BookishDramas

The Village Killer by Ross Greenwood My rating: 4 of 5 stars Read as an ARC. This review is based on my completing this story and is an honest reflection of my views about it. This is a thrilling addition to the DI Barton series, though it can be enjoyed as a standalone lie I did. This solid police procedural blends mystery, suspense, and character-driven drama, keeping readers hooked from the start. DI John Barton, returning to active duty after three years behind a desk, investigates two seemingly unrelated cases in the sleepy village of Castor: a near-fatal hit-and-run and the disappearance of a 14-year-old girl. As Barton and his team dig deeper, they uncover connections that lead to shocking twists and unexpected turns. The novel offers a gripping plot that skillfully ties together multiple mysteries, with Greenwood's writing adding layers of tension and intrigue. The story explores themes of secrecy, hidden lives, and the dark side of subur...

  ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐  Stars From the Back Cover '   The windows on all the skyscrapers are smashed . . . No power, no lights, no people . . . It's a parallel New York of some kind.   ' THE COMING END When Skye Rogers and her twin brother Red move to Manhattan, rumours of a coming global apocalypse are building. But this does not stop the young elite of New York from partying without a care. CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET? And then suddenly Skye is invited to join an exclusive gang known as the Secret Runners of New York. But this is no ordinary clique - they have access to an underground portal that can transport them into the future. And what Skye discovers in the future is horrifying: the rumours about the coming apocalypse are true . . . RUN! AS FAST AS YOU CAN! As society crumbles and Skye and Red race to figure out how to use their knowledge to survive the impending annihilation, they soon discover that the chaotic end of the world is a fine time for revenge . . . The Secret Runners ...

⭐⭐⭐ ⭐   Stars Book released Blurb The gripping new book from the author of The Algorithm Will See You Now . Based on the true-life rationing of kidney dialysis in 1960s America, a medical intern in 1992 Seattle tries to leave his painful past behind, only to uncover a shocking truth of thirty years prior and the lasting, generational harm of hidden secrets... After a co-intern dies by suicide, a grieving Noah Meier commits an accidental error. In a desperate move to save his patient's life, he covertly seeks help from audacious surgical resident Marah Maddox, igniting a bond between them. When the hospital is suspiciously quick to sweep everything under the rug, Noah turns to his late father's journal for guidance and makes a chilling discovery, all while trying to stay out of the crosshairs of abusive Dr. Rankel, keen to make an example of Noah. Worse, Rankel clearly has it out for Marah as the only woman in her program. As the hospital's patriarchal power structures, and ...

  ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐   Stars Blurb It is a time of violence as well as calm. Men of peace are spreading the message of the Buddha even as monks are being tortured in the dungeons of Pataliputra. In Magadha, all talk is about the impending war against Kalinga. While King Ashoka plots the movements of his ships and cavalry, Queen Asandhimitra broods over the growing unrest in the kingdom. There is only one man they can both trust to take them through this period of uncertainty and looming the enigmatically named Brahmin, skilful spymaster and custodian of Magadha’s best-kept secrets. Lush with historical detail and unforgettable characters, The Brahmin is an intricately plotted novel that seeks to recreate a near-mythical period in India’s past. The Brahmin I had brought this book (19th June 2018 ) on Amazon after reading the book blurb which sounded both intriguing and interesting. Usually I give historical and period fiction stories a miss unless it is relatively recent; although I've been...

  ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐  Stars Book Blurb "Steve refused to surrender. Even though he knew the creature was right behind him, he wouldn't quit. He would make it. Just as that beacon of hope began to shine down upon him, the bright sun overhead vanished from view. Confused, he gazed wide-eyed as the daylight grew dim. Then he realized the ultimate horror: the creature had overtaken him, its jaws opened wide." "He was in its mouth." A coastal community faces the wrath of a mysterious sea creature in Max Hawthorne's heart pounding new novel, "Kronos Rising." Devastated by his wife's tragic drowning, Olympic hopeful Jake Braddock turns his back on fame and fortune and retreats to his childhood home of Paradise Cove, Florida. He accepts the job of town sheriff, hoping to find the solace he so desperately craves. He finds anything but. A series of horrifying deaths and disappearances send a flood of panic through the idyllic town. It is only after the ravaged carcas...

