers and bookish people to see a preview of Gollancz upcoming titles, plus a handful of others from Gollancz sister imprints such as Trapeze, Orion and a few others.

Now, I have to be honest, there is no way I can write a small thing about every single one of these titles. There was, to my appalling note taking hand-writing, over 20 titles. OVER 20 TITLES!!! And I think if I sat down and wrote them down, you all would be bored stiff and go “You want to talk about this? Seriously, Andrew?”. Plus, some of these titles are hugely well known. For example, the first adult fantasy novel, Angel Mage, by Garth Nix (WHO I LOVE SO OF COURSE, I WILL BE READING, AND IF YOU HAVEN’T READ HIS OLD KINGDOM SERIES, I WOULD BE UPSET! Go read Sabriel as it is wonderful) or Leigh Bardugo’s first adult fantasy, Ninth House (I mean, does she really need an introduction? I haven’t read her Grieshaverse and even I know about her and am super curious on this one!). So yeah, gonna be buying these! 

I can easily talk about Victoria Aveyard’s Broken Kingdom, a collection of novellas set in her Red Queen world (I might try to read this series again… maybe…) or talk about Stephen Chbosky’s Imaginary Friend, his first novel in 20 years after his hugely successful Perks of Being A Wallflower. Or maybe the sequel to Branden Sanderson’s Skywards, Starsight. Or The Sky Weaver, Kristen Ciccarelli’s third book to be set in the Last Namsara world, known as Iskari. 

My point is there is so much I can talk about and trust me, I have video and photos to share on my Instagram and Twitter so they are about! 

But let’s chat about some other titles that catch my eye that could be seen as flying under the radar, And believe, there is a few I REALLY want to talk about.

So, in no order, let’s get this book party started!

Blue Salt ... Wait, What?

Story time: I was meant to be writing a review for Joanne Harris's Blue Salt Road. It was meant to be for a blog tour (I know, I said I would never do a review for a blog tour but I wanted to read this badly). Expect... I haven't got the novella. The publisher has sent a copy to me TWICE over the past few weeks and it's not turned up. No idea if it's gone to my old address by accident (even though gave them my new address both times), if there's a problem with them being sent out at warehouse/depot or if postman has stolen them (which is funny as they sent me two books last week so can't be that!).

But I wanted to do something for today and for Blue Salt Road. Bear with me, let me explain the novella (as I wanted to go into this without knowing much so RESEARCHING as I type!). The Blue Salt Road is a fable about a nameless, wild man who has no memories. With passion pulling him into his new, unknown world and trickery keeping him there, separated from his people, he has to learn a new way of life and change his notion of home... 

Now, like I said, I wanted to do something to tie to celebrate this novella and thought, one morning when I was panicking about this and feeling not 100% , "What music would I listen to while reading this?". The first answer that jumped to mind was "Music linked to water" and so, I want to share some watery music (not sure how many... 5, maybe?) that I might be listening to while reading this... I hope you like my weird choices...

#OrionBloggerBrunch 2018

So, Saturday was fun. Not only was the England game against Sweden of the World Cup 2018 gripping the nation nor that London Pride was happening (one year, I will go to this!) nor did the UK seemed to be gripped by the fiery thing in the sky (I loathe Summer. Heat, hayfever, lack of sleep, do you really want me to go on? but I was invited to a book blogger event! 

It’s feels like years since I’ve been to a book blogger event (was it the the beginning of this year my last? I miss being with my people!) 

Anyway, after since I had moved house the previous week and managed to get a Saturday off work (sadly meaning I have to do a six-day week the following week…), I decided to go. And wow, I forgot what London was like in summer. Plus, with Pride happening, I kept seeing sickeningly attractive people around… 

I wasn’t staring! 

Anyway, onto the books. Once at the event, there was drink, Pride cupcakes, pizza at the halfway point and books! Delicious and wonderful books. And after Orion chatted some titles (I am going to talk about a handful that sound delicious [to me and I wanna read] and I totally want to read! Stay with me, folks!), two lovely authors chatted about that it was like to write the dreaded Second Novel - Catriona Ward and Ed McDonald (just so you know as I didn’t till they talked about to Catriona wrote Rawblood and her second novel is Little Eve while Ed wrote Blackwing and its sequel, Ravencry. Now I need to go forth and read them as these 4 books sound dark, twisted and I love dark ’n’ twisted! I will touch on both their novels in a tick). After that, quick pizza break (aka snoop into the free books - we bloggers are vultures. But I had to go to the bathroom so I didn’t get my hands on any, till the lovely Sarah from FeelingFictional gave me her copy of Little Eve by Catriona Ward, saying that this sounds more up my street than hers - “It’s more crime and dark and much more twisted than what I’m used to”, and the author very kindly signed for me. Thanks Sarah! After that, Orion talked about two titles that won’t be published till early 2019, both of which sound good. 

