Not Free SF Reader : Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror

Transparent Lovers - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-03T14:49:00.001+10:30

The old get to go back and solve your own murder story.

3.5 out of 5

The Dead Love Longer - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-03T14:48:00.000+10:30

The old get to go back and solve your own murder story.

3.5 out of 5

Zombie Bits - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-03T14:31:00.000+10:30

Another 3.30 type anthology from Nicholson - with one dead sheep standout.

Zombie Bits : A Farewell to Arms - Scott Nicholson
Zombie Bits : Bleeding Ink - Scott Nicholson
Zombie Bits : Need - Scott Nicholson
Zombie Bits : Survivors - Joe McKinney
Zombie Bits : Carnival Knowledge - Scott Nicholson
Zombie Bits : Murdermouth - Scott Nicholson
Zombie Bits : Eat Me - Scott Nicholson
Zombie Bits : A Matter of Taste - J. A. Konrath
Zombie Bits : The Meek - Scott Nicholson
Zombie Bits : Comic script: Murdermouth 1 - Scott Nicholson
Zombie Bits : Zombie Apocalypse Survival Scorecard - Jonathan Maberry
Zombie Bits : You'll Never Walk Alone - Scott Nicholson

Too many zombies to kill, so guess my kids get eaten.

3.5 out of 5

Sons of Lazarus story.

3 out of 5

Want Page.

3 out of 5

Hell it is, like a turtle shell.

3.5 out of 5

Zombie Freak showing.

3 out of 5

Finishing her bones.

3.5 out of 5

Munch out, honey.

3 out of 5

No vegie zombies.

3 out of 5

Zombie sheep food, mate.

4 out of 5

Story directions.

4 out of 5

Apocalypse possibilities.

3 out of 5

This is pretty bad and gray Daddy.

3.5 out of 5

3.5 out of 5

You'll Never Walk Alone - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-03T14:25:00.001+10:30

This is pretty bad and gray Daddy.

3.5 out of 5

The Meek - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-03T14:19:00.000+10:30

Zombie sheep food, mate.

4 out of 5

Eat Me - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-03T14:09:00.000+10:30

Munch out, honey.

3 out of 5

Murdermouth - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-03T14:08:00.001+10:30

Finishing her bones.

3.5 out of 5

Carnival Knowledge - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-03T14:05:00.001+10:30

Zombie Freak showing.

3 out of 5

Survivors - Joe McKinney

2012-02-03T14:03:00.000+10:30

Hell it is, like a turtle shell.

3.5 out of 5

Need - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-03T14:01:00.001+10:30

Want Page.

3 out of 5

Dead Ink - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-03T13:59:00.000+10:30

Sons of Lazarus story.

3 out of 5

A Farewell To Arms - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-03T13:57:00.000+10:30

Too many zombies to kill, so guess my kids get eaten.

3.5 out of 5

A Shot of Tequila - J. A. Konrath and Blake Crouch

2012-02-02T23:59:00.001+10:30

A young Chicago detective gets involved when the operations of a crazy bookie crime boss spiral out of control as his underlings frame a hard man - who does not take it lying down.

Many criminals to become terminally challenged in this one as two drinks team up. Tequila Abernathy and Jack Daniels.

3.5 out of 5

Head Cases - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T16:12:00.002+10:30

A horror anthology this time, however only a 3.22.

Head Cases : Fear Goggles - Scott Nicholson
Head Cases : Beggar's Velvet - Scott Nicholson
Head Cases : The White House - John Everson
Head Cases : Heal Thyself - Scott Nicholson
Head Cases : Metabolism - Scott Nicholson
Head Cases : Letters and Lies - Scott Nicholson
Head Cases : The Weight of Silence - Scott Nicholson
Head Cases : Wee Robbie - William Meikle
Head Cases : Do You Know Me Yet? - Scott Nicholson

Dark now.

3 out of 5

Dust end.

3.5 out of 5

Hammer down.

3 out of 5

Century past.

3.5 out of 5

This city, she definitely out to get me.

3.5 out of 5

Burn round.

