May Release Selected Highlights
Ok, so may is almost over but the good news is that you should be able to buy any of the books listed. All expect one are British releases though a lot of them have had or are having an American release. It’s a mix of new releases and paperback releases. I’ve cut it down to the books I’d most likely read if they were put in front of me rather than books that just look interesting otherwise it would take me another month to put up the list 
*means it’s on the shelves.
*Rant by Chuck Palahniuck
Vintage
Synopsis:
“Rant” is the oral history of one Buster ‘Rant’ Casey, in which an assortment of friends, enemies, detractors, lovers and relations have their say on the man who may or may not be the most efficient serial killer of our time. Rant is a darkly glittering anti-hero whose recreational drug of choice is rabies, and whose own personal Viagra is the venom of a black widow spider. He soon leaves his half-feral hometown for the big city, where he becomes the leader of an urban demolition derby called Party Crashing. On designated nights, the Party Crashers chase each other in cars in the hope of a collision, and all the while Rant, the ’superspreader’, transmits his lethal disease…
Comment:
I reviewed the hardback of Rant last year and said:
By the time I got to the end I wanted to start all over again in order to see how what’s revealed in the end is already told to you from the beginning. I probably will re-read it was the end is a little more complicated than I expected. This might make it a little disappointing to some readers who want everything a bit more cut and dry or who enjoyed the Party Crashing for just causing chaos.
Chuck’s next book Snuff is also out in the US now and in August over here and has a great review by Fantasy Book Critic
*The Dreaming Void by Peter F. Hamilton
Pan Books
Synopsis:
AD 3580. The Intersolar Commonwealth has spread through the galaxy to over a thousand star systems. It is a culture of rich diversity with a place for everyone. A powerful navy protects it from any hostile species that may lurk among the stars. For Commonwealth citizens, even death has been overcome. At its centre is a massive black hole. This Void is not a natural artefact. Inside there is a strange universe where the laws of physics are very different to those we know. It is slowly consuming the other stars of the galactic core - one day it will have devoured the entire galaxy. Inigo, a human, has started to dream of a wonderful existence of the Void. He has a following of millions of believers. They now clamour to make a pilgrimage into the Void to live the life they have been shown. Other starfaring species fear their migration will cause the Void to expand again. They are prepared to stop them no matter what the cost. And so the pilgrimage begins…
Comment:
I also managed to read The Dreaming Void and concluded:
The Dreaming Void is set in an amazing imaging of the future of the human race. It’s complex and challenging but has huge moments of satisfaction throughout. If you like your science fiction to explore what it is to be human with all our potential and our weaknesses and enjoys seeing new worlds and technology you’ll love Part One of The Void Trilogy. If you like your narratives to follow a more linear path this maybe a little too in-depth to be satisfactory.
Gods Behaving Badly by Marrie Phillips
Vintage
Synopsis:
Being immortal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Life’s hard for a Greek god in the 21st century: nobody believes in you any more, even your own family doesn’t respect you, and you’re stuck in a delapidated hovel in north London with too many siblings and not enough hot water. But for Artemis (goddess of hunting, professional dog walker), Aphrodite (goddess of beauty, telephone sex operator) and Apollo (god of the sun, TV psychic) there’s no way out…Until a meek cleaner and her would-be boyfriend come into their lives, and turn the world literally upside down. “Gods Behaving Badly” is that rare thing, a charming, funny, utterly original first novel that satisfies the head and the heart.
Comment:
Lastly of this month’s paperback releases that I’ve already reviewed. I had this to say about Gods Behaving Badly:
I really can’t think of anything I didn’t like about it. It was a wonderful easy read that managed to be both entertaining and thought provoking. The characters are wonderfully imagined, though I would have liked to have seen a bit more of a few of the Gods as there was so much more I wanted to know about them.
