In The Land of Armadillos by Helen Maryles Shankman

In The Land of Armadillos by Helen Maryles Shankman

Pages: 304 (Hardback)

Genre: Magical Realism, Folklore, Holocaust, Short Stories

Publisher: Scribner

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Recommended for fans of:

David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, Sun-Mi Hwang's The Hen who Dreamed She Could Fly

RATING:

Synopsis:

A radiant debut collection of linked stories from a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee, set in a German-occupied town in Poland, where tales of myth and folklore meet the real-life monsters of the Nazi invasion.

1942. With the Nazi Party at the height of its power, the occupying army empties Poland’s towns and cities of their Jewish populations. As neighbor turns on neighbor and survival often demands unthinkable choices, Poland has become a moral quagmire—a place of shifting truths and blinding ambiguities.

Blending folklore and fact, Helen Maryles Shankman shows us the people of Wlodawa, a remote Polish town: we meet a cold-blooded SS officer dedicated to rescuing the creator of his son’s favorite picture book, even as he helps exterminate the artist’s friends and family; a Messiah who appears in a little boy’s bedroom to announce that he is quitting; a young Jewish girl who is hidden by the town’s most outspoken anti-Semite—and his talking dog. And walking among these tales are two unforgettable figures: the enigmatic and silver-tongued Willy Reinhart, Commandant of the forced labor camp who has grand schemes to protect “his” Jews, and Soroka, the Jewish saddlemaker and his family, struggling to survive.

Channeling the mythic magic of classic storytellers like Sholem Aleichem and Isaac Bashevis Singer and the psychological acuity of modern-day masters like Nicole Krauss and Nathan Englander, In the Land of Armadillos is a testament to the persistence of humanity in the most inhuman conditions.

What I Thought:
These intertwined short stories take place in Wlodawa, a small village in Poland during WWII during the nazi occupation and include:

1 In the Land of the Armadillos, narrated by a nazi officer;
2 The Partizans;
3 The Messiah;
4 They Were LIke Family to Me;
5 The Jew Hater, the second story narrated by a nazi officer.

I adored everything about this book from the cover artwork (the author's own) depicting two of the 'fictional' characters from the titular story of the book, to the exquisite prose and narrative of each of the interconnected short stories.

Holocaust written as magical realism fiction ! ... Surely that cannot do justice to the horrific mass murder of so many during this evil period in history.  However, Helen Maryles Shankman has written a beautiful rendition full of mysticism and religious folklore about her characters and married the horrific reality with magical realism perfectly. In an interview with review blogger, Jeffrey Keen, she says; "...Magic is the only way I can approach the horror of what happened across Europe in 1945. Without it, all that is left is grim, inexplicable reality..."

Source: Review and interview: http://jeffreykeeten.booklikes.com/post/1291928/in-the-land-of-armadillos-by-helen-maryles-shankman).

The stories in this book so affected me that they tore a hole in my soul and I literally cried as the emotive scenes played out, but ultimately I also felt a spark of hope and faith in the eventual power of good triumphing over evil. I held my kindle to my chest on numerous occasions after reading such powerful passages.

In The Land of Armadillos is a book that sucked me in, halted me in my tracks and made me think and evaluate, even reevaluate the actions of certain individuals ... simply stunning, moving, and uplifting ... I want everyone who has a heart to experience this masterpiece. An awe inspiring book that will stay with me for a very long time.

You can read more about In The Land of Armadillos and Helen Maryles Shankman here: http://helenmarylesshankman.com

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of In The Land of Armadillos was provided by Scribner via Netgalley in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

TLC BOOK TOURS REVIEW: BENEATH STILL WATERS by Cynthia A. Waters

Beneath Still Waters, Cynthia A. Graham

Genre: Contemporary/Historical/Murder Mystery/Deep South/PTSD

Pages: 224

Publisher: Blank Slate Press (31 March 2015)

Source: TLC Book Tours/Publisher

RATING

The swamps and bayous around Cherokee Crossing, Arkansas have always been dark and mysterious, but on this summer day two boys stumble across the remains of a baby girl, headless and badly decomposed.

Hick Blackburn, a reluctant sheriff with a troubled past is called to the scene. With nothing to go on except the baby’s race and sex, the task of discovering who she is and how she died challenges all of Hick’s investigative skills. But Hick faces a deeper challenge. The vision of the infant has left him shattered, a reminder of a war crime he has tried to lock away, a crime that has begun to eat away at the edges of his life, destroying him one relationship at a time.

