This week, I’m reading two books that have only just been released. One was a pre-order of the third book in a series that I’ve been following. The other was one I hadn’t heard of until Amazon offered it for free as a ‘First Read’. One is an audiobook and one is an ebook. Both are quirky reads (one of them is so quirky it’s hard to describe). One counts towards my 2023 TBR target and one counts towards my ‘Add it 2024, Read it in 2024’ target.

I’ve made a start on both books so I know that they’ll both be fun.

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‘The Bad Weather Friend’ by Dean Koontz (2024)

I read a few Dean Koontz novels in the 1980s. I came back to him this century with ‘Odd Thomas‘ which I think is one of his best books. I dipped back into his 1980s offerings with ‘Watchers’ and came to the conclusion that it and I are both showing our age.

Then Amazon offered ‘The Bad Weather Friend‘ (planned for publication on 1st February 2024) and I thought it looked like something new and different which is surprising from a man pushing eighty and with more than 100 books behind him.

I’ve started ‘The Bad Weather Friend‘ and it’s bizarre. It’s unlike any other book by Dean Koontz that I’ve read. It’s a dazzling concoction – a sort of Don Winslow meets Karl Hiaasen with a dash of Mark Twain thrown in. I’ve no idea where it’s going or why it wants to get there but there’s no way I’m putting it down now. I’m too intrigued to stop.

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‘The Queen Of Poisons’ by Robert Thorogood (2024)

I pre-ordered ‘The Queen Of Poisons‘ after reading ‘Death Comes To Marlow‘ which was more fun than the first book, ‘The Marlow Murder Club‘.

I’ve started this book too and I’m pleased to see that the formula has been shaken up a bit. Suzie witnesses the murder, Tanika Malik has been promoted to Detective Inspector and she brings Judith, Becks and Suzie in from the beginning as Civilian Advisors. This cuts out a lot of unnecessary time that might have been spent on justifying the three friends’ involvement and acknowledges their track record without stopping them from being free agents. I think this is going to be fun.