*Iron Angel by Alan Campbell
Tor
Synopsis:
Order has collapsed in Deepgate. The chained city is now in ruins; the Deadsands beyond are full of fleeing refugees.The Spine militia, unable to come to terms with the loss of their church, are trying to halt the exodus with brutal force. Driven away by the mob, Rachel Hael leads Dill along a very dangerous route through the wastelands, but what should have been a straightforward flight to Sandport becomes a desperate march for survival after the angel is captured and mutilated. Rachel just wants to keep her friends alive, but the offspring of the dread goddess Ayen have other ideas, the death of the underworld god Ulcis having not gone unnoticed by his six siblings. Cospinol, the god of brine and fog, is coming for his brother’s murderers, and he’s bringing his own version of hell with him. Wreathed in fog, Cospinol’s foul skyship has already reached Sandport.
Cog Island will now become the focus for a clash of powers: of men and gods and archons and slaves all forced into desperate alliances, a battle in which the outcome will be decided not by force, but by sacrifice. Whoever wins, it’s bad news for everyone except Iril, god of death. For in the end there’s going to be a lot of blood.
Comment:
I received a review copy of Iron Angel a few weeks ago which speared me on to read and review its prequel - Scar Night, which I greatly enjoyed and was nothing like I expected.
Fantasy Book Critic and Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review have managed to read it and pass judgement and it seems that Campbell ups his game in Iron Angel so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.
*Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
Orbit
Synopsis:
England flourishes under the hand of its Virgin Queen: Elizabeth, Gloriana, last and most powerful of the Tudor monarchs. But a great light casts a great shadow. In hidden catacombs beneath London, a second Queen holds court: Invidiana, ruler of faerie England, and a dark mirror to the glory above. In the thirty years since Elizabeth ascended her throne, fae and mortal politics have become inextricably entwined, in secret alliances and ruthless betrayals whose existence is suspected only by a few. And two courtiers, struggling for the favour of very different royal patrons, are about to uncover the secrets that lie behind their thrones. What they find has the potential to fracture both worlds. This is a breathtaking novel of intrigue and betrayal set in Elizabethan England.
Comment:
Chris, the Book Swede has a wonderful interview with Marie and there is a positive review at The Bookbag. If you haven’t noticed by now that I have a thing for things faerie and worlds within our worlds. I’m wondering
*Dawn Over Doomsday by Jaspre Bark
Abaddon
Synopsis:
As America lies bleeding, Native American Chief Hiamovi seeks to unite his people into a single nation capable of reclaiming the US from the white man. His growing army is on a collision course with cult leader Samuel Colt, who intends to put the country back in the iron grip of the once mighty Neo Clergy. The two men are set for a showdown at Little Bighorn, once site of Custer’s legendary last stand, now a twisted, nuclear landscape. The fate of the battle may just be decided by Anna Bontraeger, a former sex slave from Pennsylvania, rescued from a brothel by rogue scientist Matthew Greaves and taken on a perilous road trip across a devastated continent. Greaves and his small band have to get Anna to Little Bighorn before Colt or Hiamovi, so she can unlock the secrets which will save what remains of humanity and bring about a new dawn over Doomsday!
Comment:
Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review has a not so positive review and to be honest it’s not my kind of thing but I’ll give a try at some point.
*The Fabric of Sin by Phil Rickman
Quercus
Synopsis:
The Master House, close to the Welsh border, is medieval and slowly falling into ruins. Now the house and its surrounding land have been sold to the Duchy of Cornwall. But the Duchy’s plans to renovate the house and its outbuildings are frustrated when the specialist builder refuses to work there. ‘This is a place,’ he tells the Prince’s land-steward, ‘that doesn’t want to be restored. Directed by the Bishop of Hereford to investigate, deliverance consultant Merrily Watkins discovers ancient connections between the house and the nearby church, built by the Knights Templar whose shadow still envelopes isolated Garway Hill and its scattered communities. Why did all the local inns have astrological names? What deep history lies behind the vicious feud between two local families? And what happened here to intimidate even the great Edwardian ghost-story writer M R James?When Merrily learns that she - and even her daughter, Jane - are under surveillance by the security services, she’s ready to quit.