3 out of 5

SIDS problem.

3 out of 5

Slab birth horror.

3.5 out of 5

Write revenge someday.

3 out of 5

3 out of 5

Do You Know Met Yet? - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T16:07:00.000+10:30

Write revenge someday.

3 out of 5

Wee Robbie - William Meikle

2012-02-02T16:06:00.001+10:30

Slab birth horror.

3.5 out of 5

The Weight of Silence - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T16:04:00.000+10:30

SIDS problem.

3 out of 5

Letters and Lies - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T16:02:00.001+10:30

Burn round.

3 out of 5

Heal Thyself - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T15:56:00.001+10:30

Century past.

3.5 out of 5

The White House - John Everson

2012-02-02T15:53:00.000+10:30

Hammer down.

3 out of 5

Beggar's Velvet - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T15:52:00.000+10:30

Dust end.

3.5 out of 5

Fear Goggles - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T15:51:00.001+10:30

Dark now.

3 out of 5

Burial To Follow - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T15:34:00.001+10:30

On the proper colour of gelatin and the right pie for dealing with death.

And for dealing with dead people that want to deal with you.

3 out of 5

Curtains - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T15:23:00.003+10:30

This time a crime story anthology with a couple of guests. At 3.31 again the same quality as the last two.

Curtains : Dog Person - Scott Nicholson
Curtains : Dead Air - Scott Nicholson
Curtains : How to Build Your Own Coffin - Scott Nicholson
Curtains : The Name Game - Scott Nicholson
Curtains : Good Fences - Scott Nicholson
Curtains : The Agreement - J.A. Konrath
Curtains : Kill Your Darlings - Scott Nicholson
Curtains : Making Ends Meet by Simon Wood - Scott Nicholson
Curtains : Sewing Circle - Scott Nicholson
Curtains : Nothing Personal But You Gotta Die - Scott Nicholson
Curtains : Watermelon - Scott Nicholson

Can't live without her, even with bacon.

4 out of 5

Night Owl killer caller.

3.5 out of 5

Blood and nails.

3.5 out of 5

After me under any.

3.5 out of 5

Hippie fix.

3 out of 5

Burning gambling debt.

3.5 out of 5

Definitely nuts.

2.5 out of 5

Parent housing problem.

3 out of 5

Blanket kid.

3 out of 5

Blanket kid.

3.5 out of 5

Wife knife.

3.5 out of 5

3.5 out of 5

Watermelon - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T15:19:00.000+10:30

Wife knife.

3.5 out of 5

Nothing Personal But You Gotta Die - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T15:16:00.001+10:30

Say hi to Pete.

3.5 out of 5

Sewing Circle - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T15:15:00.001+10:30

Blanket kid.

3 out of 5

Making Ends Meet - Simon Wood

2012-02-02T15:05:00.001+10:30

Parent housing problem.

3 out of 5

Kill Your Darlings - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T15:03:00.001+10:30

Definitely nuts.

2.5 out of 5

Good Fences - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T15:01:00.000+10:30

Hippie fix.

3 out of 5

The Name Game - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T14:59:00.000+10:30

After me under any.

3.5 out of 5

How To Build Your Own Coffin - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T14:57:00.002+10:30

Blood and nails.

3.5 out of 5

Dead Air - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T14:55:00.001+10:30

Night Owl killer caller.

3.5 out of 5

The First - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T14:36:00.000+10:30

A science fiction collection with a largely shared setting. Again, of consistent and equivalent quality to Flowers at 3.32.

First : The Way of All Flesh - Scott Nicholson
First : Floating Cathedral Song - Scott Nicholson
First : Penance - Scott Nicholson
First : Reckless Osmosis - Scott Nicholson
First : Narrow is the Way - Scott Nicholson
First : The Shaping - Scott Nicholson
First : Doomsday Diary - Scott Nicholson
First : Tellers - Scott Nicholson
First : The Taste of Clouds - Scott Nicholson
First : Angelorum Orbis - Scott Nicholson
First : Honesty - Scott Nicholson
First : Zero Meets Rainbow in Heavy Gravity - Scott Nicholson
First : A Socketful of Blather - Scott Nicholson
First : Shifting Sands of Memory - Scott Nicholson

Warrior creation.

