Monty's Book Reviews

  The Secret of the Rai Zamindars Tanmoy Bhattacharjee 3 Stars   208 Pages Published: 21 Nov 2021   Publisher’s Blurb Strange things are happening in the sleepy Bengal village of Dongajora. A thief being chased by the only village policeman vanishes into the thin air, an old woman paralyzed with drugs is found at the site of the theft, and the only object stolen is a bottle of turpentine, instead of the highly coveted statue rumoured to be the key to fabulous treasures. Puzzled, the constabulary enlists the help of the village doctor and his two gifted children. Aalo and Adhir are anxiously awaiting news of their mother, an army major who has been missing in action for three months; and jump at the chance of a distraction. As they delve deeper into the mystery with their mentor Shayeen, all leads start pointing towards the local Zamindars - the Rai family. Hints of foul play in the death of the family head, of his wife being blackmailed, and of dangerous ancestral secrets...

  Visible Cidney Swanson 4 Stars 281 pages Published:  11 Feb 2014 Publisher ‏ : ‎  Williams Press    Publisher's Blurb Gwyn Li survived assault and abduction in UNFURL, and now she’s more than ready for a little happily ever after with her seventeenth century crush, Chrétien de Rochefort. As Chrétien spins tales from his background as Cinderella’s original prince charming, he casts an even deeper spell on Gwyn. But Fritz Gottlieb, son of arch-nemesis Helmann, is still hot on the trail of Helmann’s secrets and comes up with a more deadly way to use Gwyn to get what he wants. And if Fritz succeeds, Gwyn won’t be doing any midnight dancing with anyone. Review Visible is book 4 in Cidney Swanson’s Ripple series and picks up where book 3 Unfurl left off with Gwyn Li stranded in France after being rescued from the clutches of Helmann by Chretien, a refugee from the 17 th century, and the rest of the gang. When Fritz, Helmann’s last remaining son, hatches...

  A Killer Among Us Rhys Stalba-Smith 3 Stars Pages: 309 Format: ebook Published: May 26, 2021   Publisher’s Blurb Some days Charlie’s trying to recover his life after a disastrous accident... Some days Charlie forgets that his legs don’t work because of the crash... Some days the bodies Charlie saves were already gone... Some days the bodies Charlie finds are in his past... The constant is the killer taunting him. Calling Charlie when they please, making him play the game. Because the killer knows Charlie. Knows that even the good are bad. More importantly, knows what he did. The much anticipated sophomore novel from Rhys Stalba-Smith visits again the landscapes of South Australia, but this time in the city. A killer is on the loose and the bodies are mounting. For Charlie Gardner, despite his best efforts to live a normal life, will find himself being pulled closer and closer into the Killer's game. A page turner not to be missed!   Review Told a...

  Rag Doll Girls Sydney James 4 Stars 348 pages, ebook Expected publication January 6, 2022 Publisher’s Blurb Two little girls went out to play. I came back. I was five when I discovered that adults don't know everything. It was the weirdest feeling, sitting across from the policeman at my grandmother's cottage, listening to him telling me that what had happened to Ellen was an accident. No one's fault. She was in a better place now, he said. I couldn't believe that he didn't know. That he couldn't tell, just by looking at me. And I wanted to tell him the truth, I really did. Tell someone. The kind policeman, my loving grandmother, anyone. Even my unforgiving sister. But they all seemed convinced they knew what had happened, and anyway, there weren't any words to describe the unforgettable sights I'd witnessed. In the end, I never told anyone what I had seen. And once my parents had come to get me, I never returned to my grandmother's c...

  Black Books Liz Hedgecock 4 Stars Page Count : 165 Published : 21 st Dec 2021 Publisher ‏ : ‎  White Rhino Books  Publisher’s Blurb May you live in interesting times… Jemma is happy in her work, busy managing the bookshops and handling knowledge emergencies, so when Raphael mentions more responsibility, she says no. She hadn’t realised Raphael meant  his  job. Her new boss seems efficient, competent and rigorous: everything Raphael isn’t. They ought to get on like a house on fire, but sparks fly from the moment they meet. The bookshop is increasingly volatile, too. And Raphael’s on secondment in Italy… Knowledge emergencies are rising, tensions are mounting, and Jemma’s own job is at stake. Can she work out what’s going on and stop it before the worst happens? Black Books  is the fifth in the Magical Bookshop humorous mystery series, set in modern London.   Review When Jemma’s boss sets off on a six month long sabbatical he...