With the aid of his deputies, Hick will begin to piece together his investigation, an investigation that will lead him to question everything. As he is forced to examine the town he grew up in, he will come to terms with the notion that within each of us lays the propensity for both good and evil. His investigation will turn up lies and ignorance, scandal and deceit, and the lengths a mother will go in order to hide her shame.

Book Description

Graham has written an engrossing and deeply thought provoking southern gothic tale about the good and bad in human nature and of the demons which haunt and torment the particular characters in her novel, and of how they cope (or not) and justify their, at times misguided, actions.

Beneath Still Waters is a murder investigative tale with a troubled love story running parallel and historically through it. Although not as dark or violent as some crime novels I've read it does have disturbing themes such as infanticide and its relative autopsy details which in my view was done sympathetically and very realistically without being too gross or in anyway excessive.  However, because some readers may find such issues disturbing, I wouldn't recommend it to those sensitive to such topics.

One quibble I did have was that the last 10% or so was used to tie-up, 'all of', the loose ends, including ribbons and bows. This resulted in the previous easy pacing becoming rushed, and for me had a 'Miss Marple' convenient ending. Some of the less fleshed out characters from this point onwards became fuller bodied and it is with respect to these characters that I think it would have been best left for the follow-up book.

Even with my one 'teeny tiny' quibble, I enjoyed Beneath Still Waters very much and am looking forward to reading Graham's follow-up novel, Behind Every Door, which takes place a few years later, (publish date, 22 March 2016).

Disclaimer: A complimentary digital copy of Beneath Still Waters was provided by the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

About Cynthia A. Graham:
Cynthia A. Graham has a B.A. in English from the Pierre Laclede Honors College at the University of Missouri in St. Louis. She was the winner of several writing awards during her academic career and her short stories have appeared in both university and national literary publications. Cynthia is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the St. Louis Writer’s Guild, the Missouri Writer’s Guild, and Sisters In Crime. Beneath Still Waters is her first novel.

Cynthia A. Graham's TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Thursday, February 11th: Buried Under Books

Wednesday, February 17th: Bewitched Bookworms

Thursday, February 25th: Bibliotica

Monday, February 29th: Stranded in Chaos

Wednesday, March 2nd: Life is Story

Friday, March 4th: From the TBR Pile

Monday, March 7th: Kahakai Kitchen

Tuesday, March 8th: Kritter’s Ramblings

Wednesday, March 9th: Patricia’s Wisdom

Thursday, March 10th: FictionZeal

Friday, March 11th: Luxury Reading

Monday, March 14th: SJ2B House of Books

Tuesday, March 15th: Mockingbird Hill Cottage

The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman by Robin Gregory

The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman

Robin Gregory

Genre: Teenage/Young Adult, Magical Realism & Coming of age

Publisher: Mad Mystical Journey Press

Source: Digital ARC via instaFreebiedotcom

Pages: 310 (Paperback)

Unfinished - DNF at 38%

Synopsis:
Moojie Littleman has never been much good at controlling his spiritual healing powers. Abandoned at birth to a convent in 1892, he amuses himself by magically snuffing out candles with the blink of an eye, or by sending objects into flight with the power of his mind. When he doesn't get his way, he causes the wind to rip off the nuns' veils and flash their knickers. He is not much good at being part of a family either.

Adopted before his first birthday, his parents soon realize that he cannot walk or talk or learn like most children, and he has a whopping temper. When Moojie is eight years old, he performs a healing miracle, and also loses his mother to a freak accident. His disapproving father sends him to live at St. Isidore's Fainting Goat Dairy with his grandfather, and then disappears.

Moojie's outcome lies in the balance as he strikes up a forbidden friendship with an otherworldly clan of outcasts who call themselves the Light-Eaters. When a natural disaster strikes, Moojie must decide whether to escape through a portal into another universe with the clan and the girl he loves or save the only family he has, therefore fulfilling a surprising destiny.

What I thought:
I loved the eye catching beautiful cover for this one and thoroughly enjoyed the first few chapters. The characters were well penned and an intreaguing plot-line looked promising. I prepared myself for full immersion into Moojie's magical realm.

Moojie's character developed from being a disabled and weak child into a more mature, much stronger individual drawing strength from his weaknesses. At about the 100 page mark the narrative seemed to lose its way becoming disjointed and began to drag. Conversations between the Light-Eaters and Moojie I found perplexing and rather irritating. I didn't 'get' the Light-Eaters...either what they were or what their purpose was, and quite frankly I felt alienated to such an extent that I lost interest in reading any further.