3.5 out of 5

Temple Aeolus.

3 out of 5

Soldier or grandma, all gonna get it.

3.5 out of 5

Plug burn.

3 out of 5

Tapeworm rocked.

3.5 out of 5

Sculpting trial.

3.5 out of 5

Mass suicide special.

3.5 out of 5

Time withdrawal.

3 out of 5

Jetcar freedom.

3.5 out of 5

Twin claws of guilt.

3.5 out of 5

Kiss me time travel lies. With leopardskin.

3.5 out of 5

Story out of finish.

3 out of 5

Go-Boy viz, Keats.

3.5 out of 5

Spirit Spy destroy.

3 out of 5

3.5 out of 5

Shifting Sands of Memory - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T14:30:00.000+10:30

Spirit Spy destroy.

3 out of 5

A Socketful of Blather - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T14:28:00.001+10:30

Go-Boy viz, Keats.

3.5 out of 5

Zero Meets Rainbow In Heavy Gravity - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T14:26:00.001+10:30

Story out of finish.

3 out of 5

Angelorum Orbis - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T14:23:00.000+10:30

Twin claws of guilt.

3.5 out of 5

The Taste of Clouds - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T14:21:00.000+10:30

Jetcar freedom.

3.5 out of 5

Tellers - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T14:19:00.001+10:30

Time withdrawal.

3 out of 5

Doomsday Diary - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T14:17:00.000+10:30

Mass suicide special.

3.5 out of 5

The Shaping - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T14:14:00.000+10:30

Sculpting trial.

3.5 out of 5

Narrow Is the Way - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T14:02:00.000+10:30

Tapeworm rocked.

3.5 out of 5

Reckless Osmosis - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T14:00:00.001+10:30

Plug burn.

3 out of 5

Floating Cathedral Song - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T13:58:00.000+10:30

Temple Aeolus.

3 out of 5

The Way of All Flesh - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T13:56:00.000+10:30

Warrior creation.

3.5 out of 5

Flowers - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T13:45:00.000+10:30

Highly consistent spooky short story collection at 3.30.

Flowers : The Vampire Shortstop - Scott Nicholson
Flowers : Thirst - Scott Nicholson
Flowers : When You Wear These Shoes - Scott Nicholson
Flowers : Invisible Friend - Scott Nicholson
Flowers : The Night the Wind Died - Scott Nicholson
Flowers : Scarecrow Boy - Scott Nicholson
Flowers : Luminosity - Scott Nicholson
Flowers : Wampus Cat - Scott Nicholson
Flowers : The Boy Who Saw Fire - Scott Nicholson
Flowers : In the Heart of November - Scott Nicholson

Spiked end of kid game.

3.5 out of 5

Rain girl unhappy.

3.5 out of 5

Go places.

3 out of 5

Crazy-brain dummyhead half-dead.

3.5 out of 5

Storm girl.

3 out of 5

Your turn for just hanging around.

3.5 out of 5

Maker Moon.

3.5 out of 5

Appalachian monster Barry food.

3.5 out of 5

Dad is a sun eater.

3 out of 5

Dead friends.

3 out of 5

3.5 out of 5

In the Heart of November - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T13:37:00.000+10:30

Dead friends.

3 out of 5

The Boy Who Saw Fire - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T13:35:00.000+10:30

Dad is a sun eater.

3 out of 5

Wampus Cat - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T13:33:00.000+10:30

Appalachian monster Barry food.

3.5 out of 5

Luminosity - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T13:29:00.000+10:30

Maker Moon.

3.5 out of 5

The Night the Wind Died - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T13:25:00.000+10:30

Storm girl.

3 out of 5

Invisible Friend - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T13:22:00.000+10:30

Crazy-brain dummyhead half-dead.

3.5 out of 5

When You Wear These Shoes - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T13:20:00.000+10:30

Go places.

3 out of 5

Thirst - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T13:17:00.000+10:30

Rain girl unhappy.