Ok, enough of this. We know why we’re here: the pretty books that caught my eye. So, where should we begin…?

Book Review - Complete Sookie Stackhouse Stories

Not sure how I heard of this (chatting to Stevie at Gollancz or seeing the US edition on NetGalley), but as soon as I did, I knew I wanted to read it. A complete collection of all Sookie Stackhouse short stories - yes please! Plus, I have read a tiny handful of Charlaine Harris (3 novels and a collection of five short stories of Sookie Stackhouse and audiobook of the first Midnight, Texas trilogy) so I know her writing style and get on with it.

So, when Stevie emailed a month or so ago about this and another title (The Seventh Decimate by Stephen Donaldson), I jumped at them both! I have said that this year I want to read more adult fantasy but I knew that I could devour the stories set in Bon Temps.

Within this collection, we have ten short stories (ok, nine and one novella) that follow Sookie as she tackles the paranormal world, from investigating the murder of a fairy, discovering her cousin was a vampire to going to a wedding with her shapeshifter boss and remodelling her best friend's house. All have a supernatural twist in the tale.

To me, this is a better fitting farewell to the Sookie Stackhouse series then After Dead, which most fans really disliked. But seeing as I haven't read the complete series or After Dead, I can't comment but this felt like a fun collection.

There is a snag before I talk about each story quickly in turn. Five of the short stories - the first five, truth be told - have already been published in the a collection a good several years back called A Touch Of Dead (my review for that is here), so I you have already read or bought the book and going towards this, you have already ready five and are paying for the five you haven't read... Although all these stories have been published in other collections.

So... thoughts on the stories. I do want to go into each in turn but that would make this blog post boringly long so I won't. I am going to mention some of the stories I really liked and the ones that surprised me. That to me sounds more like fun.

Out of the ten, the novella Small-Town Wedding surprised me the most. I saw it was the only novella in the collection and groaned. I want fast, fun stories, I remember thinking to self when I read the introduction, not this! But once I started reading this, I didn't want it to end. I forgot how much I like Sookie and Sam's relationship (I don't know if they get together at the end of the book series. I kinda ship them but I'm not sure I want to read Dead Ever After as I feel I need to read the other books before can attempt that) and  I had fun with the story. But, there was a bit of a punch to this as with the political climate at the moment with race, same sex marriage and rallies/marches, this came close to home. But showing the important message that love is always more powerful than hate.

I also enjoyed reading If I Had A Hammer and Playing Possum, both of which featured characters I haven't met in my readings of Sookie so might have to backtrack a little on that front.

However, like with most collections of short stories, there are going to be some that don't grab you. And I have problems clicking with some. I liked the first half of Two Blondes, a short stories that explored Sookie's friendship with Pam but then, the story took a turn and I was doing a "Huh? WTF? Am I reading this right?". Though I liked Gift Wrap when I read A Touch of Dead, I reread this and I kept putting the book down. It was fun, but there was something about this story that didn't sit right with me. And, though I didn't warm to the last short story in the collection, In The Blue Hereafter, I get why. This story was written in third person (Sookie's stories are usually written in first) and it followed a character, Manfred Bernado (who we first met in another of Harris's series, Harper Connelly, and becomes one of the main characters in Harris's latter series, Midnight, Texas), who meets Sookie...

A mixed bag of Sookie Stackhouse stories, but it reminded me how much I enjoy reading this character and Charlaine's writing. I sense I might have to read a Sookie Stackhouse novel sometime this year (I keep leaning towards Dead Ever After, maybe another story... All Together Dead? Dead as a Doornail? Deadlocked? Club Dead?). Or maybe I should try the second book in the Midnight, Texas trilogy? Decisions, decisions...

From Darkest Skies...

