Category Archives: Crime

The library has moved

Hi!

My local library has moved in to a new building, the ‘Immingham Hub’. I went for a visit yesterday, because I needed to print off some patterns I’d bought and wanted to make, but also to have a nose round.

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Review: ‘Rebellion’s Message’ by Michael Jecks

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Published by: Severn House

Publication Date: 30th April 2016

ISBN: 9781780290850

R.R.P.: £20.99

Format: Hardback

Received from netgalley.com in return for an honest review (as if my reviews are ever anything but painfully honest?)

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Review: ‘Pride and Regicide’ by Cathy Bryant

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Published by: Crooked Cat Publishing

Publication date: 29th September 2015

ISBN: 9781910510612

Format: ebook

Price: £0.99 (for Amazon.co.uk kindle edition)

Another of my Netgalley.com finds

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Review: ‘Witches Protection Program’ by Michael Phillip Cash

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Chelshire Inc.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles                                                                                                                                                                      Published: 14th May 2015                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Paperback                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    ISBN:9781511411349  
Blurb
 Witches Protection Program is filled with adventure & suspense Michael Phillip Cash creates a tongue-in-cheek alternate reality where witches cast spells and wreak havoc in modern day New York City.

Michael Phillip Cash is an award winning and best selling author of horror, paranormal, and science fiction novels. Michael currently resides on Long Island with his wife and children.

My Review

Firstly, the plot; it has a great deal of potential and could be extended from this novella in to a full novel or even a series. I was disappointed with certain aspects – such as the explanation for Bernadette’s great conspiracy, and the reason Wes lost his original position. They just weren’t ambitious enough. If that was all I wouldn’t be too bothered but the insistent and weakly developed romantic plot irritated me.

Secondly the writing: not bad, although tension would drop in all the wrong places.

Characters: All the men are heroes of one sort or another, and all the women are horrible (either physically or psychologically) or weak. Returning to Bernadette, all her actions are predicated on the assumption that the romantic rejection by her sister’s husband would make her hate all men and want to lock them up in internment camps. Or Scarlett, who’s jealousy of Morgan should somehow drive her mad with power lust. It all tickled at something, and then I realised what it was. Straw-feminist arguments advanced by misogynists include ‘feminists hate men’, ‘women hate each other’, and ‘women compete for male attention’; I’m sure the author isn’t a misogynist, but his book read like an MRA fantasy, complete with the handsome white man coming in to save the day and get the, equally white, younger, pretty girl.

I really hope that is the ‘tongue-in-cheek’ aspect of the book.

Overall, I was underwhelmed by this book, although the idea itself has a lot of potential.

2/5

Review: The Retribution by Val McDermid

On Monday I went to the monthly reading group meeting at my local library. The book we were discussing, The Retribution by Val MaDermid was very popular with our small group. I had never read any if her books until yesterday morning.

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Review: ‘The Beekeeper’s Apprentice’ by Laurie R King

Since I treat myself to a few books last week I thought I’d review them too. The first of my haul was first published in 1994 and is the earliest in the ‘Mary Russell Mysteries’ series.

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July reviews: part 2

Just a few books this time round. There’s a bit of variety in this set of reviews. Enjoy.
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