Danny Weston - Postcards from Valhalla - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

A Gripping Journey into Myth and Intrigue is "Postcards from Valhalla" by the author of mystery, Danny Weston. It will be published by UCLan Publishing on 2nd November (2023) with a brilliantly illustrated book cover by Katie Daisy. The plot takes readers on a thrilling bizarre adventure filled with mystery, Norse mythology, and a touch of the supernatural. Set in the rugged and dramatic landscapes of Shetland, this novel introduces us to Viggo, a fifteen-year-old boy whose life takes an unexpected turn when his older brother (Magnus) goes missing on the island.

From the onset, the story immerses us in Viggo's world. It paints a vivid picture of his mundane existence in Edinburgh. However, as Viggo embarks on a journey to Shetland in search of his brother (with his mother), the narrative takes a dark and exhilarating twist. Strange visions plague Viggo, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. Armed warriors, mythical creatures, and Viking longships haunt his mind, leaving readers captivated and eager to unravel the secrets hidden within the story.

Weston masterfully weaves together elements of suspense, family dynamics, and ancient folklore, creating an artist's palette of emotions that will keep the reader on the edge of their comfortable armchair. The introduction of Leon, a smooth-talking mysterious musician who becomes entangled in Viggo's quest, adds an intriguing layer to the narrative. His presence raises questions about his true nature and purpose, further heightening the suspense.

As the search for Magnus intensifies, so does Viggo's connection to the supernatural realm. The author skillfully crafts a sense of foreboding and unease, ensuring that readers are fully invested in Viggo's and his mum's plight. With each turn of the page, the boundaries between the tangible and the mystical blur, as they lead to an explosive climax that will leave readers captivated. 

"Postcards from Valhalla" excels not only in its enthralling unique plot but also in its rich atmospheric descriptions. Weston's vivid prose brings the stunning landscapes of Shetland to life. He really paints a picture so vivid that readers can almost feel the cool breeze and hear the crashing waves. The author's meticulous attention to detail enhances the sense of immersion, allowing readers to experience the story alongside Viggo.

Overall, I loved every minute of this book. It's a gripping and thought-provoking novel that seamlessly blends contemporary fiction with ancient mythology. Danny Weston's masterful storytelling, combined with the compelling characters and atmospheric setting, will keep readers hooked from beginning to end. Prepare to be transported on a thrilling journey where reality and myth converge, and where the true meaning of bravery and familial bonds is put to the test.

Children's Book Picks November 2021 - UK Post One - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

 

Graham Whitlock -  The Crystal Palace Chronicles Book 1: Star of Nimrod  - Published by Grass Roots Productions Ltd (4 Nov. 2021) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1739980429 - Paperback 

WHAT IF THE PAST BECAME YOUR FUTURE? Join teenager Joe on a rollercoaster adventure travelling back in time to the heyday of Victorian Crystal Palace.

Joe's world is turned upside down when he discovers a shattered compass among the brambles where the Crystal Palace once stood and travels through time back to 1888.

With help from the teenage H. G. Wells and Samuel Coleridge Taylor, daredevil Iris Blondin, Arthur Conan Doyle the creator of Sherlock Holmes and the Queen of the Gypsies, Joe must foil dangerous diamond thieves to uncover dark secrets about the 'People's Palace'. Standing on boundaries between worlds, its mysterious secrets are tied to the fate of his family.

Will Joe be trapped in the past with his new friends, find a way to return to his family or can he somehow have both?

Vivian French - The Runaways of Haddington Hall - Published by Walker Books (4 Nov. 2021) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1406387537 - Paperback 

A high octane, high drama romp, following the adventures of Victorian laundry maid Minnie O'Sullivan and her unforgettable band of friends.

After a series of misfortunes, Minnie O’Sullivan is whisked away to Haddington Hall: a nightmarish home for wayward girls. Bad becomes worse when the hall’s ruthless founder, Mrs Haddington, takes an instant dislike to brave, determined Minnie, and she’s in danger of losing everything… But Minnie has never backed down from a fight in her life, and she’s not about to start now! Irresistible characters and a compulsive plot with twists aplenty; Vivian French conjures up the very spirit of Dickensian England in a wonderful new novel for middle-grade readers.