Surprise blog post time as The Pewter Wolf would like to welcome Sam Peters! Sam is a debut author  who has just published From Darkest Skies. A sci-fi thriller, we follow Keon, an Intelligence Service Agent, who is grieving for the loss of his wife. Desperate for the truth, he creates an AI version of her using every digital trace to help solve the crime. But as they try and discover the truth, the relationship begins to changes into something more, something frighteningly dependent, something that could be on the verge of love...

I am thrilled that Sam has written this guest post (thank you Sam! Know how busy you must be!) and to celebrate the release of From Darkest Skies, I am allowed to host a small giveaway (thank you Stevie from Gollancz). You can find all the info for contest on the Googleform below!

Oh, if you want to check Sam out online (or want more details over the book), you can go to the website - liss.ai - or check out his Twitter at @sampeters679! Ok, now with that out of the way, over to Sam!

The Left Hand Easter Contest

Who's in the mood for a Easter giveaway?

Ok, quick contest time! The lovely Stevie at Gollancz has given me a copy of the newly rejacketed The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K LeGuin to do a tiny giveaway!

For those who don't know about this book (I didn't till a few months back), this is written by the author of the well-loved Earthsea series and is deemed by many as one of the great science fiction stories. On a planet that is in constant winter, Gently Ai observes its people. They are androgynous - neuter in general but can become either male of female at the peak of their sexual cycle. They seem alien to Gently Ai, but he is slowly pulled into the complex politics of the planet and losses his professional detachment and must cross the ice with a politician who has fallen from favour and been outcast... But what will happen when they get to the other side...

Intrigued? Well, I have one copy to giveaway and this contest is a UK only contest (Soon, international readers! I promise I will do an international contest soon!). This contest will close on Easter Monday at 5pm and will be chosen at random by random.org! Will Announce winner via Twitter and will be email them for their address so the publisher can send it directly to you (no middle person [aka me!]).

To those of you entering, good luck. And may the odds be in your favour!

New Year Contest! (aka BURN 2016 BURN CONTEST!)

BURN THE BRIDGE!!! MAKE SELF 2016 CAN NOT CROSS!!! BUBBLEWRAP CELEBRITIES WE LOVE!!! AND PUT SAILOR MARS ON DUTY TO SAVE US ALL IF 2016 COMES TOO CLOSE!!!

To celebrate the fact that we are in a new year (and surely, 2017 is going to be better than 2016, right? RIGHT?!), I am hosting a contest!

With thanks from the lovely Stevie from Gollancz, I am giving away a copy of Joe Hill's THE FIREMAN! (see what I doing here? No...?)

And one more time with feeling... 

Got it now? Ok...

The Fireman follows the world falls to a virus. A virus where people get beautiful black and gold markings over their skins, and soon after, they burst into flames. One person is Harper, who has these markings and now is trying to stay alive long enough to give birth to her unborn baby. But how far will she go when the world is burning around her...?

So, contest time! I have one copy to give away. All you have to do is fill in the GoogleForm below. That's it. The contest is UK only (sorry international!) and the contest will close Saturday 7th January 2017 at 6pm (yes, this is a flash contest! Like the spark that causes the flames. Again, see what I'm doing here?!)

Anyway, good luck! And may the odds ever be in your favour!

Murder Month #re3 - Dead to the World

Yes, this is still a Murder Month post. I never said anywhere that I would't go back and reread/relisten to a story if the mood takes me. And you can blame Megan from Reading the Days Away for me going back to Dead to the World.

Now, if you haven't read my first review of Dead to the World, you can click on here and have a snoop. This is a relisten (aka a #re3) so I won't go too far in depth with the story.

Instead, let's talk about my experience with this.

I forgot how addictive Charlaine Harris can be. With Fool Me Once audiobook, it took me nearly 2 weeks to listen to just under 4 hours. With Dead to the World, it barely took me 3 days. I just got hooked into this world and the way Johanna Parker read Sookie. For me, the reader is quite important for an audiobook and Johanna just got the story.

However, the story itself might not come under Murder Month. There is a mystery with Sookie's brother, Jason, vanishing and while the mystery does take place over the course of the book, it's really Sookie's reaction and struggle to cope.

But with a memory-loss vampire, Eric, needing her protection and help, it doesn't take much of Sookie's mind as she believes the witches who hexed Eric are the same people who kidnapped Jason so the stories do run parallel until the end.