But a sudden death changes everything, and she returns to Garway to uncover fibres of fear and hatred stitched into history and now insidiously twisted in the corridors - and the cloisters - of power.
Comment:
I’ve enjoyed all the books in the six Merrily Watkins series that I’ve read so far. This is number nine and I have seven, eight and this one lined up to indulge myself in. And for some weird reason I always put books I know I’m going to enjoy below writer I’ve never tried or not sure of. Looking forward to seeing what Merrily Watkins gets involved in next.
*Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Gollancz
Synopsis:
‘Buy my stepfather’s ghost’ read the e-mail. So Jude did. He bought it, in the shape of the dead man’s suit, delivered in a heart-shaped box, because he wanted it: because his fans ate up that kind of story. It was perfect for his collection: the genuine skulls and the bones, the real honest-to-God snuff movie, the occult books and all the rest of the paraphanalia that goes along with his kind of hard/goth rock. But the rest of his collection doesn’t make the house feel cold. The bones don’t make the dogs bark; the movie doesn’t make Jude feel as if he’s being watched. And none of the artefacts bring a vengeful old ghost with black scribbles over his eyes out of the shadows to chase Jude out of his home, and make him run for his life …
Comment:
I’ve been following this book and waiting for the paperback release for ages. I know you shouldn’t compare but having a famous father should, I hope, help make this a cracking read.
Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks
Penguin
Synopsis
BOND IS BACK…
The publication of DEVIL MAY CARE is set to be one of the key literary moments of 2008. Written to celebrate the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth, the novel is the electrifying new chapter in the life of the most iconic spy of literature and film - Bond, James Bond.
The manuscript of the novel is currently being kept under 24 hour guard in a top-secret secure facility in the UK - the details of the plot and characters are strictly embargoed until 00.01 hours on May 28th 2008. However, snippets of information have already leaked from the publishers, including one line from the text… ]
`Come in, 007,’ said M. `It’s good to see you back.’
We have also been told that that, picking up from where Ian Fleming left off, Sebastian Faulks takes Bond back to the height of the Cold war in a story of almost unbearable pace and tension. Add to this all the glamour, thrills and excitement that one would expect from any adventure involving Bond, and DEVIL MAY CARE promises to be one of the most exciting and eagerly anticipated books of the year.
Comment:
This is probably the release of the year for a lot of James Bond fans. It comes 40 years after the last Ian Fleming penned bond, Octopussy and The Living Daylights. I’ve never read a Fleming Bond book though I have been tempted. I grew up watching Bond movies when there was only three channels and films were shown at Bank Holidays and Christmas. So my idea, like my idea of Sherlock Holmes as the Jeremy Brett version is fixed from what I’ve seen rather than read and I’m not sure if the cinematic and literary versions will gel or conflict.
The Host by Stephanie Myer
Sphere
Synopsis:
Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that takes over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed. Wanderer, the invading ’soul’ who has been given Melanie’s body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too-vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn’t expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. Melanie fills Wanderer’s thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves - Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body’s desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she’s never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.
Comment:
This is a bit of a surprise entry for me. Not because of its subject matter but because it came out of nowhere and rocketed up the hardback charts. Actually that’s not quit true. I had seen books from her Twilight Series in Borders and I avoided as I’m feeling anti-vampire at the minute. Though I understand they are quite popular ;). Again Fantasy Book Critic and Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review have already read it and have a slight difference of opinion. See the comments on Graeme’s post for more thoughts.
The Kingdom Beyond The Waves by Stephen Hunt.