3.5 out of 5

The Scream - Billie Sue Mosiman

2012-02-02T12:44:00.000+10:30

We're not aliens, just werewolves.

3 out of 5

Crime Beat - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-02T12:20:00.000+10:30

A reporter ends up in a small town. It is not as dull as he thinks as murders begin to happen.

Circulation boosting murders and soon this story is of much greater interest.

3.5 out of 5

Origin - J. A. Konrath

2012-02-02T01:20:00.000+10:30

The US government has a demon in a hidden complex. Or what may be a demon, but could be an alien. People work there that are desperate enough have agreed to work on studying this thing that eats whole sheep like hamburgers and as it turns out is really smart, knows many languages and has incredible genetic modification abilities. And is not really killable.

Hence the Presidential plan - nuke the place if it turns out that it can get loose. And a manipulative demon certainly will have a shot at doing that when it can solve all sorts of genetic problems for those it would like to suborn.

Also talks in creepy sibilant sentences. Fun stuff.

3.5 out of 5

Brother To Dragons - Charles Sheffield

2012-02-02T01:08:00.001+10:30

A baby almost dies at birth until a slight sign of life leads some medics to decide to try and save it, sickly and weak life thought it may have.

The boy grows up and gets along in an overpopulated and ruined world, eventually becoming involved with movers and shakers - and theri desire to find a brilliant biologist who wants to do things like enable humans to eat cellulose, or other modifications.

And of course if you make the poor less dependent those on power aren't too keen on the idea.

3.5 out of 5

Hunting Season: A Love Story - Blake Crouch and Selena Kitt

2012-02-01T23:42:00.003+10:30

That's enough killing and eating the ex, really. Let's get married.

3.5 out of 5

Six In the Cylinder - Blake Crouch

2012-02-01T22:59:00.001+10:30

Another of the Crouch gun collections. This one has several good stories.

SIX IN THE CYLINDER : PERFECT LITTLE TOWN - BLAKE CROUCH
SIX IN THE CYLINDER : SERIAL - BLAKE CROUCH
SIX IN THE CYLINDER : THE NEWTON BOYS' LAST PHOTOGRAPH - BLAKE CROUCH
SIX IN THE CYLINDER : THE METEOROLOGIST - BLAKE CROUCH
SIX IN THE CYLINDER : UNCONDITIONAL - BLAKE CROUCH
SIX IN THE CYLINDER : THE PAIN OF OTHERS - BLAKE CROUCH

Tourist sacrifice.

3.5 out of 5

Crazy ride, crazy driver.

3.5 out of 5

Short camera.

2.5 out of 5

Tornado chase.

3.5 out of 5

Deathbed dead reason.

3 out of 5

Deathbed dead reason.

3.5 out of 5

3.5 out of 5

Four Live Rounds - Blake Crouch

2012-02-01T22:48:00.001+10:30

A four story collection, all average - which also explains the Fully Loaded title of another.

Four Live Rounds : Remaking - Blake Crouch
Four Live Rounds : On The Good Red Road - Blake Crouch
Four Live Rounds : Shining Rock - Blake Crouch
Four Live Rounds : Four Live Rounds - Blake Crouch

Daughter kill query.

3 out of 5

Abduction wait.

3 out of 5

Eat him and move on.

3 out of 5

Bad brother.

3 out of 5

2 out of 5

The Skull Ring Bonus Edition - Scott Nicholson

2012-02-01T22:40:00.001+10:30

This is a solid novel of the good old Satanist menace variety. I like it rather more the second time around.

The protagonist has a dysfunctional love life, and is in therapy for her issues. We come to realise that there is something a little off about her as the novel goes along, and she just may be a rather unreliable narrator.

With a title like this novel bears you hope it just won't involve one woman's descent into madness, that would be way too mundane and boring. Thankfully it does not.

Her own mental problems also do not mean that a Satanist group doesn't want to sacrifice her to the dark lord, and it does involve some rather odd jewellery.

Her paranoia and stress and instability is somewhat justified, and she has little evidence that any of the men around her can be trusted, or worse actively are working against her.

