It’s the start of a new year and already, 7 days in, I’ve already read 4 books - the first of which that I’m reviewing is a classic piece of horror from acclaimed bestselling author, Graham Masterton.
Graham Masterton is one of those authors who, I find, can sometimes be a little bit hit and miss (for example, I’m not really a fan of his recent Katie Maguire series that has seen him reinvent himself as a crime writer) but he has had an illustrious career spanning several decades and during that time, he has certainly produced more hits than misses.
Thankfully, The Hymn is right up there with some of his best work.
When restaurateur, Lloyd Denman’s fiancee commits suicide through self-immolation, he soon discovers he may not have known
her quite as well as he thought. For one thing, despite her telling him both her parents were dead, Cecila’s mother and father are both very much alive.
And not only that, it soon also becomes apparent that she might just have been involved in some kind of cult.
When a bus-load of people dies in a similar fire, Lloyd begins to investigate and what he discovers is that everything is all tied up with a missing score by none other than the composer, Wagner himself. A score that Cecilia recently came into possession of...
This is an intriguing and interesting book with a plot that twists and turns, weaves and winds right up until its inevitable climax. If I had any criticism, it is that I kind of had an idea where all this was going long before I reached the end, but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment and this was certainly a good example of this author’s work for anyone who might not have read him before.
A strong 3 1/2 out of 5.
Next up are the first two books in the Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry.
As stated in my earlier review of Book 3, I had previously read Patient Zero before but having enjoyed The King of Plagues so much, decided to give it a revisit.
I actually enjoyed this book much more second time round, and can only conclude I must have been having a bad day when I originally read it before.
Joe Ledger is a cop working on a big case when he is recruited for a secret anti-terrorist division because of his particular brand of specialist skills. Someone has invented what seems to be the ultimate bio-weapon, a virus capable of resurrecting the dead, and before long Ledger finds himself racing against time to track down those people responsible.
The Dragon Factory is the second book in the series, and takes place a couple of months later. Ledge is now well established in the DMS, the secret government organisation he now works for, but pretty soon finds himself on the wrong side of the law when he and the rest of his team fall foul of the NSA.
Quickly though, as it soon turns out, all of this is nothing more than a distraction to keep the attention of the DMS occupied and whilst they are distracted, a secret organisation, long thought destroyed, meanwhile is busy plotting the next stage in a nefarious master plan several decades in the making.
Once more, Ledger and his team find themselves racing against the clock, but this time around the stakes have never been higher...
The Dragon Factory is actually my least favourite of the Ledger books so far, though whether or not that is because I have over-saturated myself with the series over the last couple of weeks remains to be seen. I mean don’t get me wrong, this was still a gripping and enjoyable read, but I just thought Patient Zero and The King of Plagues were better.
Patient Zero then gets a full 5/5 stars, whilst The Dragon Factory only gets 4.
Finally, for my last review, comes Fat Free Nation by newcomer horror author, Naomi Downing.
In the very near future, being overweight has become a crime. Those found guilty of breaking the law are either sent to ‘Fat camps’ - basically glorified concentration camps - or in the worst cases, summarily executed.
Will and Jenna live on the streets, but are picked up by a patrol and sent to one of these camps so that they can lose weight and become healthy contributors to society. But once inside, the twin siblings soon find that all the stories they have heard about these camps are all true, and they will need to use every ounce of their wits just to stay alive.
With the recent introduction here in the UK of the so-called ‘sugar tax’, and the government’s apparent obsession with what they are calling an ‘obesity epidemic’, Naomi here has created a very scary and believable future. Would things ever go this far? One would like to think not, but then before the Second World War, who might of thought places such as concentration camps would ever exist?
This is an interesting and very clever read that is certainly topical right at this moment, but if I had a couple of criticisms, it would be that we never get a clear picture of how such a future really came to pass and the end resolution is a little too neat but all that said, Naomi certainly looks like she might be an author to look out for in the future.
Certainly I enjoyed this and thought it a highly original and unique concept, and Naomi is a very easy author to read. If you’re looking for something a little different and thought-provoking, this would be a good book to pick up and it will be interesting to see
what Naomi comes up with next.
A very pleasant and well deserved 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.
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