It maybe that had I persevered with the story I would have been rewarded with a truly magical fantastical adventure just as the majority of readers say they had. However due to my lack of involvement with certain characters and the puzzling elements of the storyline I aborted my reading of it around 38%.

Disclaimer: I'd like to thank the author for providing me with a complementary digital copy for my honest thoughts on this book. Although not entirely to my liking I believe it will be a real treat for other readers.

The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman is Robin Gregory's debut offering and although I didn't finish reading it, I did think it shows huge potential and would certainly like to see what she writes next.

FORTHCOMING REVIEWS:

My absolute favourites with ratings of 5/5 are, In The Land of Armadillos and Man Falls in Wilmslow with The Crow Girl, The Last Policeman and The Bottoms with ratings of 4/5.

That leaves Fellside with a rating of 3.5/5 and I have to say that after the phenomenal success of The Girl with all the Gifts I was a little disappointed with this one.

The Devil All The Time by Donald Ray Pollock

The Devil All The Time

Donald Ray Pollock

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Source: Purchased (Waterstones)

*Content: Scenes of violence, mental and physical abuse, & truck loads of swearing*

Rating:

So glad that I've read a run of really good books lately. I get a little disheartened when I try not to but have to abandon more than two books in a row. The latest few have been seriously good in my opinion and I will endeavour not to gush overly, which will, believe me, be hard not to do.

First up is, Donald Ray Pollock's debut novel, 'The Devil All The Time':

..."Unless he had whiskey running through his veins, Willard came to the clearing every morning and evening to talk to God. Arvin didn't know which was worse, the drinking or the praying. As far back as he could remember, it seemed that his father had fought the Devil all the time.”...

The Devil All The Time is unbelievably, the debut novel from Donald Ray Pollock. I couldn't fault it in any area. This gritty, perverse tale of interlinked short stories flows seamlessly from one narrative into another, then back again.  Written in the 3rd person narrative it is a deliriously twisted intensely gratuitously violent tale with deeply religious and Gothic under­tones.

It is an insightful character driven story about several complex tragic, manipulative and predatory personalities who live in and around rural southern Ohio and West Virginia during the late 1950's and 1960's.

One of the narrative perspectives is of Willard Russell, a traumatised WWII veteran returning from the bloody battle front at the end of the war.  On his journey home he sees a beautiful waitress at The Wooden Spoon Restaurant. He is instantly smitten, pursues and ultimately asks her to marry him.  It is during Charlotte's agonising terminal illness that he becomes increasingly unbalanced and resorts to disturbing prayer rituals and sacrifices in order to bring her back to her former health.

Caught in the middle of all this is Arvin, Willard and Charlotte's son who is forced to participate in the rituals. Despite an increasing intensity of praying and sacrificial offerings Charlotte dies and after further tragic events the traumatized Arvin is sent to live with his grandmother.

The imagery is strong and highly emotive with descriptions of Willard's traumatic experiences during the war witnessing at one juncture a crucified soldier, and later of the sacrificing of a dog. Pollock teases us with plots and sub plots. Gives faint glimmers of people about to do right and then dashes your hopes when they do not follow through with their good intentions.

Nothing good ever seems to happen to anyone and I was constantly waiting to find out about the next piece of bad luck or misfortune to befall the next victim.  Its like road crash tv, you want to, OK...feel as if you should, turn away but are just too compelled to witness what these sad, miserable and often violent individuals will do next.

Amongst the multitude of compelling characters are:

Carl and Sandy Henderson, husband and wife who like to pick-up hitchhikers during their road trip vacations. Torture and then kill their prey whilst taking photographs for keepsakes;
The town's corrupt sheriff Lee Bodecker;
& travelling theatrical preachers Roy, and his crippled sidekick guitarist Theodore;

I don't want to detail too many of the townsfolk as I don't want to spoil the thrill of finding out about them as their woeful tales unravel.  However all the narratives are entwined and story lines converge in the novel's grand finale, which at long last may give a tiny glimmer of hope, for one individual at least.

The Devil All The Time is an uncomfortable tale about the darkness of human nature and the lengths people are prepared, willingly or reluctantly to go to when there is poverty, lack of education, loss of faith and little hope of ever escaping from such a miserable existence.

The Devil All The Time will not sit comfortably with everyone especially if you do not like violence, or a serious amount of swearing but if you enjoy extremely well written, clever plot lines about skank hillbilly townsfolk, serial killers, and a plethora of other perverted undesirables, I highly recommend it for those who can stomach it.

