Tag: Head of Zeus

#BookReview Katastrophe by Graham Hurley

Katastrophe by Graham Hurley

Summary:

confidant of Goebbels. Instrument of Stalin. What’s the worst that could happen?

January 1945. Wherever you look on the map, the Thousand Year Reich is shrinking. Even Goebbels has run out of lies to sweeten the reckoning to come. An Allied victory is inevitable, but who will reap the spoils of war?

Two years ago, Werner Nehmann’s war came to an abrupt end in Stalingrad. With the city in ruins, the remains of General Paulus’ Sixth Army surrendered to the Soviets, and Nehmann was taken captive. But now he’s riding on the back of one of Marshal Zhukov’s T-34 tanks, heading home with a message for the man who consigned him to the Stalingrad Cauldron.

With the Red Army about to fall on Berlin, Stalin fears his sometime allies are conspiring to deny him his prize. He needs to speak to Goebbels – and who better to broker the contact than Nehmann, Goebbels’ one-time confidant?

Having swapped the ruins of Stalingrad for the wreckage of Berlin, the influence of Goebbels for the machinations of Stalin, and Gulag rags for a Red Army uniform, Nehmann’s war has taken a turn for the worse. The Germans have a word for it:

Katastrophe.

My Review:

Part of the Spoils of War series, this is book seven and Katastrophe (Aries Fiction) by Graham Hurley is set in the final months of WWII. The vast Russian army is gathering like a storm on the horizon, but this horizon is Berlin. Nazi Germany is facing defeat. But in a Soviet Gulag is Werner Nehmann, a journalist and worked with the infamous Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels.

Nehmann was captured at the battle of Stalingrad and spent two years in the Gulag, but at the same time as a meeting at Yalta between the Allied leaders it is clear the Stalin believes that both the Americans and the British are trying to do a deal with the soon to be beaten Germans. Now Nehmann is meeting Stalin and is handed a letter that he must take to Berlin and hand it personally to Goebbels, Nehmann is now riding on the back of a T-34 tank heading in the direction of Berlin. He is going home but to a city in ruins as the carnage continues. But what is the contents of the letter? At the same time Nehmann was captured at Stalingrad Willi Schultz who is part of the German Military Intelligence was also captured now he too is meeting with Stalin and is handed a letter that he must take to his master Himmler. Clearly Stalin is trying to manipulate a situation in favour of the Soviets.

But to add to the mystery a member of MI5 is in Switzerland to oversee a meeting between British and American senior military officials and a German General that may lead to the surrender of German forces in Italy. Katastrophe is a gripping WWII historical fiction novel with many characters and events including the fall of Berlin and fabulous plot, that continue to give all through the near 500 pages.

I have not read the previous six in the series but if this is anything to go by, I now want to read all of them. I really enjoyed Graham Hurley’s writing and how he has created the characters. If you enjoy your WWII novels. Put this at the top of your reading wish list.

448 Pages.

My thanks to Sophie Ransom (Ransom PR) and Aries Fiction (Head of Zeus) for the review Copy of Katastrophe by Graham Hurley.  Published on 7th July 2022 and is now available through Waterstones, Amazon and through your local independent bookshop or through Bookshop.org that supports your local independent bookshop. UK Bookshop.org

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#BookReview The Companion by Lesley Thomson

The Companion by Lesley Thomson

Summary:
In a grand old mansion in the middle of the Sussex countryside, seven people have seen more than they should… The new chilling thriller from Lesley Thomson.
James Ritchie was looking forward to a boys’ day out with his son, Wilbur – even if he was a little late picking him up from the home of his ex-wife, Anna. Annoyed by his late arrival, and competing for their son’s attention, Anna leaves the two of them to their day with the promise of a roast dinner when Wilbur returns.
But Anna will never see her family again. That afternoon, James and Wilbur are found dead, the victims of a double stabbing on the beach.
DI Toni Kemp, of Sussex police, must unravel a case which has shocked the county to its core. What she discovers will lead her to Blacklock House, a grand country mansion, long ago converted into flats. Here in the middle of nowhere, where a peacock struts the lawn, and a fountain plays intermittently, seven long-term residents have seen more than they should.
But this is a community who are good at keeping secrets…


My Review:

Set in leafy Sussex, there stands an old country mansion that has been turned into flats for elderly people. There a Peacock can be found wandering the grounds. You can never mistake the loud call of a Peacock at Blacklock House are secrets among the residents. The Companion (Head of Zeus) is released tomorrow 9th June and it is a wonderfully sinister murder mystery by Lesley Thomson.  

Here at Blacklock House there are younger people who are matched up with the residents via an organisation and they live in the house and here they can be a companion to one of the residents. Timothy Mew (25) is an ideal match for Rex (70) who is a retired lawyer, it is late summer and soon there are a spate of murders in the vicinity of the old house. A father and son who are out enjoying some time together flying their kite are killed and then an entire family are killed on Dedmans Heath. But who is behind the spate of killings in this normally peaceful location? DI Toni Kemp from Sussex police has been appointed at the lead officer who will try and track down the killer before they strike again and reassure the residents.

