Capsule book reviews in 255 characters or fewer. Ish. A reading diary (1st Jan 2019 onwards) by Eamonn Griffin.
Two friends join an ongoing discussion of England’s history: a series of pub talks ensue. Superficially similar to Mills‘s The Forensic Records Society, this is another examination of men, entropy, and understated menace. Perhaps not for newbies, but those who’ve enjoyed Mills’s work before will find this brisk novel full of familiar pleasures. Recommended.
_
My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble find themselves in a Roman city overlooked by a volcano. Zippy novelisation of Moran’s own television script from 2008. Effectively translates the TV episode to short novel length without resorting to padding. Some good jokes along the way too. Fun for fans, and accessible as an entry point.
_
My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
A corrupt cop-turned-PI seeks a murderer while scouring 1950s Hollywood for sleaze for the scandal sheets. While it teeters on the edge of parody Ellroyism at times, this is nevertheless swaggering stuff if you go with it. A minor work in the canon, perhaps, but fans will come away pleased.
_
My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
Two short runs (issues 6-7 and 14-17) are collected here, adding context and depth to The Department. More of a counterpoint to the series as a whole, there’s nevertheless plenty of confident swagger here: alt-history from Constantine to Kennedy, and all points in-between, with a focus on the afterlife of Lee Harvey Oswald. Volume Four (The Ministry of Lies) follows.
_
My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
A military investigator returns home to face his estranged wife, and to help his sister catch a killer. Terrific austere thriller – first in a new series – strong on lean characterizations and small-town Kentucky working-class troubles. Plenty for genre fans to get their teeth into: like a Jack Reacher novel written by James Sallis. Highly recommended.
_
My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
Cole Turner learns more about Lee Harvey Oswald, and about the different factions involved in both suppressing and engineering manifestations of conspiracy theories into real life. The series (issues 6-10 collected here) is now in its stride: cannily assuming that readers either know – or will find out about – Bigfoot, Jim Jones, JFK and the like, we get full-on with the interdimensional weirdness. Volume Three (Free Country) looms.
_
My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
Seasons pass, and a range of people (and a dog) make different uses of the same park bench. Unfolding like a silent documentary, this dialogue-free monochrome graphic novel takes a simple idea and uses it well to tell a series of overlapping stories, linked by place and association. Recommended.
—
My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England. But if you’re fond of park benches or of public seating in general – and who isn’t? – then try Benches of Louth.
Brothers collaborate on a farm-to-table restaurant: a rare ingredient promises success. While there’s some wonky plotting and not all the story and character threads pay off, this graphic novel is nevertheless a hugely entertaining, brilliantly paced (a rushed coda aside), and authentic-feeling exploration of foodie hubris. Lots to recommend it.
_
My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
Three episodes in the life of Ernest Hemingway, each involving recurring Jason character Athos the Last Musketeer. Jason’s laconic, deceptively simple style is, as ever, beguiling. The reader’s given space to think, involving them completely in the narrative, in Hemingway’s life, and the effect of the stranger on him. Recommended.
—
My own books here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
An isolated elderly man takes daily walks during a pandemic through his local park. Barney Farmer’s third novel (after Drunken Baker and Coketown) is his best yet: more melancholic than splenetic this time out, but no less angry at the state of the world and the plight of those adrift within it. Recommended.
—
My own books here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
255bookreview.com 