  Dotty Dishes the Dirt Diane Ezzard 4 Stars Publication Date : Aug 26th 2019 Pages : 116 Publisher's Blurb Grisly discovery as Dotty’s dog unearths human bones in the garden Dotty’s new job as a gardener gets off to an eventful start when her little dog, Winnie the poodle digs up human remains. Dotty becomes an amateur sleuth as she sets out to find out more. Who is the body in the garden? Does her friend’s grandad know more than he is saying? Can Dotty and her friends get to the bottom of the mystery? Together, they expose secrets and lies that rock the close-knit quaint English village. Everyone’s peace is about to be shattered. Discover this new series of murder and mayhem and dive into the prequel to the Dotty Drinkwater Mystery Series This charming cozy mystery will leave you scratching your head with its twists and turns and laugh out loud adventures. This series is perfect for fans of CeeCee James, HY Hanna and Agatha Frost.   Review When Dotty deci...

  The Last Volunteer Steve Wetherall Publisher : Falstaff Books Published : May 2018 Pages : 238 Publisher's Blurb The fate of the world lies with one man: Bip Plunkerton. Talentless psyentist and frequent drinker at The Empty Goat, young Bip Plunkerton will follow in his father’s footsteps as a Volunteer…footsteps that have yet to return from the wilds of the wide world outside. Traverse the harsh weather of the formidable Ice Plains, navigate the Boiling Sea, and suffer the ravaging heat of the Bone Desert. Bip’s impossible task, continually thwarted by the semi-corporeal Mr. Random, is to warn the rest of the world of the coming doom of the Massive Ball of Death hurtling through space. Will the last volunteer be any more successful than the first? Will Bip save planet Bersch from a fate set into motion millennia before? Probably not, but we can likely drag this question out for a couple more books, though. Right? Review Take a pinch of Douglas Adams, add a dash of Terry ...

  A Better Heart by Chuck Augello Rating 4 Stars Publisher's Blurb For aspiring indie filmmaker Kevin Stacey, it's another day on the set of his first film, but when his estranged father, a failed Hollywood actor, arrives unexpectedly with a bundle of cash, a gun, and a stolen capuchin monkey, he's propelled toward the journey that will change his life. The monkey, Henry, has been liberated from a research lab by animal rights activists. Inspired by his friend Veronica to reevaluate his relationship with other species, Kevin learns about the pain and suffering inflicted on lab animals as he forges a bond with the capuchin. When father and son embark on a road trip with Henry, Kevin is caught between the egocentric father who abandoned him and the temperamental monkey whose fate is in his hands. With both the FBI and his mother's ghost watching, will Kevin risk his career and his father's freedom to bring the stolen monkey to safety? Meanwhile, Veronica's encount...

  You Can't Prevent Prophecy by D.G. Redd Rating 4 Stars Published Oct 24th 2021 ISBN 13: 9780645315905 Publisher's Blurb An arrogant human warrior who thinks he's the Chosen One. A halfling who thinks she's a master thief, and wants to put big people in their place. A dwarven cleric desperately trying to get into heaven. All of them want the Eye of Aera, a magical artefact spoken of in ancient prophecies. But prophecies are malleable things, that can be bent to suit the needs of those with the knowledge and power to do so. This is a humorous fantasy novel. There are no continent spanning quests. There is no reluctant hero who discovers a hidden talent. There is no love interest tugging at her braids or smoothing her skirts. This is a light-hearted adventure. Review A Warrior, a Wizard, a Cleric and a Thief go into a bar… A disparate band of adventurers, all with their own agendas, head out to fulfil a prophecy that none of them fully understand.   Not as epic as Lo...

  The Ghost Project by Nigel James Publisher:  PublishNation  Published : 24 Oct. 2021 Publisher's Blurb The UK is under attack. A terrorist bomber has killed dozens of civilians in random attacks around the country. The security services seem powerless to stop him and the press have dubbed him 'The Ghost' due to his ability to set his bombs and escape without leaving any trace. The seemingly unconnected murder of a high class escort provides the security services with their only possible line of enquiry. Desperate to stop the Ghost, they turn to Dan Green and Jimmy Johnson, two former SAS soldiers, who had previously tracked down and destroyed criminal gangs in Spain and France. This 'off the books' team is joined by the dead girl's flatmate and they are lead into the seedy world of parties for celebrities and call girls and a race against time to catch The Ghost before he launches one final spectacular attack. Review Terrorist bombings are killing innocent peo...