The State of Play
I’ve claimed nine Read & Called squares so far, including the Raven square and have completed books for four more squares that have not been called. I have one potential Bingo (I’m waiting for the Gothic square to be called).
I’m part way through three books, all of which have already been called. One of them will give me a second complete row of read books.
My Halloween Bingo reads in the last week
I only completed two books last week. I’ve been a bit distracted and have found myself flitting between three books rather than sticking with one until it’s finished.
‘‘Track Of The Cat’ (1993) – Anna Pigeon #1 by Nevada Barr was my most enjoyable read this week. It still feels fresh although it was published more than thiry years ago.
I like Anna Pigeon and I admire Nevada Barr’s writing so I’ve decided to begin reading the rest of the books in this series until I’m done or series fatigue sets in.
I read this for THE BARRENS square.
‘Killing Jericho (2023) – Scott Jericho #1 by William Hussey (a.k.a Will Harker), narrated by Damian Lynch Started well but ultimately disappointed me. The plot twist at the end made my suspended disbielf snap and slap me in the face. I felt like I’d wasted my time with this book.
I read this for the CREEPY CARNIVAL square.
I’ve read the first third of ‘Road To Ruin‘ and I’m having fun. This is a great romping adventure. At first, I thought it was going to be a straight-line narrative, reaching for a fairytale atmosphere. I think it was the princess in the tower fainting into the arms of our rugged (dressed as a man for conventions sake) female magebike courier that did it. Then I hit part two of the book and started to grin. as everything got more complicated. There’s a twisty plot and lots to think about but the focus has stayed on the people. I’m looking forward to the rest.
I’m reading it for the DYSTOPIAN HELLSCAPE square.
‘Scourge Of The Pleasantries‘ is a light fast read about a talking cat and his human partner who work as PIs in Leeds. The plot moves like a cat scaling a wall, fast and with complete confidence while appearing to defy the laws of physics.
There’s ongoing mayhem, a little snark, lots of cat humour and a strong dash of supernatural soul-eating threat.
I’m readinf this for the BLACK CAT square.
This was my third week reading this 152 page book. It’s not that’ it’s ‘A Dram Of Poison’ is bad, it’s that it’s so grim that I don’t want to stay with it for long. All the characters seem doomed, in undramatic, mundane ways that would slowly bleed them of life. The central argument is about what it means to see the world clearly and whether seeing altruism in others as real is a failure to understand human nature.
The writing is excellent but this is not a book to share with anyone who tends towards suicidal ideation.
I’m 38% in and I have no idea what the second half of the book will be about.
I’m reading this for the ARSENIC AND OLD LACE square.
My next Halloween Bingo Reads
My next reads cover a lot of ground, most of it dark. It feels like a good start to October. I’ve decided to read three squares in the same column. Two of them, MONSTERS (a square about any crypto-zoological or mythological creature that isn’t a vampire, werewolf, demon, or zombie) and WHEN MOTHER NATURE STRIKES (a square about natural disasters) have already been called. I’m adding the NOIR square to complete the column.
I’ve chosen ‘The Savage Altar‘ for the NOIR square. It’s a Nordic Noir book, set in rural Sweden, that I’ve been looking forward to. It’s the first novel in Åsa Larsson’s six-book Rebecka Martinsson series. Larsson is a new author for me but I enjoyed the Arctic Murders TV series based on the books, starring Sascha Zacharias.
For the MONSTERS square, I’ve picked A. G. Slatter’s ‘All The Murmuring Bones‘ about a dark deal made with the Mer. I’ve read five of her books so far, so I know that I’ll enjoy her writing. I’m looking forward to discovering what her dark imagination has conjured this time.
For the WHEN MOTHER NATURE STRIKES square, I’m going to read Rachel McLean’s ‘Thicker Than Water‘ a thriller set in the North Yorkshire coast in a near-future England where floods have made much of the country uninhabitable. It’s the first book in a three book series. These days, Rachel Mclean is best known for her three police proceduarl crime series. I read her ‘Corfe Castle Murders‘, the first book of her Dorest Crime series, for Halloween Bingo in 2012 and enjoyed it. I was intrigued when I found that her earliest books where these three speculative fiction with a thriller edge novels. I’m looking forward to seeing what she makes of the all too plausible premise.
Additions to my Halloween Bingo Wishlist.
I read Char’s Halloween Bingo review of ‘The Sequel’ , I decided to try ‘The Plot‘ the first book in the series. The audiobook is waiting for me on my TBR shelves..
Mike Finn's Fiction 