Ross Montgomery - The Chime Seekers - Published by Walker Books (4 Nov. 2021) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1406391190 - Paperback 

Step into a world of faerie tricks and hidden danger...

When an evil faerie steals Yanni’s baby sister and swaps her for a changeling, Yanni is swept into a dangerous race against time to get her back. 

For faeries delight in tricks and rescuing her won’t be easy. With the help of his cousin, Amy, and the reluctant changeling, Yanni must travel to goblin palaces and battle-swept oceans, discovering ancient treasures and secrets along the way. 

Yanni will need every drop of courage and even a few tricks of his own, if he’s to outwit the faerie and save his sister…

Ross Montgomery brings the magical world of British folklore to life in this contemporary fantasy novel. Bursting with Ross's trademark charm, humour and heart, and with echoes of David Bowie's Labyrinth.

Lucy Strange - Sisters of the Lost Marsh - Published by Chicken House (4 Nov. 2021) - ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1913322373 - Paperback 

Life is hard for Willa, Grace and Freya, and their three younger sisters. Six motherless girls working a farm, living in fear of their cruel father and the superstition that obsesses him - The Curse of Six Daughters. 

With the arrival of the mysterious Full Moon Fayre, there's a chance for the eldest girls to steal a moment's fun, but the day the fayre moves on, Grace vanishes. 

Willa goes after her, following a trail that leads into the dangerous Lost Marsh, where it is said a will-o'-the-wisp lures lost souls into the dark waters of the mire. If Willa is to survive and reunite her family, she will need to unravel the secrets her father has kept hidden, and face her own deepest fears ...

Michael Mann - Ghostcloud - Interview (Q&A) - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books #11

     

We are coming to the end of our brilliant debut author interview series. I'd like to say a big thank you to all of the authors for the time they gave providing some really insightful answers. This week we are finishing with an amazing interview - it's a great contender for a good Halloween read. Ghostcloud is the debut book by Michael Mann and was recently published by Hodder Children's Books on 7th October 2021. It's a lovely hardback with a fantastic visual appeal. It could be a contender for this year's annual book cover wars, what do you think? 

Without further ado, let's find out more about the author and their book in this Q&A. Please support all our debut authors by buying their books. Here is a list of all the other INTERVIEWS we have covered which you can check out HERE. Thanks for reading and enjoy your day! 

1. How would you promote or explain the story behind your book in just 50 words?

Ghostcloud is a magical adventure about 12-year-old Luke, who shovels coal beneath a power station in a reimagined London, hoping to earn his freedom. One day, Luke meets a mysterious ghost-girl, who offers him another way out, drawing him into a whirlwind adventure, featuring ghosts, the smog and the skies over London.

2. What are you looking forward to most once your debut book has been published?

Celebrating with all my friends in a park with some bubbly (and, perhaps, taking a break from Twitter!)

3. What inspired you to write Ghostcloud?

My grandad was a coal-miner in Yorkshire, called Luke, so that must have been a factor. The kids I teach constantly inspire me. But a big one, I suppose, has to be the sky, I hope that after reading the book kids do look at it a little differently. 

This is because a big idea in the book is that when you see a shape in the clouds– whether it’s a horse or skull or whatever – that it might just be watching you back. In the book, Luke visits this ‘Ghostcloud’ world and learns to do the things these ghosts can: he learns to ride the clouds, bend their shape to his will, fire lightning and make it rain. And I hope that’s exciting for kids – that there’s a whole new world, above our heads, waiting to be discovered.

4. You won your first writing competition at school-aged ten. What have you learned since then that has helped you to write this book?

Some practical things like cutting back on adverbs. Some subtle things – like how to put a bit more of my heritage into my work. I’ve even had to unlearn some things – it turns out it is allowed (and fun) to start sentences with ‘But’!

Most of all I learned that you must write for yourself and not worry about others. Books are so subjective – what one person loves, another one hates – if you try to please everyone, it’s impossible. Start with enjoying it yourself, then anything else is a bonus. 

5. How do you encourage aspiring young writers who would like to become published authors in the future?

I know lots of authors who got published on their third or fourth book, so my advice would be keep writing, and write to the end. You learn so much from finishing a story.