Favourite quote: "Some people were born just so they could be buried",

Lee Bodecker, Sheriff

Character most liked: A difficult one. I guess Arvin as he had an unimaginably miserable childhood and I desperately wanted his life to turn out better for him.

Character most disliked: Too many to choose from but I'll say it has to be Carl Henderson a psychotic, manipulative personality. Such an unsavoury slob of a character. Pollock's superb depiction of grotesque behaviour and mannerism of this character evoked such vivid imagery and that the smell of his bad breath and foul unwashed body odour almost had me gagging as it seeped from the pages.

'Knockemstiff' Pollock's collection of short stories published before The Devil All The Time is, in my opinion even more stomach churning. At least some redeeming features can be gleaned from the resident folk in The Devil All The Time.

Looking forward to reading Pollock's second novel,  'The Heavenly Table' published by Harvill Secker (14th July 2016).

Latest Proof's & Purchases

Not sure how long it's going to take me to get through these but, oh I suppose I'll have to try.  It's a hard life being a book addict !

Proof's kindly sent (& gratefully received) from the publishers:

1. City On Fire, Garth Risk Hallberg

2. The Lightless Sky, Gulwali Passarlay

3. Carrying Albert Home, Homer Hickam

4. Not That Easy, Radhika Sanghani

5. Hour of the Bees, Lindsay Eagar

Purchases:

1. Lennox, Craig Russell

2. The Penguin Lessons, Tom Mitchell

3. Khirbet Khizeh, S Yizhar

4. Tender Morsels, Margo Lanagan

5. The Naked Civil Servant, Quentin Crisp

Top Ten Tuesday

'Top Ten Tuesday' is a weekly meme that was created by 'The Broke and the Bookish' Go check them out, and join in the fun.

This weeks theme was ten bookish things you want to quit, books you marked as DNF, or tropes you want to quit.

My first 'Top Ten Tuesday' (all-be-it Wednesday) will be:

Ten of the books I didn't finish - DNF

1. The Investigation by Jung Myung Lee 

2. Lie Still by Julia Heaberlin

3. Bathing The Lion by Jonathan Carroll

4. Mindbenders by Ted Krever

5. Fractured by Erin Hayes

6. Isolation Door by Amish Mayunder

7. Blood Relatives by Stevan Alcock

8. Ruby by Cynthia Bond

9. Submission by Michel Houellebrecq

10. 13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough

Now for whatever reason I was unable or unwilling to finish reading these titles, do remember that other readers have enjoyed them. I may even retry reading them sometime.

Short and sweet for my first offering. I'm looking forward to joining in again for the future 'Top Ten Tuesday' postings.

WATERSTONES & OXFAM : Buy Books for SYRIA Appeal

Waterstones has come together with Oxfam, authors and UK publishers, to raise money for Oxfam’s Syria Crisis Appeal.

From Thursday 1st October, all Waterstones shops will sell a fantastic selection of books by bestselling authors in our 'Buy Books for Syria' campaign. All of the books have been donated by their publishers and we will donate 100% of the full retail price to Oxfam’s Syria crisis appeal.

A wide range of authors are supporting the campaign, including:
Philip Pullman, Hilary Mantel, David Walliams, Neil Gaiman, David Nicholls, Marian Keyes, Victoria Hislop, Ali Smith, Robert Harris, Lee Child, Salman Rushdie, Caitlin Moran, Julia Donaldson and Jacqueline Wilson.

“This is the biggest refugee crisis in history - 60m people, world-wide, are displaced, half of them children - threatening both the stability of the Middle East and Europe, and our own sense of compassion, and the value we put on human life. Whilst the governments of this world still fail to come up with a solution to this problem, I am proud to do as millions of others have, and say ‘We see you, we hear you, we will not let you suffer this alone. We promise - help is coming’." – Caitlin Moran

"I'm delighted to be a part of the British book world's effort." - Salman Rushdie
“I support this initiative with heart, mind and soul” - Ali Smith

“Buy a book, help save a life” – Ian Rankin

“The cause is so obviously good that anything we can do is worth doing.” -Philip Pullman

The list of titles will be announced on October 1st  and when you buy from our 'Buy Books for Syria' selection, every penny will go towards helping refugees.
Our target is to raise one million pounds and all funds raised will be ring-fenced by Oxfam for aid for Syrian refugees and displaced people in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey as well as European points of entry in Macedonia, and Greece.