But attention soon shifts to Blacklock House where we are introduced to some of the rather interesting and intriguing residents who live here, and here lies secrets and whispers. Rex is now mistrusting his companion Timothy as since he arrived the murders have occurred or is this just pure coincidence after all there is no smoke without fire? Some of these characters could have come out of an Agatha Christie novel. Timothy really is enjoying his new life at Blacklock House, it does seem to match his life but what is his real motive for being here? Pretty soon he is disliked by several of the residents. But is he the killer?

This is a real gem of a read; I just enjoyed the hidden stories behind the characters it really made the novel come alive for me and Lesley’s writing made the novel compelling. At times it is dark but there is humour here to be found and an interesting murder mystery. I also enjoyed how the mystery ended. No spoilers from me here.

400 Pages.

My thanks to Sophie Ransom (Ransom PR) for the review Copy of The Companion by Lesley Thomson Published by Head of Zeus on 9th June 2022 and is now available through Waterstones, Amazon and through your local independent bookshop or through Bookshop.org that supports your local independent bookshop. UK Bookshop.org

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The Fall by Rachael Blok

The Fall by Rachael Blok

Summary:

The sins of the past echo in the present in the new literary thriller from crime-critic favourite, Rachael Blok.

The bigger the sin, the further the fall…

With Easter approaching, the verger of St Albans Cathedral was supposed to be readying the church. Instead he discovers a man lying dead, fallen from the famous 150-foot-high tower. Did he jump, or was he pushed?

For DCI Maarten Jansen, it’s a simple case of suspected suicide. Until a stranger, Willow, who witnessed the jump, prompts a deeper investigation into a long-buried past, involving a psychiatric hospital, a pregnant woman, and fifty years of silence. As Willow’s own family history entwines with the case, Jansen starts to wonder how everything is connected.

The Fall is a haunting literary thriller about loss, trauma, silence, and how our past shapes who we are.

My Review:

The question for DCI Maarten Jansen is was it suicide or something more sinister? The Fall (Aries Fiction, Head of Zeus) was released on the 14th April just ahead of Easter and ironically Easter is the setting for this gripping thriller set in St. Albans.

It is the small hours of the morning, and all seems quiet, and Willow has arrived at the St. Albans Cathedral to prepare for an event but from the darkness she hears a noise. On the roof of the Cathedral a man is struggling, and he is trying not to fall. High up there the wind is strong, and it is cold. The man cries out for help. Far below Willow thinks she hears a shout but believes she is hearing things. It is dark and sometimes you can hear things that are not there. Then there is a crash.

It is down to DCI Maarten Jansen who is originally from Rotterdam to investigate what happened to the 80-year-od man. Why would he be up there on the roof of the Cathedral in the early hours of Good Friday. Jansen believes it was suicide until Willow arrives and tells the DCI Jansen what she witnessed, and this now requires a deeper investigation, and this now has the past coming to life and there are some characters in the novel that would be keen to see this and would rather the past be buried and stay buried. This is going to be a complex case and not as straightforward for DCI Jansen.

What I really enjoyed is how Rachael Blok has created such an interesting back story that involved several characters many have stories to tell and the inclusion of the Cathedral that is centre of the novel as well as a psychiatric hospital all play a part in the novel and there are secrets from the past that are bubbling to the surface.

The Fall is slow to get going but it is worth continuing as the story really gathers pace the further you get into it. I really enjoyed Rachael’s writing and the research she has done for the background the novel. The Fall is one book I am happy to recommend.

400 Pages.

My thanks to Sophie Ransom (Ransom PR) and Aries Fiction (Head of Zeus) for the review Copy of The Fall by Rachael Blok Published on 14 April 2022 and is now available through Waterstones, Amazon and through your local independent bookshop or through Bookshop.org that supports your local independent bookshop. UK Bookshop.org

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Betrayal by David Gilman

Betrayal by David Gilman

Summary:

Dan Raglan, former Foreign Legion fighter, alias The Englishman, returns. The new high-octane international thriller from David Gilman.

Someone’s trying to start a war. And Raglan’s just walked into the kill zone.

It has been many years since Dan Raglan served in the French Foreign Legion, but the bonds forged in adversity are unbreakable and when one of his comrades calls for help, Raglan is duty-bound to answer.

An ex-legionnaire, now an intelligence officer at the Pentagon, disappears. He leaves only this message: should he ever go missing, contact Raglan. But Raglan’s not the only one looking for the missing man. From the backstreets of Marseilles, Raglan finds himself following a trail of death that will lead him to Florida, to the camaraderie of a Vietnam vet in Washington D.C., and into the heart of a bitter battle in the upper echelons of the US intelligence community.