⭐⭐⭐ ⭐  Stars Blurb A friendship is finished. The world is in peril. And Goldfinger wants diamonds? You think you know Goldfinger. But you don't know THIS Goldfinger. Go inside the mind of the most ruthless sociopath in the world, courtesy of GREG PAK (World War Hulk, Weapon X) and ERIC GAPSTUR (Batman Beyond, The Flash: Year Zero). James Bond 007, Vol. 1 by Greg Pak  A very entertaining graphic novel. These graphic novels are like a breath of fresh air when it comes to canon readers. The stories are blunt and slip several decades back to give the feel of the original Fleming novels.  The experience is very different for the Bond we have come to love from the recent movie adaptations. There are current situations in the stories and we see Lee again getting a lot of page time in the story. Even Aria gets a lot of presence in the story.  The story features the quintessential Bond villain Goldfinger as the sociopathic villain continuing from the previous volume. Here he ...

  ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐  Stars Blurb The ODD JOB epic begins in a new ongoing James Bond comic series by superstars GREG PAK (Planet Hulk, Mech Cadet Yu), MARC LAMING (Star Wars, Wonder Woman) and STEPHEN MOONEY (Half Past Danger)! Agent 007 tracks a smuggler into Singapore to secure a dangerous case, contents unknown. But a Korean mystery man wants the case as well, for very different reasons. And if Bond and this new rival don't kill each other, the ruthless terrorist organization known as ORU will be more than happy to finish the job. James Bond 007, Vol. 1 by Greg Pak  More 3.5 than 4 but an entertaining graphic novel. This is a great Bond novel and very much like the Bond of old, cynical, sexy and borderline insane. The introduction of diversity acceptable cast comes in the form of M and Moneypenny both people of color. This story takes a new road with an Oddjob wannabe entering the action as a sleek action driven character who upstages Bond with his finesse. This glimpse takes the ...

  ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐  Stars Blurb Witness the making of a legend, as Clark Kent learns the tough lessons needed to become the World's Greatest Hero! Also watch as Lex Luthor comes to Smallville, befriending Clark. But it's a relationship that may ultimately spell disaster for Metropolis and the Man of Steel. This volume collects the 12-issue miniseries that features the entire modern-day retelling of Superman by writer Mark Waid and artists Leinil Francis Yu and Gerry Alanguilan. Plus, an introduction by Smallville television producers Al Gough and Miles Millar and a sketchbook section! Superman: Birthright by Mark Waid Some Legends and legendary stories never get old and in Superman we have the most popularly known origin and growth story in comic-dom, reworked in a whole new way that entertains with every page. We have had our share of the planet Krypton devastation and the boy who escaped and finally the boy growing up in Smallville as a kid with super powers. Here in this story we have...

  ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐  Stars Blurb Would you sell your hand for a million dollars?  Regan “Roz” Osbourne is broke. Her ex-boyfriend won’t take no for an answer, and no one is taking her art work seriously. So when a mysterious stranger offers her a million dollars and safety from her unstable ex in exchange for her left hand, she can’t afford to refuse. Immediately following the amputation, she’s racked with insufferable phantom limb pain. Desperate for relief, she enrolls in an experimental drug trial. But this drug has a peculiar side effect—she develops a psychic connection to her missing limb. She soon discovers that Chicago’s long-dormant Phantom Strangler is now wearing her hand and is using it… to kill. Phantom Book Review The statement that stayed with me and incited me to try the book - Would you sell your hand for a million dollars? The book blurb was fabulously enticing and the book lived up to most of the expectations for me. The story straddles the horrifying and the bizar...

⭐⭐⭐ ⭐   Star Review Book Blurb The cross-over no one expected is back for an Omnibus Encore, combining three volume into one epic book! Too big for the movie or television screen, Dynamite presents the ultimate, kicka** crossover tale as Ash and his Army of Darkness meets Xena, the Warrior Princess! Chapter 1: Written by John Layman and illustrated by Miguel Montenegro, we begin with Ashley J. Williams transported to the world of Xena and Gabrielle! Throw in the Necronomicon and an evil, little Ash taking charge of a group of fairies (the winged kind) and you’ve got yourselves one rollicking adventure! Chapter 2: After the events of their last meet-up, Ash is back in “real” time and Xena and Gabby are back where they started, but they’re not going to stay there, not if the Necronomicon has anything to do with it! Chapter 3: Xena, Warrior Princess, has toppled nations through the force of her will. She’s captained the deadliest pirate crew ever to sail the seas. She even turned her ...