All of our shops are participating, simply ask a bookseller or look for the books with the 'Buy Books for Syria' sticker. You can also follow the campaign online using the hashtag #BuyBooksForSyria.

Source Waterstones Blog: www.waterstones.com/blog/buy-books-for-syria

TLC BOOK TOURS REVIEW : COERCION by Tim Tigner

Coercion by Tim Tigner

Genre: Spy, Espionage, Thriller

Pages: 320

Format: e-ARC

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (July, 2015)

Source: Publisher/TLC Book Tours/Netgalley

Rating:

Coercion Synopsis:

The phone rings and the offer is made, leaving you only seconds to decide. Betray your country, or watch your family drop dead before your eyes.

After the Iron Curtain’s collapse, Russia appears to be finished as a superpower. But KGB general Vasily Karpov is secretly working to restore Russia’s status by forcing Americans into traitorous acts of espionage and sabotage, with the aid of a new secret weapon. Meanwhile, his biggest target is within Russia, where Karpov is plotting to capture the Kremlin for himself.

Former US soldier and spy Alex Ferris becomes the first to fathom Karpov’s grand plans. Racing from San Francisco to Siberia, Alex must elude ambushes, assassins, and death from exposure as he wages a one-man war against a growing global threat and the resurgence of the Soviets.

“Tim Tigner is a masterful storyteller with a nose for intrigue and a careful eye for historical detail. Set in the aftermath of the collapse of the Iron Curtain, his latest book, “Coercion,” is a compelling tale of espionage and betrayal, one that will leave its readers wanting more.”  — James A. Baker, III, 61st U.S. Secretary of State

My Thoughts:

A team of scientists working in Russia have been wiped out in order to keep secret knowledge of the latest weapon they were working on.  The weapon? The Peitho Pill, aptly named after the Greek goddess of persuasion.  In the right hands (or wrong in this instance) this weapon will cause the ultimate shift in power from the US to the USSR.  Once the pea sized pill is injected into its victim, the target will not be harmed as long as he does the controllers bidding.  Should he fail in any way, either he or his loved ones will pay the price.

Frank Ferris a brilliant scientist apparently commits suicide. Alex Ferris, our main protagonist, does not believe that his twin brother would kill himself and decides to find out what really happened.

Victor Tito, a 'sleeping agent', and citizen of the USA, has been awoken and summoned back home to the USSR to receive new orders from Vasily Karpov a KGB General.

The action is about to ramp up and escalate...just hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

With a multitude of characters to keep track of,  a useful “Cast of Characters” list is included at the beginning of the book. After an initial period of confusion mainly over the Russian names, I quickly recognised who was who and only referred to the list as and when new characters appeared.

Tigner spent some considerable time as an intelligence agent in Russia, at the end of the cold war, and it is obvious that he has drawn upon his extensive field of expertise and experience to bring some authenticity into play in this novel.  Even so, there is still a large element of belief suspension required as Coercion is pure entertainment with our action-hero on a 'mission impossible', and one who always manages to save the day. Coincidences features highly in the plot, and our invincible hero is always in the right place at just the right time.

Coercion is a high octane political thriller about power, control, loyalty and trust. It is an exceptional, and intelligently written espionage thriller with well developed characters, including some pretty formidable ones at that.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Coercion to fans of Lee Child, Robert Ludlum, and Vince Flynn or to fans of Mission Impossible and The Jason Bourne films.

Certainly, it has everything you'd want from an action packed, fast paced spy-espionage read and I seriously hope that this is the start of a great series as I think it would certainly give Jack Reacher a run for his money.

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of Coercion by Tim Tigner was provided by the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

About Tim Tigner

Tim began his career in Soviet Counterintelligence with the US Army Special forces, the Green Berets. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, Tim switched from espionage to arbitrage. Armed with a Wharton MA rather than a Colt M16, he moved to Moscow in the midst of Perestroika. There he lead prominent multinational medical companies, worked with cosmonauts on the MIR Space Station (from Earth, alas), chaired the Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, and helped write Russia’s first law on healthcare.

Moving to Brussels during the formation of the EU, Tim ran Europe, Middle East, and Africa for a Johnson & Johnson company and traveled like a character in a Robert Ludlum book. He eventually landed in Silicon Valley, where like minds with wild ideas come to congregate around the creation of (nightmares and) dreams. Now he launches new medical technologies as a startup CEO, and devises devious devices for fictional characters who aim to change the world.