Now I am not much for screenplays but interesting as an added bonus. This would actually make a pretty cool Hammer House of Horror movie certainly.

4 out of 5

Through An Eyeglass Darkly - David Niall Wilson

2012-02-01T20:30:00.001+10:30

Ouija planchette, Daddy.

3.5 out of 5

Ursa Major - John R. Little

2012-02-01T19:45:00.000+10:30

Me and the kid definitely might get eaten by a bear. Like the puppy.

3.5 out of 5

Where Sunlight Sleeps - Bryan James Freeman

2012-02-01T19:18:00.001+10:30

Feeling hole.

3 out of 5

A Dreamlike State - Bryan James Freeman

2012-02-01T19:15:00.001+10:30

Dark Country, sister.

3 out of 5

What They Left Behind - Bryan James Freeman

2012-02-01T19:13:00.002+10:30

Basement people under.

3 out of 5

The Punishment Room - Bryan James Freeman

2012-02-01T18:48:00.000+10:30

Captive choice chew.

3.5 out of 5

Bad Agent - Bill Raetz

2012-02-01T18:37:00.000+10:30

An encounter between a lover and a honey trap colleague goes terminally wrong. Our man in Vegas decides on the sort of justice you can pay for for the man responsible.

3 out of 5

Answering the Call - Bryan James Freeman

2012-02-01T18:31:00.001+10:30

Ghost fight.

3.5 out of 5

Volcano Watch - Toni Dwiggins

2012-02-01T18:28:00.000+10:30

An different crime story as a murder is investigated by a forensic geologist and others. You won't read too many that feature biathlon, certainly. An old conflict between volcanologists causes problems. The meandering nature of this prevents too much suspense as the story wanders through the personalities and relationships in this small in danger of obliteration town.

The geology parts are interesting, certainly.

3 out of 5

Running Rain - Bryan James Freeman

2012-02-01T18:19:00.000+10:30

Plenty of dead teenagers.

3.5 out of 5

Black Sunday - Kim Lakin-Smith

2012-02-01T18:15:00.000+10:30

Carrie-Anne dust.

3 out of 5

Cyber Circus - Kim Lakin-Smith

2012-02-01T18:11:00.001+10:30

Hellequin's Flying one.

Here's your blighted world with baroque oddballs coming together under the Big Top.

More than one monster would happily take a bit out of this motley crew of, both human and otherwise as the past catches up with more than one denizen in a strange reality.

3.5 out of 5

Walking With the Ghosts of Pier 13 - Bryan James Freeman

2012-02-01T15:08:00.001+10:30

No end of bombs.

3.5 out of 5

Where You Lived - Tod Goldberg

2012-02-01T14:43:00.001+10:30

A short collection.

Where You Lived : Where You Lived - Todd Goldberg
Where You Lived : Welcome To Thousand Palms - Todd Goldberg
Where You Lived : Last Night At The Dairy Bar - Todd Goldberg

Trying not to eat self.

3 out of 5

A golfer.

3 out of 5

Pelican Bob is dead.

3 out of 5

2 out of 5

Last Night At The Dairy Bar - Tod Goldberg

2012-02-01T14:34:00.000+10:30

Pelican Bob is dead.

3 out of 5

Welcome To Thousand Island Palms - Tod Goldberg

2012-02-01T14:31:00.001+10:30

A golfer.

3 out of 5

Where You Lived - Tod Goldberg

2012-02-01T14:29:00.001+10:30

Trying not to eat self.

3 out of 5

Ghoul - Brian Keene

2012-02-01T12:12:00.000+10:30

A graveyard has something not living subsisting there - plenty of bodies to eat.

Three boys are friends - the violent father of one of them being a graveyard minder.

Add in the girlfriend of a man who was eaten very recently and is rather fancied by the Ghoul for procreation purposes and you have a good old people vs monster story.

3.5 out of 5

Infected - Scott Sigler

2012-02-01T11:21:00.001+10:30

Aliens come to earth - small ones - and they proceed to take over people in nasty biological fashion. Their aim is larger, to build a gate to bring a much bigger crew from. One of their targets manages to resist them to some degree and we follow his horrible exploits to the conflict that happens when the humans realise what is going on.