I’d also say, while you shouldn’t worry whether everyone will like it, feedback from the right people is definitely useful. I found courses invaluable for building up a network of writers and tutors who I trust, and who gave feedback sensitively and thoughtfully.  

6. How important is getting children into reading for you? 

It’s everything to me. I usually teach 9-year-olds, and some kids are already going off books – and it breaks my heart! But I also believe that it’s never too late: the right book, at the right time, and you can get you back into it.

Books open up worlds. They’ve taught me so much about the human experience. They’re also an escape and a refuge when times are tough. Every child (and every adult) needs that from time to time.

7. Who did you share your book with prior to it being published and what kind of feedback did you get? 

My first draft I shared with my mum and she didn’t comment, which was clearly a bad sign, because she’s one of those people who is lovely about everything. A course tutor also queried the pace and voice. I didn’t take the hint, though, I thought it was well-written, so I sent it to an editor (at Lighthouse Literary) who gave invaluable specifics on what needed to change.

I then started again, with a completely different tone and plot, while on course at CityLit and then Curtis Brown – and this time it was working. I had feedback from the tutors and coursemates (some who kindly read the whole finished manuscript before submitting) and that was invaluable. 

8. What is the key message you would like readers to take from your book and how important is that to you?

Can I pick two!? 

One is that you don’t have to feel brave, to do brave things. Often all you need to do is keep going, one step at a time. ‘It’s not over till it’s over’ as Ghostcloud’s hero Luke says.

Secondly, there’s a message that it’s ok to be halfway, to be a ‘work in progress’. I’m half-Indian, half-white, and as a kid, I often felt I wasn’t one thing properly. Luke feels the same. But through the course of the book, he and many of the other characters, who don’t fit the categories in some way or another, grow to accept the ‘in-between’ and see it’s strength.

9. How many bookshelves do you have in your home and, more importantly, what are your most treasured or favourite books that we would find sitting on them?

My partner hates clutter so I don’t have half as many as I’d like, but at least twice as many as he’d like. My most treasured books, hmm, you’d have all the Roald Dahls, all the TinTins, John Wyndhams, Phillip K Dicks, Neil Gaimans, Jonathan Strouds, David Eddings, Julian Mays, Vikram Seths and at least two copies of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. (And a ton more children’s books – Holes by Louis Sachar, Wolves of Willhoughby Chase by Joan Aiken, and I could go on!)

10. If you could ask one successful author three questions about their writing/writing process, or books what would they be?

I ask Piers Torday questions all the time – he’s been so wise and helpful to me on the process – as have many other authors, like Vashti Hardy, Ross Montgomery. 

But hmm, perhaps, I’d ask Roald Dahl about the Witches – it’s such a fun, terrifying, strange book, with these huge stretches of mesmerising monologues from the grandma about witches, all building up to that epic scene with the Grand High Witch. I love it, but don’t know how he did it.

Then I’d probably ask Tolstoy how he gets his characters are so real, and somehow (at least for me) to capture the whole human experience. Even a drop of that and I’d be happy.

Then I just finished The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud – and it transported me away – and was plotted ever so perfectly. So I’d just ask him if he wanted to go for a coffee, so I could tell him how much I loved it.

Guest Post: Nick Tomlinson - The Ghouls of Howlfair - How I Became a Horror Writer

Hello everybody. The nights are getting darker and Halloween is getting closer. I hear you all asking, what's new in the scary kid's book world? What book is going to get your heart racing and your spine-tingling? Well, this is the book for you. It's the fantastic debut spooky mystery by Nick Tomlinson (illustrated by Kim Geyer). The Ghouls of Howlfair will be published by Walker Books this October (2019). This might just be the book that you've been looking for. 

Welcome, Nick, to Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books. Thank you for writing this guest post about the book and how you became a Horror writer. I am sure that this post will entice everyone to pick this book up and read it this coming autumn. Bookdepository.com

Firing Jacob and Hiring Molly – How I Became a Horror Writer 
Aeons ago, after my first book (written for grown-ups) got good reviews but only sold four copies, I decided to become a children’s writer. Everyone was going loopy about Harry Potter, and becoming a famous children’s writer struck me as the best way to achieve my artistic dream of selling more than four books. Also, I’d had an amazing idea for a middle-grade fantasy story, and I wanted to write it before someone else got there first. 