Tim grew up in the Midwest and Europe, earning a BA from Hanover College and then a MBA in Finance and a MA in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. He now lives with his wife Elena and their two daughters in Northern California.

Please visit timtigner.com for a free eBook. You’re also welcome to reach Tim directly at tim@timtigner.com.

Tim Tigner’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Friday, August 28th: 5 Minutes for Books

Monday, August 31st: BookBub Blog – author guest post – “Eleven Thrillers We’d Kill to See on the Silver Screen”

Wednesday, September 2nd: It’s a Mad Mad World

Thursday, September 3rd: Mallory Heart Reviews

Wednesday, September 9th: BooksChatter – author Q&A

Wednesday, September 9th: BooksChatter – excerpt

Thursday, September 10th: Patricia’s Wisdom

Friday, September 11th: Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Monday, September 14th: Tales of a Book Addict

Tuesday, September 15th: Fictionophile

Tuesday, September 15th: Building Bookshelves

Thursday, September 17th: Life is Story

Friday, September 18th: The World As I See It

Thursday, September 24th: SJ2B House of Books Blog

Thursday, September 24th: Lazy Day Books

Friday, September 25th: BooksChatter

Monday, September 28th: A Book Geek

The Boy From Aleppo Who Painted The War by Sumia Sukkar

The Boy From Aleppo Who Painted the War by Sumia Sukkar

Genre: Fiction (Faction), Contemporary, War Fiction, Refugees

Format: Hardback

Publisher: Eyewear Publishing (H/B Nov, 2013) (P/B Oct, 2014)

Source:  NewBooks Magazine

Rating:

Synopsis:

Adam is a 14-year-old boy with Asperger Syndrome who attempts to understand the Syrian conflict and its effect on his life by painting his feelings. Yasmine, his beautiful older sister, devotes herself to him, but has to cope with her own traumas when she is taken by soldiers. Their three brothers also struggle – on whether or not to take sides and the consequences of their eventual choices.

The Boy From Aleppo Who Painted the War is the powerful and deeply moving debut novel from 21-year- old Sumia Sukkar. It chronicles the intimate sufferings of a family in the midst of civil war with uncommon compassion, wit and imaginative force. Told mainly from a challenged young man’s perspective, it achieves the timeless dignity of a true report from an unpredictable and frightening place. It will take its place among the list of necessary books to read about how we preserve love and beauty during brutal times.

The story is sure to become a beloved classic, as it follows in the footsteps of other novels touching on the lives of young people during war. “Writing my timely novel was a way for me to express my grief towards the tragedies of what’s happening in my country,” says Sumia. “Readers will find it interesting to experience the traumatising events of war through the eyes of an innocent young autistic boy who has lived his whole life completely dependant on his family and then having to be separated from them. It contains a blend of political events, emotional drive and Arabian tradition."

My Thoughts:

I originally read The Boy From Aleppo Who Painted the War by Sumia Sukkar back in 2012, and it had quite an impact on me.  I don't know why I didn't write up my thoughts beforehand. Maybe I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to do it the justice it deserves. I will however now attempt to do just that and tell you what an amazing read The Boy From Aleppo Who Painted the War is.  With the Syrian conflict still at the forefront of news broadcasts, further compounded by the unfolding tragedy of the exodus of refugees from a country destroyed by war The Boy From Aleppo Who Painted the War is an excellent narrative.  It is a compelling but harrowing book telling an all too painfully realistic story seen through the eyes of a child.

Adam the books narrator is 14 years old, has Asperger Syndrome, and is totally dependent on his family.  He lives with his loving sister, Yasmine and his brothers Khalid, Tariq and Isa in Aleppo. Although he doesn't fully comprehend what is happening to his country he does have a sense of the bubbling tensions and fear, caused by the advancing Syrian conflict from the actions and altering behaviours, of those close to him.

Yasmine has always been totally devoted to Adam but after a particularly traumatic experience her character alters to such a degree that she no longer has the patience for him.  Adam cannot understand why this is or why sometimes she is grey or green and no longer ruby.

The only way he can cope, and make some sense of his changing environment is to paint what he sees and how he feels. He relates and feels through colour and paints the war as he watches the utter chaos and destruction of his home.

“I have the urge to paint and I can already see the painting in my head. Two young boys lying in the water with their bodies spread open, free, but their faces disfigured, burnt. It would be a black-and-white painting with the faces a spectrum of colours. It’s going to be horrible and beautiful all at the same time.”