3 out of 5

The 97th Step - Steve Perry

2012-02-01T11:19:00.001+10:30

Farm boy with not so good childhood gets out of there and becomes a dodgy bloke named Ferret. A conflict with an even worse nogoodnik ends up in some deaths, and he moves on to be trained as a martial arts trained warrior priest and leader of the birth of a rebellion about the interstellar Confed.

3 out of 5

Killer - David Drake and Karl Edward Wagner

2012-02-01T10:52:00.002+10:30

Sauralopithecus!

A Roman hunter discovers a lizard-ape monster. An Emperor thinks this would be rather good entertertainment. Yeah, he is nuts.

He sets off with a partner, who happens to be working for aliens that are rather worried about the beastie. Enough to kill everyone on the planet to get rid of it if it can breed.

3 out of 5

The Ganymede Club - Charles Sheffield

2012-02-01T00:09:00.000+10:30

An encounter with a strange alien form of life leaves a group of early Saturn explorers very changed.

Later, post Solar System War their existence they feel is threatened by some whose memories are being recovered by a specialist - that they thought they had killed.

Problem for them in this second of the Cold as Ice series is that this specialist's young brother is a genius involved in the Puzzle Network and becomes allies with the large Bat as they work on solving this murder mystery.

3.5 out of 5

The Detachment - Barry Eisler

2012-01-29T22:07:00.001+10:30

The most recent job John Rain was involved with was for higher stakes. Energy supply. After four years off Rain gets approached again. This time he and Dox, along with Treven and Larison are hired to take out two yank Defense honchos who are apparently planning fake terrorist attacks on the USA to allow them a greater deal of fascist control (and cash, of course).

Now even assassins think this is beyond the pale and agree to help, even though the Colonel involved is as dodgy as a room full of Poison Ballers. Military spook type.

All of course is not as it seems as the foursome are forced to go on the run as the fake attacks and suicide bombings escalate.

Excellent work.

4.5 out of 5

Blood Hunt - Lee Killough

2012-01-29T12:53:00.000+10:30

A detective working on some murders finds something disturbing - a vampire. He also ends up as one and ends up trying to trace the vampire, bringing him deep into another world and also a change of cop career locations.

3.5 out of 5

Ancient Eyes - David Niall Wilson

2012-01-29T12:36:00.000+10:30

A young man goes back to the old town. Well, the old hamlet if you like. His problem is what goes on at the church there. A good, new-fangled snake cult. Complete with supernatural entities and rituals involving such. Young women, bad things, etc.

Snakes, supernatural and crazy Californian hillbillies in this polished horror novel.

3.5 out of 5

Requiem For An Assassin - Barry Eisler

2012-01-27T12:35:00.000+10:30

Hilger showdown.

Which shows that even smart guys can do dumb things. Hilger and what is left of his crew kidnap Dox as a lever to get Rain to perform some assassinations for them. All part of a greater do something about the oil plot involving suborning a port official.

So yeah, Rain wants to kill him. And that usually works, especially if the CIA and Mossad want him dead too.

4 out of 5

Darkness Falling - Peter Crowther

2012-01-27T12:25:00.001+10:30

The Langoliers meets Invasion of the Zombie Body Snatchers.

Or a few people left around after a strange electromagnetic incident find out that the fellow that all wear shades and gloves are out to get them. And something is in their heads.

3.5 out of 5

The Last Assassin - Barry Eisler

2012-01-26T01:59:00.000+10:30

Here's a three-way teamup for Rain and company as a dying Tatsu has a request. Finally get rid of Yamaoto so he can expire in peace.

Rain agrees and convinces Delilah to help. Things get messy when Midori and his son are endangered by Rain's existence as they are a link to find him. Yamaoto being hard to get to has to get drawn out of hiding by the good old make him think his business partner is out to get him trick.

So it is highpriced nightclub assault time.