HarperVoyager
Synopsis:
From the author of The Court of the Air, a hugely engaging, Victorian-style adventure, filled with perilous quests, dastardly deeds and deadly intrigue - perfect for all fans of Philip Pullman and Susanna Clarke Professor Amelia Harsh is obsessed with finding the lost civilisation of Camlantis, a legendary city from pre-history that is said to have conquered hunger, war and disease — tempering the race of man’s baser instincts by the creation of the perfect pacifist society. It is an obsession that is to cost her dearly. She returns home to Jackals from her latest archaeological misadventure to discover that the university council has finally stripped her of her position in retaliation for her heretical research. Without official funding, Amelia has no choice but to accept the offer of patronage from the man she blames for her father’s bankruptcy and suicide, the fiercely intelligent and incredibly wealthy Abraham Quest. He has an ancient crystal-book that suggests the Camlantean ruins are buried under one of the sea-like lakes that dot the murderous jungles of Liongeli.Amelia undertakes an expedition deep into the dark heart of the jungle, blackmailing her old friend Commodore Black into ferrying her along the huge river of the Shedarkshe on his ancient u-boat.
With an untrustworthy crew of freed convicts, Quest’s force of female mercenaries on board and a lunatic steamman safari hunter acting as their guide, Amelia’s luck can hardly get any worse. But she’s as yet unaware that her quest for the perfect society is about to bring her own world to the brink of destruction!
Comment:
After hearing mixed things about The Court of the Air, I’ve put it to one side into the “if it’s a rainy day I really should really read it” pile (I don’t have such a pile but you get the idea). Though after reading the Fantasy Book Critic’s emphatic review of The Kingdom of the Waves plus he liked the first one I’ll have to make up my own mind I think and actually read it ;).
Thirteen by Sebastian Beaumont
Myrmidon Books
Synopsis:
Stephen Bardot is a taxi driver working on the night shift in Brighton. He works such long shifts that he is often driving while exhausted, and it is then that he starts to experience major alterations to his perception of reality. People start to take lifts in his cab who know things they shouldn’t, and who ultimately may not even be real, although the question of what constitutes reality forms one of the basic themes of the novel. He regularly gives lifts to Valerie - beautiful, haunting, but terminal - from 13 Wish Road to her positive thinking classes at the Cornerstone Community Centre on Palmeira Square. When he is no longer asked to collect her, he fears that she is dead, and queries this with Sal, one of the night operators. Her response turns Stephen’s world upside down. ‘But Stephen,’ she tells him, ‘there is no such address. Wish Road doesn’t have a number thirteen.’ As time passes, the world gets weirder. People appear (and disappear) who know far too much about Stephen and his past, and who lure him further and further into the twilight world of Thirteen. But if he asks any questions, he gets hurt. Ultimately, he decides, for the sake of both his safety and his sanity, he must walk away… but Thirteen has no intention of letting him go.
Comment:
Slipping from the end of April but I can’t let it get away. I’ve let my more literary interests wain for the last few months so I’m a little out of the loop but I know this book has been a favourite by quite a few people so I’m glad it’s finally had a paperback release. I’m going to pick this one up when I get paid.
The Reapers by John Connolly
Hodder & Stoughton
Synopsis:
They are the Reapers, the elite among killers. Men so terrifying that their names are mentioned only in whispers. The assassin Louis is one of them. But now Louis, and his partner, Angel, are themselves targets. And there is no shortage of suspects. A wealthy recluse sends them north to a town that no longer exists on a map. A town ruled by a man with very personal reasons for wanting Louis’s blood spilt. There they find themselves trapped, isolated, and at the mercy of a killer feared above all others: the assassin of assassins, Bliss. Thanks to former detective Charlie Parker, help is on its way. But can Angel and Louis stay alive long enough for it to reach them?