The Boy From Aleppo is beautifully written with prose that flows naturally and effortlessly. It's hard to believe that this is Sumia Sukkar's debut novel but it is undeniably written with compassionate imaginative insight.  These fictional characters are 'real'; Adam and his family are the refugees we currently see on our TV and tablet screens. It is painfully raw and powerfully emotive reading about the violence, trauma and devastation the war has on them.

Sumia Sukkar does not pull any punches and has spectacularly captured the plight of the Syrian refugees. This is not a feel good read. As depressing and gut wrenching as it is to see the horror and devastation of war through the eyes of a child, it is an invaluable fictional reportage of current events. Even if we are ourselves powerless to help, the least we can do is try to understand and not belittle the plight of a war ravaged people and to remember that they are just like us. This book does that in a non political narrative of an innocent child.

I wholeheartedly recommend, even implore, that you read this book. A great debut offering from a talented writer, The Boy From Aleppo Who Painted the War is simply outstanding.

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of The Boy From Aleppo Who Painted the War was provided by NewBooks Magazine in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

About Sumia Sukkar:

Sumia Sukkar is of Syrian and Algerian origin, but grew up in London. She has a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Kingston University. This is her debut novel. Follow Sumia on Twitter: @SumiaSukkar.

... and the winner is ...

The Ghosts of Altona by Craig Russell ...

I'm absolutely thrilled for Craig Russell on his winning the Bloody Scotland Crime Novel of the Year.

... Russell said: “It goes without saying that I am absolutely delighted that The Ghosts of Altona has won the Bloody Scotland Crime Novel of the Year.

“I was very happy simply to have been shortlisted for the second time – which I took as a sign that I must be doing something right.

“The fact that the Bloody Scotland award is founded on the recommendations of readers themselves makes it a very special, very significant accolade – and to win out of a shortlist like this year’s, which included some of the finest crime writers in Scotland, is a huge, huge honour.

“I think it’s significant that a novel so clearly not set in Scotland can win the Bloody Scotland award.

“One of the greatest things for me in my career has been the success my novels have had abroad – the third Fabel film will be screened on ARD1, Germany’s equivalent of BBC1, exactly one week after the award – and you could argue that The Ghosts of Altona is as un-Scottish as you can get, but I actually believe that there is no more Scottish a trait than to look out into the world, to have an interest in others like us, and unlike us.’

Journalist Magnus Linklater issued this statement on behalf of the panel of judges:

“Despite an exceptionally strong shortlist, the judges’ decision was unanimous this year – we were all very impressed with The Ghosts of Altona...

Source: Daily Record - Read the full article here: Daily Record Article

It's a fabulous read so get your copy now ! Waterstones

You can read my original review here: Review of The Ghosts of Altona

The Ghosts of Altona is currently available in hardback and published in paperback on, 24 Sep 2015 (Quercus)

Disclaimer: I am a huge fan of Craig Russell (aka Christopher Galt) and his Lennox, and Fabel series, and stand alone title, The Third Testament (aka Biblical)

Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival (11-13 September)

Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival has announced the shortlist for the annual Bloody Scotland Crime Book of the Year Award.

The nominees are:

Lin Anderson- Paths of the Dead

Matt Bendoris- DM For Murder

Chris Brookmyre- Dead Girl Walking

Ann Cleeves- Thin Air

Craig Russell- The Ghosts of Altona

Louise Welsh- Death Is A Welcome Guest

The award recognises excellence in Scottish crime writing. The winner of the award will be announced at a gala dinner on September 12 as part of the Stirling-based Bloody Scotland crime writing festival.

This year’s judges of the award, which includes a prize of £1000 and nationwide promotion in Waterstones, are journalist Magnus Linklater, broadcaster Sally Magnusson and Caron Macpherson of Waterstones Argyle Street, Glasgow.

Previous winners are Peter May with Entry Island in 2014 and Malcolm Mackay with How A Gunman Says Goodbye in 2013.

Dom Hastings, Director of Bloody Scotland said ‘The Bloody Scotland Crime Book of the Year is increasingly prestigious, and this year’s shortlist, replete with a number of very successful authors, is testament to the strength, variety and diversity of crime writing in Scotland. Reading these books, you can travel from a misty midsummer night in Shetland to a high-security prison in the middle of an outbreak; experience the mysteries of a Druidic stone circle and the cut-throat anonymities of cyberspace, go on tour with a famous rock band or track down a long-lost killer. It’s a bit of a spooky list this year, with several of the novels flirting with the supernatural; also, interestingly, four of the titles are anchored by long-standing protagonists, proving that innovation and excellence still flourish in on-going series fiction. All in all, it’s a phenomenally strong showing, demonstrating that crime fiction in Scotland is still in rude, bloody health.’