4 out of 5

Wind Slayers - Robert W. Walker

2012-01-26T01:47:00.000+10:30

A lot is packed into this novel, the third of a series of which I have not read the other two.

A special unit of cops gets some dangerous situations in a unit that bears the series name.

Their lead also had Internal Affairs and FBI problems. As well as wanting some vigilante revenge about the people that kidnapped his family.

Plenty is packed into this one - crimelords, assassins, dumb hoods, partners who are partners, shootouts, insane actors and their even worse mothers so the first two should have some interest, too.

This is the opposite of slow, despite the length.

3.5 out of 5

Zombie Kong - James Roy Daley

2012-01-26T01:40:00.000+10:30

A man is swallowed by a giant undead ape and his spousal unit has to try and get him back.

3.5 out of 5

The Creeping Death - Maxwell Grant

2012-01-24T21:10:00.001+10:30

The Shadow has to deal with a madman who wants all the world's gold supply - employing his own titular method of getting rid of people to help him to get there. Even if they are Secret Service agents.

3 out of 5

Killing Rain - Barry Eisler

2012-01-24T21:01:00.000+10:30

This time it is the Mossad that wants Rain to remove someone - thanks to Delilah's recommendation. And interestingly a couple of small sections are told from Delilah's point of view - sign of increasing importance?

Things go pear-shaped when he is about to knock off his explosives expert target and the man's kid walks in on them. So he just does over a bodyguard or two and a couple of ex-CIA guys. Who are in league with Hilger from the last book.

So he and Dox have to try and get this done so everybody is happy and doesn't want to kill them - Hilger's mob, the Israeli gunman or the CIA.

Add in a newly found nuclear weapons expert of the bad sort to complicate matters.

3.5 out of 5

Shades of Gray - Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge

2012-01-24T20:28:00.000+10:30

The second Icarus project book follows on from the first, as Jet and Iridium deal with the breakdown of the drug and mind control of the Extrahuman population of the USA.

To do so involves one of the good old methods - ask some of the less nasty villains rotting in prison for help. Which of course includes Iridium's father. Some flashbacks in his life are interesting, as well as the history of some of the Corp slaves and head honchos.

And it appears more help is out there to deal with crazed mutated people monsters.

3.5 out of 5

ToxiCity - Libby Fischer Hellman

2012-01-24T01:16:00.000+10:30

A young policewoman is involved with a detective in the same force. A distinct no-no by the regulations. He is trying to solve multiple poisoning murders and deal with what happens after they get caught. They both have other women expressing interest in them as a result of the case, which doesn't make things easier. Especially when it appears that the father of the rich cop chaser is the developer that did the project that is the root problem of the series of murders.

3.5 out of 5

Master of the House of Darts - Aliette de Bodard

2012-01-24T01:11:00.001+10:30

A third solid entry in this series as now High Priest Acatl has to deal with murder and worse in a magical epidemic. As he has grown to realise more and more, these things are usually the results of a power struggle from those passed over or yet to come into more power - even if your relatives or students.

And monsters. They seem to always use monsters.

3.5 out of 5

Rain Storm - Barry Eisler

2012-01-24T01:01:00.001+10:30

Not quite as strong as the first two. Here Rain follows through on his plans to decamp to Brazil for security reasons, in a couple of stages. However, the CIA pulls him back into, wanting him to dispose of an arms dealer. It isn't as simple as that though, pointing out that the CIA right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. As in attempting to hire an old sniper acquaintance from Afghanistan named Dox to get rid of Rain. This pleases neither of these gentlemen. Further complications ensue as he discovers his target's current girlfriend is actually a Mossad spy.

3.5 out of 5

Dark Prince - David Gemmell

2012-01-24T00:49:00.001+10:30

The son of Philip of Macedon?

Alexander of Macedon.

Yeah, that Great guy with the big black horse that took a fancy to taking over the world. First he has to survive being a kid and kidnapped into another universe that still has centaurs and minotaurs. Then getting Greece together with Parmenion's help so they have enough of an army to go and take the Persian Empire away from Darius.

All the while battling Chaos plots to take over Alexander.

3.5 out of 5