Comment:
If I’m a little behind on the Merrily Watkins series by Phil Rickman (see The Fabric of Sin above) then I’m seriously in arrears with John Connolly, having read only the first two Charlie Parker books and this is book eight and I’ve only dipped into Nocturnes, not to mention having The Book of Lost Things waiting. Though I always think that it’s a good thing when you know you have more books in a series that are already out there for you to move onto when you’ve finished the last one. At least that’s what I keep telling myself 
Hero by Perry Moore
Corgi Childrens
Synopsis:
Even though Thom Creed’s a basketball star, his high school classmates keep their distance. They’ve picked up on something different about Thom. Plus, his father, Hal Creed, was one of the greatest and most beloved superheroes of his time until a catastrophic event left him disfigured and an outcast. The last thing in the world Thom wants is to add to his father’s pain, so he keeps secrets. Like that he has special powers. And he’s been asked to join the League - the very organization of superheroes that disowned Hal. But joining the League opens up a new world to Thom. There, he connects with a misfit group of aspiring heroes: Scarlett, who can control fire but not her anger; Typhoid Larry, who can make anyone sick with his touch; and, Ruth, a wise old woman who can see the future. Together these unlikely heroes become friends and begin to uncover a plot to kill the superheroes. This groundbreaking and widely acclaimed novel tells an unforgettable story about love, loss, and redemption.
Comment:
I’m buying this one, apart from the fact that I’ve heard good things about it. I think more publishers should take risks in their schedules and this one needs to supported!
Blind Faith by Ben Elton
Black Swan
Synopsis:
Imagine a world where everyone knows everything about everybody. Where ’sharing’ is valued above all, and privacy is considered a dangerous perversion. Trafford wouldn’t call himself a rebel, but he’s daring to be different, to stand out from the crowd. In his own small ways, he wants to push against the system. But in this world, uniformity is everything. And even tiny defiances won’t go unnoticed. Ben Elton’s dark, savagely comic novel imagines a post-apocalyptic society where religious intolerance combines with a sex-obsessed, utterly egocentric culture. In this world, nakedness is modesty, independent thought subversive, and ignorance is wisdom. A chilling vision of what’s to come? Or something rather closer to home?
Comment:
Ben Elton is a strange man. First coming to wide public attention as a verbal, almost ranting, political stand-up comedian, but on top of that he’s a novelist, sit-com writer, and even written musicals. This has been recommended by a friend of mine and I’d like to see what’s he’s up to. I greatly enjoyed Popcorn when I read that.
Maps and Legends by Michael Chabon
McSweeney’s Publishing
Synopsis:
A series of linked essays analyzes works of literature important to the author, argues for the importance of enjoying a diverse range of reading options, and explores the author’s own writings from a perspective of personal history.
Comment: Another one from the end of April. His novel, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, brought him to attention and it would be interesting to see some non-fiction.
Death Message by Mark Billingham
Sphere
Synopsis:
The first message sent to Tom Thorne’s mobile phone was just a picture - the blurred image of a man’s face, but Thorne had seen enough dead bodies in his time to know that the man was no longer alive. But who was he? Who sent the photograph? And why? While the technical experts attempt to trace the sender, Thorne searches the daily police bulletins for a reported death that matches the photograph. Then another picture arrives. Another dead man …It is the identities of the murdered men which give Thorne his first clue, a link to a dangerous killer he’d put away years before and who is still in prison. With a chilling talent for manipulation, this man has led another inmate to plot revenge on everyone he blames for his current incarceration, and for the murder of his family while he was inside. Newly released, this convict has no fear of the police, no feelings for those he is compelled to murder. Now Tom Thorne must face one of the toughest challenges of his career, knowing that there is no killer more dangerous than one who has nothing left to lose.
Comment:
I keep meaning to try Mark Billingam… maybe this one.
Whatever Makes You Happy by William Suttcliffe
Bloomsbury
Synopsis:
In William Sutcliffe’s new novel, the hapless gap-yearers of “Are You Experienced?” have given way to three men in their early thirties who are not (in the eyes of their alienated mothers) properly settled. Matt works for lads mag BALLS! and is a serial dater of girls half his age. Paul is an experienced hand at lying and evasion to keep his life choices a secret from his mother. Daniel spends his Saturday nights alone in his flat reading novels, pining for ex-girlfriend and love of his life Erin. The mothers decide to launch a co-ordinated attack: they will arrive, without warning, to stay with their sons for one week with the intention of man-handling them back onto the right path. Wonderfully funny, with some characteristically hilarious set pieces, William has once again shone a brilliantly incisive spotlight on his generation.
