Capsule book reviews in 255 characters or fewer. Ish. A reading diary (1st Jan 2019 onwards) by Eamonn Griffin.
Challenged to write a memoir, a stand-up comedian instead hires a ghostwriter. A meta spin on the celebrity autobiography. As with much of his career, the impression here is that Macdonald’s prime audience is himself: that’s a good thing, as this is funny, challenging in places, and wholly dishonest throughout. I loved it.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
A young woman with secrets, fresh to rehab, finds love and with it, a reason to abscond. Smart, melancholic story of crime, addiction, inevitability, and trust. Billed as a Criminal novella, this stand-alone graphic story comes at noir from an unusual – though fitting – angle. Recommended.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
A young woman, pursued by an unstoppable supernatural contract killer, tries to erase all trace of her existence. Smart and dirty action-horror with arty leanings, in a Clive Barker meets late 80s Vertigo comics kinda way. This collects issues 1-4. Volume 2 follows.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
A drifter is reunited with her partner and child. Low-key, affecting study of travel and loss, of wanderlust and the tensions between home and away. Plenty to appreciate; this is a short graphic novel that resonates.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England
An anthropomorphized account of a Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. A charming and melancholy graphic novel with some neat running gags and the imaginings of the protagonist’s movie-filled brain, this is a treat for anyone interested in walking, pilgrimages, and/or finding yourself a little bit. Lots to appreciate, rendered in simple black and white.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
A bare-knuckle fighter, two meth dealers, and a debt collector converge on a fabled annual underground tournament. Splendid, violent, darkly humorous action melodrama. Terse and nasty, and full of characters you can’t help but root for. A decent movie adaptation soon followed. Recommended.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
A 12-year-old boy genius with latent telekinetic abilities is kidnapped and held at a secret research station. A knowing and occasionally satirical low-key novel; as usual, the ending is the issue, though there’s huge amounts of pleasure in this mix of folksy Americana, paranoid SF and character study. Fun for author fans.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
As a flu-like plague sweeps the world, a small number of sleepwalkers congregate to cross America. Pacy and with some fine characterisations, and a neat eye for contemporary America, the central conceits of this King/Crichton hybrid don’t quite hold. Well-written enough to keep pages turning though; a cautious recommendation.
My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
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