This is a fun read, and I do want to read more Sookie Stackhouse, but after trying (and failing) Fool Me Once audiobook, I just wanted something fun. And I did. It was good. Now I feel the itch to read/audiobook another Charlaine Harris *eyes the Midnight series (actually, I reviewed the first audiobook in the series, Midnight Crossroad, a few years ago...)

Farewell Terry Pratchett - Reaper Man

Hello and welcome to my spot in the Terry Pratchett Blog Tour! Today, I will doing a small-ish review of the twelfth novel in the Discworld series, Reaper Man.

Death is gone. Just gone. Presumed... er... missing. And what would happen to the Discworld now a important public service is withdrawn? Chaos, that's what. If Death doesn't come for you, then what do you do in the mean time? And what happens to all the life force that's floating about...? And where did all those snow globes come from?

Meanwhile, on a farm far away, a very tall and very thin man who is excellent with a scythe has come to gather a harvest...

Ok, am going to admit this. I have only just got into reading Terry Pratchett. Before last year, I only read one of his books and for the life of me, I can't tell you what book it is. It just went straight over my head. But in the summer of last year, I audiobooked A Slip on the Keyboard and after putting it off for quite some time, I read Mort back in February. So, I am still new to his world.

But Reaper Man has always been one of his books that has intrigued. Not sure why. Maybe it's the old cover of Death sitting in a field. Maybe it was the idea of Death just going...

But I finally read it. And I loved it! I didn't think I would enjoy myself as much as I thought I would. I just galloped through it, reading it very late into the night (using my phone as a light as I don't have a bedside lamp at the moment!) and trying to squeeze five minutes worth of reading before I go to work.

And Death is such a wonderful character. How he saw the Discworld and the ideals of life and death were interesting and, at the same time, funny. He might be my fave character in the series - and I only really remember 2 Discworld books well!

I know you guys were expecting a review with pros and cons (the only con I could think of is the ending - I liked the ending but there was something about it. Maybe because I was rushing it at half past midnight!), but I enjoyed myself reading this. I loved this book and I have plans to read more Discworld. So much so, I have been snooping on kindle and have downloaded far too many samplers to figure out my next Discworld book - Wyrd Sisters, Hogfather, Thief of Time, Maskerade...

Where should I start? I shall be following the Terry Pratchett Blog Tour with interest and, if you are a fan of Terry's work (Discworld or any others), leave me a comment and tell me what I should read next!

GoodRead - Midnight Crossroad

Before I can go any further with this review, I must thank Midas PR for allowing me the credits to review the lovely audiobooks from Audible.co.uk over the past few months. I feel like I haven't thanked them and I have got a few more audiobooks to go before I am free of audiobooks that are either on my iPhone or in my Audible library so thanks again.

Anyway, now all that's out of the way, let's get into the review of Midnight Crossroad (or, as I always called it, Midnight Crossing. No idea why, though...).

In Texas, there is a small town called Midnight. A town that, on the surface, looks like any other small town. But if you stay a while, you noticed that something doesn't feel right. No one asks questions - well, the right questions. Then two things happen to Midnight in very short space of time. A new resident moves into town and the body of a young woman who went missing three months prior is discovered on the town's first (and last) annual picnic...

And it looked like this woman had her own secrets to hide. But in a town where not asking the right questions is the norm, will the right questions be asked and will her killer come to light?

Before I go further, I do want to say this is a new series - a trilogy, I believe - and it's an odd trilogy at that. There are elements/characters/themes that come from Charlaine Harris's other series. So, we have vampires, witches, physics, etc that come from other series such as the Sookie Stackhouse and Harper Connelly (I believe from other people's reviews that Midnight does touch or hint at the Lily Bard and Aurora Teagarden series as well, but don't confirm me on that). So, if you have read any of her other series, you will see little Easter Eggs.

Ok, my reactions to the audiobook. I oddly liked it. I didn't love it, but once I found my footing with the story, I did enjoy listening to it. I like that this story was about the town of Midnight and its residents, rather than focusing on a group of people who live in this one town (if that makes any sense). For some odd reason, it reminded me of two things: Welcome To Night Vale and The Night Circus - and I'm not 100% certain why it did. I think both focus of a place rather than the people of that place. Again, am not sure if that makes sense but, in my head, it does.

And with the reader - Susan Bennett - once I got use to her voice, I fell into the story. She never felt annoying to me, and she fitted the style of the story with her Southern American accent (perfect for a book set in Texas).

However, I have two problems. One is linked the audiobook and the other is linked to the story.