In kids’ fantasy books, you tend to get the main character who journeys to a magical world (say, Narnia) from somewhere real (say, Smethwick). Often there’s a reason why the character’s destined to go to that fantasy world. They have credentials - they’ve defeated Voldemort or they’re meant to fulfil an ancient prophecy or something. This is where I tripped myself up: I had a good reason why my character, Jacob, was supposed to journey to my fantasy land (Howlfair, a scary town full of monsters), but it was so flipping complicated that it took me half the book to explain it. Jacob and my book were doomed from the start, but I wrote it anyway, and rewrote it, and rewrote it. 


There was something pure about my early efforts to write the book. Specifically, they were pure rubbish. Every other page saw some soothsayer step from behind a curtain and deliver a speech about a meaningful aspect of Jacob’s backstory. By the final scene, the monsters were so bored with delivering speeches that they wanted to be killed. 


My agent didn’t deal with children’s books, so we parted ways and now I had no agent. I wrote hundreds of drafts and sent them to scores of agents; many liked the opening chapters but spat out their coffee when I told them the final word-count. They’d advise me to cut fifty-thousand words, so I’d chop the manuscript in half and then neaten up the edges by adding some clarifying dialogue about Jacob’s highly significant past, and suddenly presto! The manuscript was even bigger than before. Like a self-renewing monster from Greek myth. 


I carried on hacking down and bulking up my manuscript for fifteen years, always convinced that the next draft would be the one that’d get published. 


My fantasy setting, Howlfair, was a town built over a gateway to Hell. Miners had accidentally opened the gateway, flooding the whole valley with monsters. The townsfolk had organised themselves into special groups to take on the monsters – the Order of Noble Vampire Hunters, the Order of the Silver Bullet, etc. My protagonist, Jacob, accidentally found himself joining a group of wimpy warrior-farmers that everyone else laughed at. But, owing to a three-hundred-page backstory involving a potion Jacob had drunk when he was four, Jacob’s destiny was to lead this rag-tag group in a mission to save Howlfair from a demon. It was a pretty good premise, I thought - but I couldn’t make it work. It wasn’t until I was lounging in a beer-barrel hot-tub on a dog-friendly eco-holiday in Wales, a holiday my wife and I had booked after adopting a dog we’d found outside a petrol station in Birmingham, that I suddenly realised how to save the story. 


What if I stopped trying to write a fantasy book and wrote horror instead? In horror, a character doesn’t go from Smethwick to Narnia. In horror, something malicious comes from Hell to Smethwick. Something evil invades the day-to-day. Your character doesn’t need a reason to go where the action happens, because in horror the action happens right here. 


Unfortunately, this meant that I had to fire poor Jacob. His backstory was a many-tentacled presence in my mind. The thought of him gave me vertigo. I needed a new protagonist, one without baggage. 


For a long time, a character called Molly Thompson had been patiently haunting my imagination. I’d never considered her for this story because she wasn’t a feisty brave hero like you nearly always get in kids’ fantasy books. She was a shy bookworm, based on the shy bookworms I’d taught in a Birmingham girls’ school, girls who described themselves as weird and clumsy and socially awkward. I’d hoped to write a book one day in which these girls could meet a character like themselves, a character who was shy and awkward but 
unstoppable, and Molly would be the star of that book. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt as though Molly wanted to be in my Howlfair story. 


I turned Howlfair from a fantasy world into a corny tourist town with lots of silly old legends about monsters, legends nobody believes in. Nobody, that is, except a shy, unstoppable amateur historian named Molly Thompson, who lives in the creepy Excelsior Guesthouse. Molly knows the old legends better than anyone else, and she certainly knows them well enough to spot when one of them – the legend of the Ghouls of Loonchance Manor – is starting to come true… 


How does Molly fare? Well, she’s definitely not your usual brave adventurer. But, though I feel bad for Jacob, I hope readers will agree that once the scary old stories of Howlfair begin coming to life and someone needs to stop them, Molly turned out to be the right person for the job.