For further information visit:

www.bloodyscotland.com

TLC BOOK TOURS REVIEW: The Fury by Shane Gericke

The Fury by Shane Gericke

Series: N/A

Genre: Crime, Thriller & Suspense

ISBN: 9781630150037

Pages: 379

Format: e-ARC

Publisher: Tantor Media Inc (Sept 4, 2015)

Source: Publisher/TLC BOOK TOURS

Rating:

Synopsis:

The Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico washes a cache of doomsday weapons onto a Mexican beach: bombs filled with VX nerve gas mixed with anthrax, invented by the Nazis during World War II and perfected by the United States to use in the Cold War. The bombs soon fall into the wrong hands and create an unstoppable opponent. Only one Chicago Police detective has a chance of preventing those bombs from being used on American soil.

Reeling from the recent murder of her husband as well as allegations of police misconduct, Detective Superstition “Sue” Davis is thrown into an undercover assignment. She must infiltrate the Mexican narcotics cartel responsible for the death of her husband in order to get close to the cartel’s sociopathic enforcer, Jiminez “Jimmy” Garcia.

But when the entire Garcia family is killed in Mexico by a U.S. Special Forces raid gone wrong, Garcia will stop at nothing to get vengeance, including triggering newly acquired bombs on American soil. Superstition’s assignment quickly becomes more dangerous than planned as the threat of a terrorist attack looms closer.

“A fireball of awesome!” —Joshua Corin, award-winning author of Cost of Life

“Tension and turmoil add up to high-stakes suspense as the characters are skillfully played across a global chessboard. Written like a born bard of old, you won’t be disappointed. But be warned, treachery comes from all directions, even those that cannot be seen.”—Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Patriot Threat

My Thoughts:
Information as to the key points of the storyline are in the synopsis so I won't add any more as I do not want to giveaway any more of the plot line.

Plot wise though there is a lot going on, a heck of a lot from the opening scenes of an offshore platform disaster in the Gulf of Mexico to the trials and tribulations of the sociopathic drugs cartel leader Jimmy Garcia and his family, chiefly his sister; we flash back to WWII and Nazi Germany to witness the development, and then the experimentation of nerve gas agents on human guinea pigs by the Japanese. Then we are brought bang up to date again with Superstition's involvement as an undercover agent.

I didn't have a problem keeping up with the multitude of threads in the story, but I did wonder how Gericke would plausibly mesh them together. There was never a dull moment and Gericke does an fantastic job of keeping the action and tension flowing in perfect symbiosis and tying up those lose threads.

Particularly engrossing are the chapters concerning Suspicion 'Sue', initially of her devastation at losing her husband in a gun battle with drug traffickers and her resilience and sheer gutsy determination to bring the killer to justice. Oh, and in the process saving millions of American lives from an agonising death.

The Fury is gritty, exciting and at times extremely violent. It's a fast, snappy paced thriller, one which I think would make a tremendously entertaining TV series.

I'd definitely recommend The Fury to fans of Lee Child and anyone wanting a cracking good read.

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of The Fury was provided by TLC BOOK TOURS & Tantor Media Inc in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

About Shane Gericke:

Bestselling novelist Shane Gericke is the author of Torn Apart, which was short-listed for the prestigious Thriller Award and named a Book of the Year by Suspense magazine.

Shane spent twenty-five years as a newspaper editor, most prominently at the Chicago Sun-Times, before jumping into fiction. He lives in the Chicago suburb of Naperville. Visit him at shanegericke.com

Shane Gericke’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Friday, August 21st: BookBub – author guest post, “13

Hair-raising Books on the Global War on Terrorism”

Monday, August 24th: Books that Hook

Wednesday, August 26th: Vic’s Media Room

Thursday, August 27th: Life is Story

Monday, August 31st: Dwell in Possibility

Tuesday, September 1st: Mallory Heart Reviews

Tuesday, September 8th: SJ2B House of Books

Wednesday, September 9th: It’s a Mad Mad World

Thursday, September 10th: The World As I See It

Friday, September 11th: From the TBR Pile

Monday, September 14th: Patricia’s Wisdom

Wednesday, September 16th: Thoughts on This ‘n That

Thursday, September 17th: Lilac Reviews