Comment:
I read two of Sutcliffe’s novels what I was an emotional teenager and really enjoyed them. I wonder what he’s like now he’s grown up,
The Alchemist by Michael Scott
Corgi Childrens
Synopsis:
Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on 28 September 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty and Nicholas Flamel lives. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects - the Book of Abraham the Mage. It’s the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. And that’s exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won’t know what’s happening until it’s too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.
Comment:
A mix of fantasy, fact and fiction for children. I’d give it a go.
The Deep by Helen Dunmore
HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks
Synopsis:
The third spellbinding story about Sapphy and Conor’s adventures in the powerful and dangerous underwater world of Ingo. A devastating flood has torn through the worlds of Air and Ingo, and now, deep in the ocean, a monster is stirring. Mer legend says that only those with dual blood — half Mer, half human — can overcome the Kraken. Sapphy must return to the Deep, with the help of her friend the whale, and face this terrifying creature — and her brother Conor and Mer friend Faro will not let her go alone!
The Crossing of Ingo by Helen Dunmore
Synopsis:
The breathtaking conclusion to Helen Dunmore’s critically-acclaimed Ingo series. Sapphire, Conor and their Mer friends Faro and Elvira are ready to make the Crossing of Ingo — a long and dangerous journey that only the strongest young Mer are called upon to make. No human being has ever attempted this thrilling voyage to the bottom of the world. Ervys, his followers and new recruits, the sharks, are determined that Sapphire and Conor must be stopped — dead or alive!
Comment:
Not overly keen on water related tales but Helen Dunmore read from the first in a series at an event I went to and it was interesting enough.
Incandescence by Greg Egan
Gollancz
Synopsis:
A million years from now, the galaxy is divided between the vast, cooperative meta-civilisation known as the Amalgam, and the silent occupiers of the galactic core known as the Aloof. The Aloof have long rejected all attempts by the Amalgam to enter their territory, but have permitted travellers to take a perilous ride as unencrypted data in their communications network, providing a short-cut across the galaxy’s central bulge. When Rakesh encounters a traveller, Lahl, who claims she was woken by the Aloof on such a journey and shown a meteor full of traces of DNA, he accepts her challenge to try to find the uncharted world deep in the Aloof’s territory from which the meteor originated. Roi and Zak live inside the Splinter, a world of rock that swims in a sea of light they call the Incandescence. Living on the margins of a rigidly prganised society, they seek to decipher the subtle clues that can reveal the true nature of the Splinter. In fact, the Splinter is orbiting a black hole, which is about to capture a neighbouring star, wreaking havoc. As the signs of danger grow, Roi, Zak, and a growing band of recruits struggle to understand and take control of their fate.
Meanwhile, Rakesh is gradually uncovering their remote history, and his search for the lost DNA world ultimately leads him to a civilisation trapped in cultural stagnation, and startling revelations about the true nature and motives of the Aloof
Comment:
I’m thinking I should read more Sci-fi, and Egan is a grand master.
Kethani by Eric Brown
Solaris
Synopsis:
It takes an alien race to show us what humanitiy truly is. This is the irony faced by a group of friends whose lives are changed forever when the mysterious alien race known as the Kethani come to Earth bearing a dubious but amazing gift: immortality. These superbly crafted episodes deal with human emotions in the face of the vast consequences of the alien arrival, and show how people across the world react to this benign invasion, how ultimately we evolve as we gain the stars.
Comment:
More sci-fi this time from the guardian’s sci-fi/fantasy reviewer. I’m just curious if he can practice what he preaches.