Twitter: @Tomlinsonio
Website: https://www.nicktomlinson.com

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: A Halloween Interview with Cameron McAllister - The Demon Undertaker

Cameron McAllister is a British television writer and producer. His first children's book was The Tin Snail, which is a fantastic read inspired by real events of how one little car changed history. 
The Demon Undertaker is his second book, published this September (2016), it is a brilliant read for this time of year. For a spooky atmospheric read that will send your spine a-tingling, please read my book review HERE. 

WELCOME Cameron McAllister to Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books.

Let’s talk about writing! How do you want your readers to react when they read the last page of The Demon Undertaker?

“I MUST write a five star review immediately!” Obviously, that would be a great reaction. But more than anything, a writer wants their reader to come away wishing the book hadn’t ended, but at the same time feeling it ended in just the right place. I hope with THE DEMON UNDERTAKER they feel like they’ve been taken on what you called a breathtaking “stagecoach” of a ride. The book is definitely intended to be full of thrills and spills, as well as spooky – not to mention downright gruesome – moments. But I think if that’s all it was it would feel a bit soulless. I always try to find a story with a big human heart, so I hope readers will come away feeling they’ve had their heartstrings plucked a bit too!

Where did you get your spooky inspiration from?

One of my biggest inspirations was the Childcatcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! I also liked the idea of London being a bit like Diagon Alley in Harry Potter, full of secret back alleyways. As well as this, I did a lot of research into grave robbers and surgeons looking for corpses to dissect. The idea for the Undertaker himself sprang from thinking how someone might best disguise themselves if they were snatching victims off the street. It was important to have something visually strong and ghoulish. Something wrapped up in death. I also discovered that the year in which the book is set was the first known use of the term “vampyre.” So I wanted to make my Demon feel supernatural – that way people might think he was the living dead! 

I’d also been wanting to write something for a long time about the real life magistrate Henry Fielding. As well as a famous playwright and author, he was effectively the chief of police and was credited with creating the first prototype for the modern-day police force, the Bow Street Runners. Lots of other books have tackled the Runners, so I wanted a unique angle. Henry Fielding was a bit of a rogue in his youth, so I thought it would be fun if it was his teenage nephew who was really behind the creation of the Runners. What better than London’s first detective agency being manned exclusively by kids! 

Do you ever research real events, legends, or myths to get ideas?

With this book and my last, THE TIN SNAIL, I used elements of real events and mixed them with a good dose of invention. In THE TIN SNAIL it was the remarkable story of how the 2CV car was invented in secret during WW2 so the Nazis couldn’t steal it. Once I’d found this story it was great fun adding invented characters and stories to flesh it out. Likewise, Henry Fielding, the magistrate in THE DEMON UNDERTAKER, was a real person. I did a lot of research into him and London’s sinister underbelly of crime. It was almost a struggle to fit all the gruesome things I discovered into the book! 

What are the differences between writing a script and writing a book?

The biggest difference is that you generally don’t have to describe things much in a TV or film script – you just write a stage direction saying “Sinister back alley.” If you did that in a book, the reader would rightly feel cheated. The novelist’s job is to conjure up a vivid image in the reader’s head. So describing locations and what characters look like all adds to the flavour and atmosphere. Likewise, in a TV script you rarely describe what the character is thinking inside their head or what they’re feeling – it’s almost always just done in dialogue. After all, the viewer isn’t going to read the script. In a book you have a fantastic advantage – you can describe EVERYTHING your character is experiencing! That way the reader is completely walking in their shoes.

What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?

The best writers make you feel like you’re totally inside the character, feeling and thinking everything they are. “Insight” is a key word – the writer needs to know the character’s innermost thoughts. The more authentic the character and their world feels, the more vivid the reader’s experience will be. As well as this I want a really juicy story. Everyone looks for different ingredients in a book, but I love a really gripping plot that keeps me guessing and, just when I think I know what’s going to happen, there’s a big twist to subvert it. 

Another big ingredient for me is what you might call “heart” – I need to really care about my hero (or anti-hero). People mistakenly think this means that heroes must always be completely “good”. I think this sometimes makes them a bit boring. I prefer my heroes to more realistic – which means they do good AND bad things like the rest of us. The important thing is that they’re INTERESTING and they have a chink in their armour – a way that lets you see into their secret vulnerable side. People who are vulnerable on the inside are often the most interesting to read about because we all identify with people’s fears and insecurities. 

