Chasing Shadows by Matthew J Evans

 

322 pages

You can buy Chasing Shadows...Here

You can follow Matthew J Evans...Here

• The Blurb...

You've never met a detective like DI Angelis before. Where The Police Procedural meets The Supernatural

Detective Inspector David Angelis investigates the gruesome murder of a friend and neighbour and uncovers a conspiracy in which he is at the centre. But they’ve got something very wrong about him, and his newfound abilities are not what they seem to be. Angelis exposes the dark world of designer drugs and the deadly psychopath they have created.

Chasing Shadows is the first in a police procedural crime thriller series with a supernatural twist like no other.

• Our Review..

Stepping out of my comfort zone of bog standard real-life type crime thrillers we have Chasing Shadows. Where our protagonist David Angelis after being horrifically injured in the line of duty as a police officer is in a coma when in a last throw of the dice he becomes a candidate for a new radical drug trial. Cue two years later and David is now back on the job with a promotion but he is now blessed with "special powers" including, but not limited to, mind control and being able to tell when someone is lying. When people connected to the unethical drug company begin dying David is drawn into the investigation and is on the trail to find how he developed his powers. 

Should someone with his powers be allowed to live? After all he could, if so wished, rule or even destroy the world. Why would someone with such incredible power be happy being a copper in Chichester of all places. Is David the only one? To this end a shadowy-Governmenty-Agenty woman is tracking his every move.

The story is told partly in first person (David) with the remainder told in third person.

Initially I struggled to track the large number of characters introduced early on but by halfway I got hold of it. One point that came to my mind was that if David has all the powers then it is a bit of a mismatch when catching the crims in this novel, even the ones jacked up on rage inducing, strength enhancing meds, It would be like Man City v Boreham Wood. He needs someone his equal to battle. There are more books in the series so the Magneto to David's Professor X may yet emerge. 

Its the sort of story I would have loved as a youngster. It has lots of special powers,  Marvel hero type stuff. I think I would describe the tale as YA with a hard, adult, religious,  battle between good and evil spine through it. And who doesn't love the eternal battle between good and evil, darkness and light. From Moses and the Pharoh, Gandalf and Sauron, King Arthur and Mordred through to Skywalker and Darth Vader it is literally a tale as old as time.  

It is a very unusual and interesting book, unusual to me at least. I dont know if the author has perfected it but he is definitely onto something with this Prime Suspect/Constantine type mash up. It will leave you pondering this world (and the next.)

Oh and the twist is a little rip-snorter!

• Selected Quotes...

"I sense people are hurting everywhere I go. It’s background noise, like the rumble of traffic. I’ve learned to push it away, but sometimes I can’t. I just wish the gift or curse I received had the power to take that hurt away."

"I didn’t think I was a religious man, but I’ve seen such darkness today. I need to step into the light again. I look around, and I’m struck by the silence. This is one of those thin places. I’m wondering if the people praying over the centuries have punctured a million holes between heaven and Earth. Is that how it works?"

"I’m looking at Martina now, and I’m getting the darkness, the violence and anger. It’s exuding from every pore of her skin."

• If You Like This Then You May Like...

Constantine by John Shirley

Later by Stephen King

Lucifer by Mike Carey/Neil Gaiman

Midwinter of the Spirit by Phil Rickman

• About The Author...

I’m a crime author living near Chichester, West Sussex, UK. My novels are usually set in locations close to my home, and this is an area of Sussex that I love and know well. I’ve served many years here as a police officer, and I now use this experience to help me write crime fiction.

I have so far published three crime thriller books in the DI Angelis Crime Thriller series: Chasing Shadows, Hide Her Away, and Take You Home. All are available on Amazon Kindle and in paperback. These novels are dark police procedurals with a strong supernatural element that distinguishes them from other police crime thrillers.

I first tried my hand at crime writing during the COVID pandemic. As a result, in 2021, I published my first novel, Chasing Shadows. My policing experience helped me write true-to-life police procedures in my novels, with a fictional balance to keep the action moving. (from matthewjevans.co.uk)

(photo is Matthew with his son Zac)

Viking :Blood & Blade by Peter Gibbons

This review is by...Owen Powell 

487 Pages

You can buy Viking: Blood & Blade...Here

You can follow Peter Gibbons...Here

• The Blurb...

865 AD. The fierce Vikings stormed onto Saxon soil hungry for spoils, conquest, and vengeance for the death of Ragnar Lothbrok.

Hundr, a Northman with a dog's name... a crew of battle hardened warriors... and Ivar the Boneless.

Amidst the invasion of Saxon England by the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok, Hundr joins a crew of Viking warriors under the command of Einar the Brawler. Hundr fights to forge a warriors reputation under the glare of Ivar and his equally fearsome brothers, but to do that he must battle the Saxons and treachery from within the Viking army itself...

Hundr must navigate the invasion, survive brutal attacks, and find his place in the vicious world of the Vikings in this fast paced adventure with memorable characters.

• Our Review...

This is your quintessential Viking adventure, it’s exactly what you expect it to be in the best possible way. For most of this story we follow the exploits of Hundr, a lowly member of the Seaworm crew as he rises through the ranks to earn a reputation as a drengr: a ferocious Viking warrior. I’ve not read any other Viking stories, but after reading this one I feel like I don’t need to. Viking: Blood and Blade has it all; exciting action scenes, well-developed characters and intriguing storylines.

The writing itself falls into the category of what I like to call ‘Goldilocks writing.’ It’s not so flowery that you need a dictionary on standby, it’s not so dull that you need a strong coffee on standby, instead, it hits the sweet spot right in the middle. From the very first page you are hooked in for this wild ride and will remain hooked until the end. This in no small part due to its characters. It’s evident that all the characters in this book have been carefully thought out. They are complex yet relatable, the character of Sten stands out for me in particular. Sten was once a famous drengr, known for his skill and barbarity in battle, but when we first encounter him in this book, he is an old man who has instead opted for a life of peace under the Christian God. There are several characters like this within this book, each has a goal and each has an obstacle to overcome in order to reach it.

This section of the review is where I would normally note some things that could be improved upon. But this book seems to tick all of my boxes. If I was hard-pressed to think of one aspect though, it would be that the chapters are relatively longer than what I’m used to. But, honestly, you’ll be too gripped by the story to notice. 

Overall, Viking: Blood and Blade is an enthralling read from start to finish and I am proud to grant it my first ever 5 star review. I look forward to reading the next instalment in the series; The Wrath of Ivar.

• Selected Quotes...

“I know. A drengr moves aside for no man unless he fears him. You’re young, and you haven’t learned yet. To you, it’s all about pride and fighting and glory. When you get old like me, lad, you realise that’s all piss. Pride softens when you’ve seen so much death, so much loss.”

“Life is hard, reputation isn’t worth shit, and no one is your friend. So take what you can, when you can and trust no one,”

• If You Liked This Then You May Like...

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwall

Dunstan by Conn Iggulden

Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield

• About the Author

Peter is an author based in Kildare, Ireland. He is a married father of 3 kids and loves all things Historical Fiction and Fantasy. Peter has always been an avid reader of history, both fiction and non-fiction. Peter completed a Law Degree in Liverpool University before embarking on a career in the Insurance Industry.

After many years working in the UK & Ireland he decided to follow his dreams and wrote his debut novel, Viking Blood and Blade. His favourite authors include Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, Tolkien, Conn Iggulden, Brandon Sanderson, and John Gwynne.

Winner of the 2022 Kindle Storyteller Award.

(from petermgibbons.com)