Matchup edited by Lee Child

Matchup is a collection of short thrillers, but with a twist. Each story pairs a male and female author and takes one of their most famous characters and matches them up in a brand new story.

Some of the most iconic characters come together to solve crimes in this anthology, and what makes it remarkable is that the characters span different decades or even species, yet the authors make it work.  Joe Pickett and Lee Coburn start the collection with gunshots fired in a ranger's park. Footloose brings us a story of a foot fetish gone wrong. Jack Reacher and Temperance Brennan team up when one of them is falsely accused of murder. Past Prologue gives us an intriguing look at what could happen with time travel and artefacts being passed through the centuries. Liz Sansborough gets help from Rambo in solving a crime in a unique way. Short Story is certainly not that at all, being the longest in the collection, but cuts an interesting take on a scam gone wrong. Harper Connelly uses her mystical ability to speak to the bones of the dead to change sceptic Ty Hauck's mind. Deserves to be Dead follows a case of mistaken identity and abuse. Lucan Thorne and Lilliane Williams work together to make sure that humans are not able to prove the existence of supernatural creatures. Getaway is anything but a vacation, since secrets lurk in the woods. Bravo Shaw and Ali Reynolds close the collection and find themselves retrieving a religious relic while dodging those who would kill to claim it.

I really enjoyed this matchup of stories. Even though all of the stories are crime thrillers the authors came in from different angles and looked at crime in different ways. The partnerships among the authors created almost seamless transitions between the writing styles and nowhere was it blatantly obvious that it was a collaboration. I truly admire the way they were able to blend characters together that in some instances would never have been in the same time period let alone part of the world.

This is a highly recommended collection and many thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Dark Screams: Volume Six edited by Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar

Dark Screams is a collection of short horror stories by a number of different authors; some of which have been previously released in other publications.

An eclectic mix of horror stories like this makes you think about what horror means to you as individual. Here we find many different facets of horror: from a Vietnam vet who transfers his horrors and memories of the war into wanting to murder someone because of the look of his eye, to a family's cursed bloodline, to the phobia of a manicure, to a father's personality snap in trying to get his baby girl to stop crying, to a family's link to cats. A longer story ends the anthology and focuses on grave robbers and what may or may not be burrowing underneath all of us.

Horror did indeed present itself in many forms in this collection. It does not necessarily need to manifest as a beast in the night, but can be the beast hiding within us behind a perfectly normal facade. A relatively quick read, but I commend the authors on reaching that spot where you cringe while reading.  A great find for those who wish to add to any collection of short horror stories.

Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to review the book.

Hit the Ground Running by Mark Burley

Hit the Ground Running is the first in a mystery and action series with a touch of fantasy and is suitable for YA and up.

Eric feels abandoned. After being sent off to a new school in a different country with no good explanation, he feels cast aside. One morning he receives a video text from his brother saying that his parents have been abducted. The footage also reveals his brother under attack by an unknown assailant. Eric is thrown into a state of panic as his brother has said to trust no one. Can he go off and find his family on his own though? Luckily help arrives in the form of drama student Tess and her quirky twin friends who are fearless and are willing to dive in head first to help out. They soon find that they have landed in an adventure that is way bigger than they anticipated and the danger may prove to be just too much to handle. Along the way Eric discovers secrets about his family and a shock about himself. The clock is ticking however, and the enemy lies just around the corner...

This was a fantastic YA book. I loved the twins whacky characters and their attitude to life. The relationship between Tess and Eric is an interesting one and I hope it gets resolved in later books. The parkour aspect as well as some information on its history was a welcome learning experience and the addition of myths and legends and creatures coming back from the dead was a good solid base for the story. One or two small editing mistakes cropped up but not enough to deter from the thrilling action.

I highly recommend this book for YA and up and loved the way it leads into the next one. Buckle up because a fast paced adventure awaits you!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of the book. 

Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel

Waking Gods is the second in the Themis Files series and is an urban fantasy novel with a touch of sci-fi, suitable for YA and up.