Song of the Shiver Barrens by Glenda Lake
Orbit
Synopsis:
Ligea’s son, Arrant, leaves Tyrans for Kardiastan to take his place as Mirager-heir, while Ligea prepares to halt an insurrection. But Arrant’s skills as a Magoroth are dangerously inconsistent, and his father, Temellin, finds it difficult to communicate with this secretive young man he barely knows. Arrant’s singular ability to communicate with his half-brother, Tarran - a part of the collective mind known as the Mirage Makers - leads them both towards the possibility of a tragic clash with the encroaching Ravage. As Arrant’s enemies among the Magoroth plot to ruin his family and his future as heir, he begins to realise there is a greater mystery to solve if he is to prevail.
Comment:
I’ve fallen for the cover of this one - and collective minds sounds quite cool and a little scary.
The Front by Patricia Cornwell
Little, Brown
Synopsis:
Massachusetts State Investigator Win Garano is given one of his most challenging cases yet when he is asked to investigate the death of a young British woman murdered more than forty years ago. Assumed to be a victim of the Boston Strangler, blind Janie Brolin was raped and left for dead in 1962. With no DNA and sketchy police records, this is a case that will test Garano to his limits. It will take him on a journey through the archives, into the latest innovations in forensic technology, and into partnership with senior officers at London’s New Scotland Yard. And as Garano unearths deadly secrets from the past, his hard-nosed boss Monique Lamont is putting both their lives in jeopardy with her lust for power and success. With past and present colliding, the tension mounts with every page…
Comment:
Finally, I’m wondering if a different set of character will stretch Cornwell into upping her game!
And there are probably more but I think 30-odd is more than enough. Not a bad selection of stuff even if I do say so myself!
Lets start with the paperback release of one of novels of the year in 2007, Heart Sick by Chelsea Cain from Pan Books. In my 
Then we have the next in the Joe Pitt series by Charlie Huston from 
Changing from Brooklyn to UnLondon not to be confused with London as UnLondon is where all the lost and broken things of London end up and some of it’s people too. China Mieville has been on the radar for a long time. But he tends to write very thick novels; Perdido Street Station (880 pages), The Scar (624) and The Iron Council (400 pages). OK, they get shorter as you move along but the first one at over 800 pages is a little scary. He’s also been nominated for and won various awards so it’s got to a good 800-plus pages. Anyway, Un Lun Dun is his first Young Adult novel, which btw he also illustrated. Two girls called Zanna and Deeba enter the strange wonderland that is UnLondon, but they arrive at a dangerous time. It’s a frightened city looking for a hero. Look for a review soon thanks to Pan.
Speaking of Pan. Pan/Tor were kind enough to send me this month’s paperback releases. As well as Un Lun Dun. First is Bloodmind by Liz Williams, 
I’m not sure the other two are quite me but you never know. The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi explores using DNA of the dead and turning it into prefect soldiers for the Colonial Defence Force. It seems that three alien races have joined forces to hinder Earth’s expansion into space. But a turncoat scientist knows the biggest military secrets who’s helping the alliance. I think that’s right. Actually, it’s probably clearer to see the entry on 
And lastly moving from Military Sci-Fi to paranormal romance with Dark Moon by Lori Handeland. The Romance Reader had this to say:
The big release of the month has to be Iain M. Bank’s return to Culture with Matter from Orbit. I’ve said before that I’ve only read one Bank’s novel, his first Culture novel, and didn’t get into it. But as Matt pointed out I really should. I’m going to read The Player of the Games at some point and see how I go. The other interesting thing about this release is the audio version is getting pre-released on 
We also have The Domino Men by Jonathan Barnes from Gollancz, a sequel to The Somnambulist. Barnes brings the Victorian events of The Somnambulist bang up to date with a tale that brings together every conspiracy theory you’ve ever heard about the royal family and the true story about where the power of Number 10 really lies. Look for a review of The Somnambulist very soon. If you can’t wait Fantasy Book Critic 
And finally two translations. The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski from Gollancz is seven interlinked short stories and follows;
Finally, we have a retelling of the vampire myth in Let The Right On In by John Ajvide Lindqvist by Quercus.
