L is for London
This year I’m taking a break from Faerie and doing an A to Z of my TBR (to be read) list instead. Each letter will have books starting with that letter on my list, a book I’ve read and reviewed (with the review!) and one of my books matching the letter with a link about more info about the book. I’ve decided not to include words like “A”, “The” and “An” during this challenge.
My TBR
About the Book I’ve Read
The London Crime series is quite different from the ARKANE books, though riveting.
About the Book
Death isn’t always the end.
From New York Times & USA Today bestselling author, J.F.Penn comes this emotionally charged thriller about the dark side of human nature, the first in an action-packed new series!
LONDON–When the body of a murdered young heiress is found within the Royal College of Surgeons, Detective Sergeant Jamie Brooke is assigned to the case. An antique ivory figurine found beside the body her only lead, she enlists Blake Daniel, a reluctant psychic, to help her discover the message it holds.
The investigation leads them to a sinister secret society known as the Lyceum, who revel in human vivisection and murder.
When personal tragedy strikes, Jamie has nothing left to lose and she must race against time to stop the mysterious Lyceum before it claims yet another victim.
As Jamie and Blake delve into a macabre world of grave robbery, body modification, and genetically engineered monsters, they must fight to maintain their sanity, and their lives.
A story of vengeance and justice, a dark mystery with an edge of the supernatural, Desecration will keep you turning pages. Warning: Not for the squeamish or faint of heart.
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
A dark thriller full of the evil side of medical history and the modern-day nutcases who still want to cut into the living, un-anaesthetised flesh to find the secrets of the body.
Body snatching, grave-robbing, abduction, and experimenting on people on the fringes of society is just the tip of the iceberg. Looking into corpses turned into art for various purposes, the legality of doing so, and where the ethical and moral lines should be between furthering scientific inquiry and feeding macabre curiosity, is explored in this novel.
Jamie starts out just doing her job: and then it gets personal when it involves her daughter. Great characterisation and motive.
With all the blood, gore, and gross body parts in jars, what actually bothered me was the animal abuse… Go figure.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book with its medical history, macabre secret society, bit of the paranormal, loads of heartache, and the kick-ass female detective who survives it all and vows to live.
About the Book
“Those who the Gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.”
LONDON. When a prominent psychiatrist is found murdered in the old hospital of Bedlam, Detective Sergeant Jamie Brooke finds herself investigating the history of madness to fathom the motive. Blake Daniel, a reluctant psychic, helps her to research the case, only to discover that his own family are entwined with the shadowy forces that seek to control the minds of the mad.
As the body count rises, and those she loves are threatened, Jamie discovers that the tendrils of conspiracy wind themselves into the very heart of the British government. Can she stop the killer before madness takes its ultimate revenge?
A thriller with an edge of the supernatural, Delirium is a story of love for family, revenge for injustice and the question of whether we all sit on the spectrum of madness somewhere.
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
I enjoyed the history of mental illness and how it was viewed and treated through time and how it is perceived today. An excellent theme, not just the main storyline, of how people treat the Other.
I do think the vigilante (or murderer, if you prefer) could have gone after bigger fish, like the main psycho experimenting on the mentally different.
I can’t wait to see what Jamie does next. A dark thriller with interesting themes and questions about morality.
About the Book
Who is the sinner and who is the saint?
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, J.F.Penn
LONDON. When the body of a priest is found in the ruins of Winchester Palace, his tattooed arms flayed, his mouth stuffed with feathers, the artists and outcasts of Southwark huddle in fear.
Private investigator Jamie Brooke begins the hunt for the murderer aided by Blake Daniel, a psychic researcher, who is haunted by visions of the past. As violence erupts, leaving a trail of bodies in its wake, Jamie and Blake must find the skin collector before those they love are taken down.
A crime thriller with an edge of the supernatural, Deviance is the story of a struggle for power and a fight for freedom against the backdrop of modern-day London.
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
An interesting premise, but without the historical detail and emotional punch of the previous books.
The Masquerade Ball and all it entailed was the best part of the book. The end, with all the climbing, reminded me a bit of the film “Annie” where she climbed the train rails pursued by Tim Curry – all the fear included.
A bit more about Blake and his job and how the current museum exhibition correlated with where Jamie now lived and worked and what that loon Cameron wanted would have added a bit more colour. There was room to mirror Jack the Ripper and the modern-day skin stealer along with others who persecuted prostitutes and those with tattoos; could have added that zing of secret societies and sanctioned torture the previous books had. I think it goes back to my initial assessment.
Still, a thrilling tale. I’d like to know more about Blake’s family…
My Book
Love Bites
I hope you enjoyed this. For more books I’ve read and reviewed, check out either my Pinterest board about reviews or my Goodreads profile. Alternatively, you can check out my reviews on BookBub. Have you read any of the books? Loved or hated any of them?
*FYI, my reviews are my honest opinion and if something bothers me, I tell it straight. How else will anything change? My opinions are based on being a voracious reader and book buyer, not an attack on the author.*
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Interesting batch of research material there on the Lenape/Delaware Indians. Is this something for a specific future book or just a new area of mine?
Debs visiting this year from
Making Yourself Relationship Ready
I have a specific project in mind… It’s going to be huge, authentic and probably a bit controversial 🙂
I enjoy how visual your post is. These dark thrillers sound interesting. I hadn’t been familiar with the author, so thank you for sharing.
Stopping in from A to Z:
https://brewingcoffeetwistingwordsbreakingpencils.ca/2022/04/14/lake/
Thank you! Glad I could introduce you to a new author.
Loved Buckley’s The Lexicon. That man is a genius.
Good to know.
Sounds like a most interesting series of books. I shall have to add them to my TBR for when the world is not looking so dark, because I don’t think I am in the right headspace to enjoy them atm. I’m more into reading cutesy romantic fanfic at the moment even while writing dark ghost stories for YouTube 😜
Tasha
Tasha’s Thinkings: YouTube – What They Don’t Tell You (and free fiction)
LOL. Know what you mean, I read them after a boat load of cutesy books.