Eva Reyes suffers from debilitating night and day mares. Visions of dead people, everywhere she looks. She knows the images are important and not to be ignored like the doctors suggest. In the meantime another robot has appeared in London. Similar in appearance to Themis, it seems to have been made by the same people who made the first female robot the EDC has taken control of. When the robot just sits there day after day with no movement, the world is divided as to whether to leave it alone or attack it before it attacks the world. When the robot does reveal what it can do, the world reels with the destructive power on show. Terrifyingly more robots have appeared throughout the world, all in major cities. Can Vincent and Kara, together with Rose and the rest of the team find a way to use Themis to save humanity?

This was a great sequel to Sleeping Giants and answered a lot of questions (especially about our interviewer), but raised quite a few more. You get to the last sentence and then BAM - you just know there is sequel waiting to happen. For the most part I like that the book is written as a dialogue or conversation and sometimes as a letter, even though it can be a little trying to read it like that sometimes. I liked the introduction of new characters and how they related to the established ones. The concept of why the robots were there was very thought provoking and even in our current times makes you regard history and the bigger picture in a different way.

Some of the scientific explanations became a bit tedious to read and I found myself skipping over sections. I also found certain parts of the dialogue unnecessary or drawn out, like some of the arguments in parliament as to whether to approach the robot or not. Certain parts pushed belief a little too far for me, but I guess if the first novel starts with someone falling onto a giant hand, then learning that not all people are as they seem in the second one doesn't seem too far-fetched.

Overall I enjoyed the storyline, the characters and the good editing. Sometimes when writing in dialogue some of the world building gets left out but at least now I know I need to try Kung Pao Chicken!

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review the novel.

The Second Twin (The Legend of Rhyme series #4) by Jaime Lee Mann

This is the 4th in the Rhyme series and is a fantasy adventure aimed at middle grade children.

Grindlerod has taken Asher and Ariana to a time when Elora and Calla are much the same age as they are. Now that they know what Elora became, how can they possible trust her? A stranger then enters their lives with the promise of help. After all they have been through is it wise to trust him? Meanwhile Teagan is learning what it's like to become a mermaid, but will she be happy enough to make it permanent?

Again the storylines moved in interesting directions but a cliff-hanger smacks you in the face at the end. Many timeframes and scenes are covered in this book, and the jump between them as well as the length of the chapters made it confusing to read at times. I do like the path that the story has taken, and the way that Starla alerts her future self to a memory is very clever. The main themes of family, friendship, loyalty, love and being the hero are beautifully explored in the series. A very entertaining read, rich with interesting characters (although I found the pixies VERY annoying) and an adventure-filled plotline.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blue Moon Publishers for the chance to review the book.

Teagan of Tomorrow (The Legend of Rhyme series #3) by Jaime Lee Mann

This is the third in the fantasy adventure series suitable for middle grade children.

The twins have been thrust into the future - one where magic no longer exists but where people know the history of magic. Teagan is from this timeline, but has never felt as though she belongs there. Grindlerod has bided his time waiting for magic to reappear so that his deepest desire can be fulfilled. Asgall is gone but his spell is still intact. Will the twins make their way back to undo Asgall's spell with the help of one who was once a toad? And will Teagan find out where in the world she is actually meant to be?

Another great instalment in the series. The pace of the action in this is a lot quicker and there is more of a sense of urgency in correcting the evil that has fallen. You find yourself reading as fast as possible to see what happens, only to realise that you HAVE to get your hands on the next one in the series. I'm looking forward to the conclusion as I feel I have walked every step of the adventure with all the amazing characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blue Moon Publishers for the chance to review the book.

Into Coraira (The Legend of Rhyme series #2) by Jaime Lee Mann

This is the second in the fantasy adventure series suitable for middle grade children.

Now that the evil that threatened to envelop Rhyme has been banished, the twins are ready to find out just how powerful they really are. Unfortunately things are never quiet in their realm  as it comes to light that Asgall, the eldest of the Ancients, is back in Rhyme and bringing all manner of evil with him.

The series continues and answers many questions left by the first book, but of course new ones emerge. More creatures like unicorns and mermaids join the cast of characters which creates a fantastic new dimension. I found the story a little slower than the first but I think it's a build-up to what promises to be faster paced action in the third. Will Asgall succeed in his quest? Will the missing twins be found? Will Asher and Ariana find their powers? Will Grindlerod's wish be answered? So many questions!

This is a fantastic read and I can't wait to see what happens next. Thanks to NetGalley and Blue Moon Publishers for the chance to review the book.