Today. we come to another of the big categories - Mystery/Mayhem. This category covers a wide variety of sin, but suffice it to say if the intent of your book is principally to outline and solve a mystery, or it involves a heap of violence, maiming and/or killing, there's a fairly good chance it ended up in this category. There have been some wonderful books I've read this year in this category, but here are the three that had the biggest impression on me.
The first nominee in this section is from an old favourite of mine and I make no apologies for that. Ken Fry is like an old wine - he and his stories get better with age. The first nominee is The Lazarus Succession by Ken Fry.
I'm always excited when I pick up a Ken Fry book. He has definitely become my go-to author when I'm in the mood for a bit of thriller-blockbuster. His latest offering The Lazarus Succession was very much my "cup of tea". Not only was it a thrilling blockbuster of a novel that spanned eight centuries, it also contained many of the religious overtones and symbolism that I have used in my own works. For this reason, I found The Lazarus Succession extra special. The religious symbolism and mysticism of the story certainly added to the enjoyment on my part.
I noted this was a republication of a story first published in March 2015, which may well make it Fry's first novel. In some ways, as a reader and fan of Fry's that is obvious. One of the great things about following new indie authors is your ability to watch the author grow and develop their craft. I believe Fry's later books The Brodsky Affair and Suicide Seeds quite possibly have more sophisticated plots and better-crafted characters, however, that in no way should take away from The Lazarus Succession, which is, in my opinion, a fantastic story, well told.
As with The Brodsky Affair, The Lazarus Succession dealt in the rarefied air of the art world and master painters. Brodie and Ulla are two investigators who find lost works of art for both legitimate and sometimes illegitimate clients. Hired to find the missing Raising of Lazarus work from the fourteenth century, they are thrown into a world of intrigue, violence, religious symbolism and mysticism.
Like all Fry novels, the background and story seemed to be meticulously researched and I certainly couldn't find fault with it. I loved that this story spanned eight centuries and we were frequently transported back through time and into the mind of the Spanish painter and his world.
I loved this book as much as I've loved all of Fry's offerings. No hesitation at all in giving The Lazarus Succession the full five stars.
I'm always excited when I pick up a Ken Fry book. He has definitely become my go-to author when I'm in the mood for a bit of thriller-blockbuster. His latest offering The Lazarus Succession was very much my "cup of tea". Not only was it a thrilling blockbuster of a novel that spanned eight centuries, it also contained many of the religious overtones and symbolism that I have used in my own works. For this reason, I found The Lazarus Succession extra special. The religious symbolism and mysticism of the story certainly added to the enjoyment on my part.
I noted this was a republication of a story first published in March 2015, which may well make it Fry's first novel. In some ways, as a reader and fan of Fry's that is obvious. One of the great things about following new indie authors is your ability to watch the author grow and develop their craft. I believe Fry's later books The Brodsky Affair and Suicide Seeds quite possibly have more sophisticated plots and better-crafted characters, however, that in no way should take away from The Lazarus Succession, which is, in my opinion, a fantastic story, well told.
As with The Brodsky Affair, The Lazarus Succession dealt in the rarefied air of the art world and master painters. Brodie and Ulla are two investigators who find lost works of art for both legitimate and sometimes illegitimate clients. Hired to find the missing Raising of Lazarus work from the fourteenth century, they are thrown into a world of intrigue, violence, religious symbolism and mysticism.
Like all Fry novels, the background and story seemed to be meticulously researched and I certainly couldn't find fault with it. I loved that this story spanned eight centuries and we were frequently transported back through time and into the mind of the Spanish painter and his world.
I loved this book as much as I've loved all of Fry's offerings. No hesitation at all in giving The Lazarus Succession the full five stars.
The second nominee in the Mystery/Mayhem category is a new author to me, it's Eloah:No Heaven by Lex Allen.
There's nothing I love more than a good, historical conspiracy theory to get my teeth into and when it is one that has biblical connotations, so much the better. That's exactly what you get when you dive into Lex Allen's fantastic trilogy Eloah. No Heaven is the first in the series and I read it voraciously from cover to cover. I am excited to discover where it leads us next and what exciting adventures and puzzles the unlikely disciples will embark on in the two remaining stories.
In No Heaven, Jesus has returned to earth to prevent a nuclear conflagration that is brewing between the world's major religions. Religions that were founded on tissues of lies relating to his life and works when he last strode the earth 2,000 years ago. Jesus is furious that his actions and teachings have been so corrupted by the Christian Church, by Judaism, and by Islam. He is determined to produce the evidence that will allow him to show the world what phonies the religions are and the belief in an omniscient and omnipresent God really are.
Linking up with a declared atheist Jack and a religious scholar who long ago lost her faith, Beth, the trio must avoid the many people hunting them who for various reasons want Jesus either shut down or turned to their advantage. They must uncover the evidence buried so many years earlier that shows the truth of Jesus' first visit to Earth.
The author takes us on a fast-paced journey through fantastical situations, back to the dawn of time and forward to the present day. This story is reminiscent of some of the best biblical conspiracy theories I've read, from the likes of Ken Fry and Dan Brown. I would highly recommend this read to anyone who loves a great action/adventure/mystery. Roll on books two and three, I say. Great job Mr Allen.