Both are very different books but I’m enjoying both so far. Out of the two Vellum is a more challenging read as it builds up through a retelling, recounting and reinterpreting of myth and fable mixed with reality. Though it’s not as confusing as you think when you first start reading it. I think I’ve just hit the bit where the story really takes off now that all the pieces are in place, though I do expect a few surprises yet.
Debatable Space is turning into a quite a deep and delightful space opera. A motly crew of space pirates have kidnapped Lena in the hope of ransoming her to the Cheo, the leader of the known universe. But Lena isn’t all she seems. Palmer is doing a great job of using back story and changing views to make all the characters rounded.
Starting with a collection of tales by a master of the genre. Gollancz are releasing The Necronomicon: The Weird Tales of H.P Lovecraft. I’ve read a few stories by Lovecraft and this collection of just over 1000 pages looks likes it’s going to be a definite edition for new readers, fans and collectors. As a writer Lovecraft has a had an influence of some of my favourite writers like Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Charles Stross and his ideas have seeped into popular culture.
Next is the Black Swan paperback The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I’m not sure what to make of it. The blurb goes like this; ‘The story of a young German girl who steals books, of her family and the Jewish boxer hidden in their basement as they struggle to survive in Nazi Germany when the bombs begin to fall. ‘ The twist is that it’s narrated by Death. The other other novelist that personifies Death is Terry Pratchett even giving him his own series of Discworld Books. It seems that Mark’s take is very different. It’s had excellent and long reviews in a 
This paperback has had a long road to a paperback release. Back in Oct 2006 Penguin released The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters as a 10-book series of chapbooks before releasing the complete hardback in January 2007. What’s it about? ‘Miss Temple didn’t come to the city for an adventure - she came to find a husband. But, when her fiance, Roger Bascombe, threw her over for no reason, Miss Temple decided to find out why. Yet, following Roger to a masked ball (one with a most sinister purpose) will take Miss Temple very far from the respectable world she has always known.’ It’s had mixed reviews which is putting me off. I think I’m going to have to read a few pages to see if the writing is engaging.
Continuing my support of debuts here is one with a very dodgy cover. Die With Me by Elena Forbes. This time we move to crime and to a newish publisher Quercus. It’s had some good reviews 
Now this one I’ve picked up and put down so many times when I’ve been browsing my local bookstore. It’s calling to me. It might be the Western wanted poster effect cover or it might be that I have an unhealthy obsession with debut authors. I love the synopsis on Amazon,
I enjoyed reading Charles Stross (see 
Speaking of books by writers I enjoy, White Night by Jim Butcher is the ninth book in 
A Stephen King release is always something to look forward to and contrary to earlier reporst from the man himself he shows little sign of slowing down. Hodder & Stoughton have got a wonderful painted cover for the Duma Key and it explores the tortured of an artist, ‘DUMA KEY is the engaging, fascinating story of a man who discovers an incredible talent for painting after a freak accident in which he loses an arm. He moves to a ‘new life’ in Duma Key, off Florida’s West Coast; a deserted strip, part beach, part weed-tangled, owned by a patroness of the arts whose twin sisters went missing in the 1920s. Duma Key is where out-of-season hurricanes tears lives apart and a powerful undertow lures lost and tormented souls. Here Freemantle is inspired to paint the amazing sunsets. But soon the paintings become predictive, even dangerous. Freemantle knows the only way forward is to discover what happened to the twin sisters — and what is the secret of the strange old lady who holds the key? The story is about friendship, about the bond between a father and his daughter. And about memory, truth and art. It is also is a metaphor for the life and inspiration of a writer, and an exploration of the nature, power and influence of fiction.
And finally for now is the sequel to Vellum by Hal Duncan. Ink from Pan Books has had some great reviews like this one from 