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Erika Kehlet (21 KP) rated A Dark and Stormy Murder (A Writer's Apprentice Mystery, #1) in Books

Feb 21, 2018

This cozy mystery is dedicated to Mary Stewart, and that should tell you something! A fan of gothic romantic suspense, the author has done a great job of incorporating the common elements of that genre into a cozy mystery.

I've always loved Mary Stewart, Phyllis Whitney, Victoria Holt, and similar authors, so I was very excited to hear about this cozy. I was not disappointed. There's the young heroine, living in an unfamiliar house, the "is he good or is he bad" guy, and the "he must be good but there's something we don't like about him" guy, and lots of other suspicious characters for us to distrust. All of these elements, combined with a modern mystery and a likable amateur sleuth, created a story I didn't want to put down.

This one also wrapped up a little differently than most cozies - the reader is left with a pretty good idea of what the characters will be doing at the beginning of the next book. I can't wait for it!

Kudos

Roxanne (13 KP) rated Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster in Books

Nov 14, 2018

Being a part of the Gothic subculture I have followed these events since they happened. I have donated to the charity and I have joined marches through Plymouth in memory of Sophie. This collection of poems truly moved me, it did not matter that the poetry wasn't written in a style I'm more used to, I still very much enjoyed them and believe more people should read them. The subject matter brought tears to my eyes and the last poem made my heart ache. After recently becoming a mum myself I can not even begin to imagine the pain her family felt when she slipped away from them. Even though I did not know Sophie I still feel connected to her and am unbelievably sad that she was taken from this world in such a brutal and disgusting way...just because she and her boyfriend were different.
This is a beautiful collection, handled in a very sensitive way, I hope for this to reach more people as things need to change.
Rest in peace beautiful Sophie.

Kudos

Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Iron Angel (Deepgate Codex #2) in Books

Nov 15, 2019

Iron Angel (Deepgate Codex #2)

Alan Campbell | 2009 | Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy

6.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

The first novel in the Deepgate Codex trilogy, Scar Night, explored the immediate surroundings of the suspended city of Deepgate. This second entry follows the fallout from the battle of Deepgate as the balance between the powers of the world realign themselves.

As with Scar Night, Campbell's imagination creates some stunning characters and imagery; the Soft Men, John Anchor, a nightmarish journey through hell. The descriptions are extremely evocative, the whole having a sort of Gothic Steampunk feel to it.

This is, however, weaker than Scar Night, partly because there is just so much Campbell is keen to show us that the detail gets lost, and at times the story grinds to a halt for some lingering descriptions of something that although interesting has no real bearing on the story and just means momentum is lost. The result is unfortunately a bit of a mess.

Not a bad book by any means, but a case of an author's enthusiasm for their own creations reducing the focus on developing an interesting and coherent story