There's nothing I love more than a good, historical conspiracy theory to get my teeth into and when it is one that has biblical connotations, so much the better. That's exactly what you get when you dive into Lex Allen's fantastic trilogy Eloah. No Heaven is the first in the series and I read it voraciously from cover to cover. I am excited to discover where it leads us next and what exciting adventures and puzzles the unlikely disciples will embark on in the two remaining stories.
In No Heaven, Jesus has returned to earth to prevent a nuclear conflagration that is brewing between the world's major religions. Religions that were founded on tissues of lies relating to his life and works when he last strode the earth 2,000 years ago. Jesus is furious that his actions and teachings have been so corrupted by the Christian Church, by Judaism, and by Islam. He is determined to produce the evidence that will allow him to show the world what phonies the religions are and the belief in an omniscient and omnipresent God really are.
Linking up with a declared atheist Jack and a religious scholar who long ago lost her faith, Beth, the trio must avoid the many people hunting them who for various reasons want Jesus either shut down or turned to their advantage. They must uncover the evidence buried so many years earlier that shows the truth of Jesus' first visit to Earth.
The author takes us on a fast-paced journey through fantastical situations, back to the dawn of time and forward to the present day. This story is reminiscent of some of the best biblical conspiracy theories I've read, from the likes of Ken Fry and Dan Brown. I would highly recommend this read to anyone who loves a great action/adventure/mystery. Roll on books two and three, I say. Great job Mr Allen.
Our final nominee in this category, this year is: From the Shadows by David Carter.
From The Shadows, by David Carter introduces us to thirty-one-year-old, Bobby Blaise (or Blaze as he prefers to be known). Blaze was the black sheep of his family and left the small, rural, New Zealand town of Glendale, where is mother was the principal of the Catholic Boarding school in the town, some fifteen years earlier. Blaze is on a mission – a mission to pay his mother back for the perceived mistreatment of him as a child and to lure into the open a man who had stolen Bobby’s innocence all those years before, a man known as The Watcher. Blaze stands and watches as his old school burns to the ground and waits patiently for his arrest, sure in the knowledge that The Watcher will now be well aware Blaze is back in town and will be unable to resist coming out of hiding to finish what he started all those years earlier. For Blaze, it is payback time.
I was initially drawn to this book by its setting of rural New Zealand. As an expatriate New Zealander I fancied reading something set in my home land. What I got from David Carter was an incredibly fast-paced and exciting story. There are some books that truly you cannot put down and From The Shadows was very much one of those books. Carter has a style that is exciting and perfectly suited to this type of taut thriller genre. Beware, though, this book is not for the faint of heart. The author’s descriptions of the violence are both fulsome and graphic. If you are in the slightest squeamish, this book may not be for you. The biggest compliment I can pay any author of a full-length novel is to say he/she left me wanting more. The good news is From The Shadows is slated as the first in the “Blaze” series, so that is indeed good news. An excellent, what appears to be a debut novel. I will be following this author closely.
From The Shadows, by David Carter introduces us to thirty-one-year-old, Bobby Blaise (or Blaze as he prefers to be known). Blaze was the black sheep of his family and left the small, rural, New Zealand town of Glendale, where is mother was the principal of the Catholic Boarding school in the town, some fifteen years earlier. Blaze is on a mission – a mission to pay his mother back for the perceived mistreatment of him as a child and to lure into the open a man who had stolen Bobby’s innocence all those years before, a man known as The Watcher. Blaze stands and watches as his old school burns to the ground and waits patiently for his arrest, sure in the knowledge that The Watcher will now be well aware Blaze is back in town and will be unable to resist coming out of hiding to finish what he started all those years earlier. For Blaze, it is payback time.
I was initially drawn to this book by its setting of rural New Zealand. As an expatriate New Zealander I fancied reading something set in my home land. What I got from David Carter was an incredibly fast-paced and exciting story. There are some books that truly you cannot put down and From The Shadows was very much one of those books. Carter has a style that is exciting and perfectly suited to this type of taut thriller genre. Beware, though, this book is not for the faint of heart. The author’s descriptions of the violence are both fulsome and graphic. If you are in the slightest squeamish, this book may not be for you. The biggest compliment I can pay any author of a full-length novel is to say he/she left me wanting more. The good news is From The Shadows is slated as the first in the “Blaze” series, so that is indeed good news. An excellent, what appears to be a debut novel. I will be following this author closely.
...and the winner is!
So, there we have it - three absolutely stunning books and there can only be one winner. After much thought, I've awarded the Grunter Award for 2017 in the Mystery/Mayhem Category to... Eloah: No Heaven by Lex Allen. Congratulations Lex!
Next time, our awards move back into the real world, with the Non Fiction/Memoir category. There's some beauties there, so keep tuned.
Till next time, have a wonderful, peace-filled day!
CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY!
EMBRACE THE OPPORTUNITIES LIFE PRESENTS TO YOU AND ALWAYS, ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!
HAVE A GREAT LIFE AND SPREAD THE LOVE!
CHANGING THE WORLD – ONE READER AT A TIME
EMBRACE THE OPPORTUNITIES LIFE PRESENTS TO YOU AND ALWAYS, ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!
HAVE A GREAT LIFE AND SPREAD THE LOVE!
CHANGING THE WORLD – ONE READER AT A TIME
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