I usually find that if a character is also BRAVE or FUNNY, I can forgive them a multitude of other failings. Hermione in Harry Potter could have been a really boring goody-two-shoes, but she’s so brave you can’t help but love her. Likewise I deliberately made Esther in DEMON UNDERTAKER quite bossy and standoffish. But you soon discover she’s vulnerable and warm on the inside, but also very gutsy. I loved her character so much I’m making the hero in my new book a lot like her!

Are you working on any books/projects that you would like to share with us?

I’ve just finished a first draft of a new book that’s a bit older. It’s a supernatural thriller about someone who discovers that everything they thought about their life is based on a massive lie. 

What scares you?

One of the shows I’ve written on was a series called PRIMEVAL about dinosaurs coming back from the past. When we were making it I discovered that the best way to scare the living daylights out of children – and adults – is very simple. Just make them think the monster/baddie is about to jump out on the hero at any moment. The longer you sustain this, the more suspense there is. For me, suspense is the most important ingredient. Often, when the monster does jump out, it can be a bit of a let down. That’s why the best scary movies won’t show you what the monster looks like for about an hour. The longer they can keep you in suspense, the more scared you are because NOTHING is ever as scary as what’s in your own head. Except perhaps the monster in ALIEN. Now that what a cool monster. But again, you didn’t see it for AGES!

Funnily enough, the scariest monsters for me are often the simplest. A few horror films stand out way above the others for me – HALLOWEEN, THE GRUDGE and THE RING. The last two are inspired by Japanese ghost stories and use almost no special effects, but they completely terrified me. Just that idea that you think you’re alone and then you catch a glimpse of someone’s foot hidden behind a door and you realise – oh no! - someone’s there! 

HALLOWEEN was one of the first movies I saw where the bogey man simply wore a white mask. But masks are TERRIFYING – simply because you can’t see any human expression or eyes. DOCTOR WHO did a great episode called THE EMPTY CHILD which scared my own children to death even though the bogey man was just a kid! Why? Because the child in question wore a gas mask. It was seriously creepy!

It’s for this reason THE DEMON UNDERTAKER wears a spooky white mask. If you can’t see their face, hell, maybe they don’t have one! Just think how terrifying clowns are!

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Cameron McAllister - The Demon Undertaker - Book Review

Bolt your doors! Do not dare to sleep! A kidnapper known as ‘The Demon Undertaker’ is on the loose in London!  Yesterday he continued his reign of terror in his most chilling crime yet – kidnapping Lady Grace Davenport from under the very noses of her family!  

A barrage of bullets could not stop the blood-thirsty ghoul from escaping in his black hearse – is he man or vampyre? Young Thomas Fielding, nephew of the Chief Magistrate, stumbled across the villain and gave chase. Can Thomas and his team of Bow Street Detectives save Lady Grace and catch the Demon Undertaker before he snatches his next victim?

If you have ever read 'The Tin Snail' by Cameron McAllister, which is his debut book, you should know that you are in for a real treat with this one. The Demon Undertaker will be his second book to date. It really is pitch perfect for that special time coming up - Halloween - which we all love, isn't that right? 

This book will thrill you and delight you from the very first page to the last. It is a brilliant and captivating read that will transport the reader back in history. You will hurtle back in time to 18th century Georgian London; a period of big social change and some very gruesome goings on. These are described and used to good affect in this fantastic story. 

It is lightening fast, stage coach of a ride. It has a brilliant plot that reluctant readers will love. Packed full of mystery adventure, you will be engaged with London's first ever team of detectives known as the Bow Street Runners; the first professional police force in London. Founded by Henry Fielding, they originally numbered just six men. This is the seed to a plot which is full of macabre moments. It is a fantastic detective mystery to uncover, but you should only do this at your peril. 

Every page transports the reader into an enjoyable and fantastical reading experience. The setting is written particularly well and suggests that a lot of research has gone into this book, in order to get the details authentically correct. The characters have a lot of charisma and sparkle. Whilst the hero and heroine will leave you with your heart in your mouth many times throughout the story. As you follow the narrative in this gothically disturbed world, you will give chase in pursuit of a bullet dodging, blood-thirsty ghoul that will have you running round London until the very climatic ending. 

