Book Review: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone

This book is a little different from the ones I normally review because while it's definitely fiction it's not a traditional novel. This is part of the Fighting Fantasy series, and they're a series of roleplaying books where the reader chooses how the action unfolds. I've done books like this as a kid, but this …

Book Review: Werewolf By Moonlight by Guy N. Smith

This is the second book by Guy N. Smith that I've read this year, having really enjoyed Night of the Crabs, This book is another fast moving, pulpy horror novel, but does have a major flaw. Namely, the hero of the story Gordon Hall. He's not the most likeable bloke, and while some of this …

Book Review: Cell by Stephen King

I've seen the movie version of this, so I knew what this was about and there was a risk of it being "old man fears technology" but it's actually a very well done and clever thriller, with King showing his skills at building tension and a sense of growing unease. The plot is simple, while …

Book Review: Night of the Crabs by Guy N Smith

I only became aware of this book because a Twitter account I follow posted a couple of the author's covers as part of a tribute to him following his death just before Christmas. After seeing this I went on a Wiki search and discovered that Smith was a hugely prolific pulp horror writer and this …

Book Review: A Cure For Love by Jenkins

I got this book because I follow the author on Twitter and he tweets some funny stuff, and has shared a few of his short stories in the past. So, when he announced that a selection of his stories were going to be published I thought I'd check it out. And I'm really glad I …

Book Review: The Colour Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft

Lovecraft is one of those names I've been aware of for a long time and yet I've never actually read any of his stuff until now. This book is wonderfully creepy, told by a narrator who visits a town to survey for a new reservoir and discovers an eerie atmosphere around a piece of land …

Book Review: Darkness on the Edge of Town by Adam Christopher

I was pretty stoked to check this book out as its a spin off from the TV show Stranger Things, which I loved although I was super late to that party. The book also focuses on Jim Hopper, my favourite character from the series. Set after the 2nd season on Christmas Day it starts with …

Book Review: Death of a Village by M.C. Beaton

Back to Lochdubh for another Hamish Macbeth murder mystery, and while I'm enjoying Beaton's characterisation and humour, this book is a bit all over the place, with far too much going on. As ever, our hero is unambitious village bobby Hamish Macbeth, who likes his quiet life in his Highland village but due to his …

Book Review: Death of a Prankster by M.C. Beaton

So, I was going to be doing a review of a different Hamish Macbeth mystery, but I lost the book when I was halfway through, so I switched to this one. I'd like to find out whodunnit in the first one, but this was an entertaining substitute. We're in traditional murder mystery territory here, a …

Book Review: The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

I really enjoyed the Netflix series The Witcher which came out last year and sees Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunting warrior in a fantasy world. So, seeing a copy of this book at a decent price I snapped one up and took it with me on my night shifts. It's an …