My audiobook problem is that there was never any gapping between the end of a chapter and the start of the next chapter. Usually in audiobooks, there is a gap between them (abound 3 or 4 seconds). This is because most people would end their reading at the end of a chapter so, naturally, you would do the same with an audiobook. And yet, not here. It was as if the reader would read it in one breath (she wasn't), and yet there would be a pause after the chapter title and the start of the chapter. Why do leave a gap - a breather, if you will - at the start of a chapter but not the end?

My story issue is the killer. While it came as a shock of who it was, it was a "Wait, what?" moment as there was no clue to hint to that person. There was nothing, really. And that didn't satisfy me as someone who, every now and then, does read crime books and watch crime shows and usually gets who the killer is either very early on or just before the detectives get it. But this had nothing. And because of this, you wonder "Well, if I couldn't figure it out and the Police couldn't, how on EARTH did our main characters figure it out?!"

While it might not be the best Charlaine Harris novel out there, it's nice to read something new from here. I think I might try the next Midnight book when it comes out... maybe... But I won't be rushing to the shops to get it on its release date... 

GoodRead - Definitely Dead

I know April is meant to be my NetGalley month. I know this, but I thought I was doing quite well to improve my "Feedback to Approval Ratio" (I increased it by over 10% - Yes, I know I need to increase it a bit more before I get it to a level I am much more happy with but over 10% is better than a poke in the eye!). So, I thought I would treat myself with a read that I bought. And for some reason, this called to me.

Sookie Stackhouse has gone through the mill in the past few months. And the last thing she wants to deal with is the death of her cousin. Her cousin who was a vampire and a favourite to the Queen of Mississippi. With Hadley now "definitely dead", Sookie has to deal with Hadlet's apartment in New Orleans'.

But Sookie's life is spiraling. Her life is on the line and it could be anyone close to her who's behind it. And when a few truths are revealed, can Sookie be brave enough to keep going to save herself...?

Ok, as you probably know, I am not a real fan of this series. I dip in and out, and with this book, it covers and makes a few story lines that were started in both books 4 and 5 (Dead To The World [which I audiobooked - review here] and Dead As A Doornail [which I haven't read]) and ties them up while getting things ready for future books (mainly All Together Dead and From Dead To Worse). This is a series you have to read to get and understand. But as I have a vague idea of some of the series (I still don't know what happened within the series's finale, Dead Ever After [is it wrong I REALLY want to read it and find out...?]

And this is a good book. I did enjoy it - don't get me wrong, I did like it. Maybe not as much as Dead To The World, but I liked the fact that this wrapped up the whole Debbie Pelt storyline, which Dead To The World kicked started. And I liked the fact that this book took Sookie out of Bon Temps. It's good to see how the supernatural world is effecting the rest of the world. It's building on the world's mythology as well, which is something I liked. In Dead To The World, we were introduced to the idea of weres - werewolves, werefoxes, werepanthers. And here, we have a character which was a weretiger.

Speaking of the weretiger, Quinn, I don't like him. I'm sorry, I know he;s in the series for a good few books and he does become Sookie's boyfriend (well, he was in this book), but I just disliked him. I think it's because of two reasons: the fact he called Sookie "babe" from the first date onwards - SHUDDERS! Sorry, but every time Quinn said that word to Sookie, it really grated on me!

The second was his attitude. There's something about his attitude that really annoyed me. Was it because he was a weretiger and that carried over or the fact there were times I felt that he only wanted Sookie to be a sex-toy rather than be a girlfriend.

My only other thing is pacing. From what I was expecting, I thought we were going to be in New Orleans quite quickly, but we didn't get there till half way through the book. I forgot that this series likes taking it's time (you know I like my thrillers fast. I blame Kathy Reichs) and it suits Sookie, but I need to remember this next time...

Oh yeah, this is an adult read as there is swearing and one sexy scene (though I skimmed that part because I honestly thought it was something else but nope!).

I did like it, but not as much as I hoped. Maybe I should really read the series and stop jumping here/there/everywhere. But I am curious over Dead Ever After, even though I have been warned against it... (go to book 10 then stop, is there advice for me!). But I do want to read another book in this series... but I want the next book to be quick in pace...

Oh, PS. If you can get your hands on the short Sookie Stackhouse story, One Word Answer (you should find this in A Touch of Dead [review here], you might want to read that first before reading this book as this kinda helps with some of the details...