This is a fantastic five star read and is one of my favourite books this year. It has everything that I love and look for in a book. There is a mystery to uncover, which is full of gruesome adventure, facts blended in with fiction, great characters, as well as a detailed and atmospheric gothic type setting. It has a spooky and supernatural undercurrent with a fantastic ending. I'm now hoping for another story to run along side this one from Cameron! 

Mr Ripley's Book Review: The Obsidian Pebble by Rhys A Jones - Spencer Hill Press

                           

Spencer Hill Press have delivered what they set out to do - publishing special reads that fall into the category of "I couldn't put it down". Literally I found myself not being able to put this book down. It was such a fantastic read that it will definitely find itself gaining a late entry on my best reads of the year list. This is the first exciting installment in the Artefact series - it is the authors first step into the world of children and young adult literature.  

The amazing story line in this book will definitely help it to shine as it has so much going for it in my opinion. Eleven year old Oz Chambers is the star of the story - he appears to be a normal down-to-earth character who happens to live in a haunted house. However this haunted house is full of secrets and a mystery that will leave you flicking through the pages like a mad Buzzard in a whirlwind in order to get to the end. 

When Oz and his friends hear ghostly footsteps in the boarded up dorm during Halloween, Oz and his friends go exploring. They try to find out more about the eerie reputation engulfing this place. The story is a great journey focusing on friendships, loyalty, school and family life. I particularly enjoyed the way in which the hard lessons in life were explored through the many ups and downs that life can throw at you. The more that you read on the more the mystery engulfs the reader in a magical world that is action packed full of ghostly encounters and mind tingling moments that you will just love.

This book has so much character in it that you will find yourself lost within the 340 pages. It is really well written but, most importantly, the story inside is particularly good. The author has a great ability to write from a child's perspective which encompasses a fantasy magical world that is both gripping and intriguing. There is definitely more than one puzzle to unearth within this adventure. It is a cool, witty and fun book that will have every reader from ten to hundred enchanted and wanting to read more. 

I really hope that this book finds more readers. If this review has enchanted you then you will need to look out for this small indie publisher from the US - I hope that you manage to grab a copy. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Hopefully I won't need to wait too long.

Gareth P. Jones - Constable & Toop - Book Review

This is the fourth book that I've read by Gareth P. Jones, but yet again, he has produced something different. He appears to have the great ability to experiment with different genres and develop the style of writing to fit the concept of the storyline, and that is what I particularly love about this author. Each book is written with outstanding imaginative qualities - great plot driven stories and a host of interesting characters that you will love. The big question is . . . . . . what can we expect from this book?

Constable & Toop is the story of Sam Toop, who lives in a funeral parlour and has the ability to see and hear every ghost in London, but trouble is afoot on the ‘other side’ when a ghost clerk called Lapsewood discovers a horrible disease mysteriously imprisoning ghosts inside empty houses.

In a nutshell, this is a ghost story set in Victorian London (1884) - one of my all time favourite settings. Constable & Toop is the name of the funeral parlour and features as one element of this unusual story. The first sentence in the book sets the tone very well . . . .  In her last few moments of life, as the blood gushed from the knife in her neck, Emily Wilkins found her thoughts drifting to her mother's death.  After such an appetiser you will definitely want to find out more.

The book follows two sets of interlocking adventures; Sam in the here and now world and Lapsewood on the "other side". Both will have you captivated as both worlds collide and produce one brilliant story. Each world features poignant moments involving death as Sam encounters ghosts through his ability to see and speak to them. However, there are also many moments that will leave you chuckling as some of the characters will really make you laugh. Lapsewood's Sidekick, The Marquis, was my favourite character in the book as he was absolutely brilliantly. In fact he should really should have his own book.  

Mr Jones does not patronise his readers; they have to cope with some really harrowing and gruesome moments, which makes him one of the best writers in my opinion. This is a rapid ghost adventure peppered with many interesting events that will have you wanting more. The attention to detail makes this story stand out from amongst the book crowd. 

This is a great book that will set your imagination on fire. It is one that you will definitely remember for time.

Published by Hot Key Books - 4 October 2012