Pursued by both the CIA and a rogue female FBI agent, Raglan’s search will place him in the cross hairs of an altogether more lethal organisation. Tracking his old comrade, he finds himself in the midst of deadly conspiracy, and on a journey to a fatal confrontation deep in the Honduran rainforest.

My Review:

The return of Dan Raglan. Fans of thriller writer David Gilman will be delighted to hear that published today (6th January) is Betrayal (Head of Zeus) and is the second in the series following on from The Englishman that was published in July 2020.

Not to worry if you have not read the first instalment featuring the former Foreign Legion fighter as both can be happily read as a standalone thriller but be warned, you may then want to go and grab a copy of the first when you have read Betrayal as this is a gripping thriller that will have you crossing the globe and at every turn there is danger that faces Dan Raglan known as the The Englishman.

In this instalment Dan Raglan hears that a friend and former French Foreign Legion fighter who now works at the Pentagon has disappeared and gone off the grid. Because of the role he has at the Pentagon, this is suspicious, and Raglan now must find him and quickly, but why has his former colleague disappeared? Be prepared for one hell of a rollercoaster of a thriller. The pace never lets up and when you consider this is a book of nearly 550 pages this is quite something to keep it going.

For Raglan he knows his former Legionnaire friend is in trouble and time is of the essence. Without giving anything away, there is more to this story than just a disappearance of his former colleague. Raglan is searching for his old comrade but who is looking for Dan Raglan and why?

Characters are so important in novels and in Betrayal they have been brilliantly written so that you can really get into the storyline. Raglan will do whatever is required and will not hesitate to kill anyone if that is what it takes.

David Gilman writes superbly and has crafted a compelling and plot driven thriller that is packed with drama and thriller lovers will really enjoy Betrayal as there is so much packed into this novel.

@DavidGilmanUK

@HoZ_Books

544 Pages.

My thanks to Sophie Ransom (Ransom PR) for the review Copy of Betrayal by David Gilman Published by Head of Zeus on 6th January 2022 and is now available through Waterstones, Amazon and through your local independent bookshop or through Bookshop.org that supports your local independent bookshop. UK Bookshop.org

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Cabin Fever by Alex Dahl

Cabin Fever by Alex Dahl

Summary:

Alone and isolated in a vast Scandinavian forest, a therapist begins to read her client’s novel manuscript, only to discover the main character is terrifyingly familiar…

You are her therapist.

Kristina is a successful therapist in central Oslo. She spends her days helping clients navigate their lives with a cool professionalism that has got her to the top.

She is your client.

But when her client Leah, a successful novelist, arrives at her office clearly distressed, begging Kristina to come to her remote cabin in the woods, she feels the balance begin to slip.

But out here in the woods.

When Leah fails to turn up to her next two sessions, Kristina reluctantly heads out into the wilderness to find her.

Nothing is as it seems.

Alone and isolated, Kristina finds Leah’s unfinished manuscript, and as she reads she realises the main character is terrifyingly familiar…

My Review:

Deep in a Scandinavian Forest is an isolated cabin that belongs to Leah Iverson who is a well-known and popular writer. Dr Kristina Moss is a successful psychotherapist. When Leah arrives at Kristina’s office, Kristina knows something is not right and when Leah starts to ask her to come to her remote cabin set deep in the woods where the silence can be loud. You just know you are about to read a creepy and claustrophobic and tense novel. Cabin Fever (Head of Zeus) by Alex Dahl. If you enjoy Scandi Noir then do not miss this.

There is something about a thriller set deep in a Scandinavian forest that sends a shiver down my spine and Alex Dahl did just that in her latest thriller Cabin Fever that is released today. When Kristina is asked to join Leah, who is her patient at her cabin deep in the forest, things start to really get tense for the reader.

Leah disappears and Kristina sets out to find her alone in a deep creepy forest, but that is not all, Kristina finds the latest manuscript that Leah has been working on and now the story gets intense. Your pulse is racing, and your palms are sweating. Now Kristina suddenly realises she is in real danger. This is an intense thriller, as dark as a Scandinavian forest at night. Beautifully crafted with key characters in Kristina and Leah that are troubled with pasts that they cannot escape from.

What Alex Dahl has done is to write a novel with so many twists and turns that will make your head spin. The descriptions of the location are superb scene setters for what is to come. Then there is the ending. No spoilers as you care going to have to prepare to spend some time deep in the forest and find out for yourself. You will not be disappointed.

400 Pages.

@alexdahlauthor

#CabinFever

@HoZ_Books

My thanks to Sofia Saghi (Midas PR) and Head of Zeus for the review copy of Cabin Fever by Alex Dahl.

Cabin Fever by Alex Dahl is published by Head of Zeus on 8th July 2021. Available to order through Waterstones, Amazon and through your local independent bookshop or through Bookshop.org that supports your local independent bookshop. UK Bookshop.org

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