#BookishThoughts-My Top Ten Books of 2018-Part 3

The more eagle eyed amongst you may well be aware that this is the third part of my bookish year in review, however, the first 2 posts already add up to 10!
This is because I needed an addendum to focus on another 5 books, started, but not yet finished by the time I posted, as well as being able to predict I would finish them by the end of the year.

These 5 books were also published in 2018 and were so very good that they needed including, so here, without further ado, are my extra 5 book recommendation!

‘The Lingering’ by SJI Holliday, was an absolute standout for me, it was creepy, eerie, unsettling and lingered well beyond that final full stop.

My full review is presented earlier in the year on my blog, so I won’t go into too much detail, suffice to say that this tale of 2 highly pressured public servants who decide to sell all their belongings and retreat to a commune is one of my bookish highlights.

Taking place in a village where witches were hung, full of villagers suspicious of outsiders who are taking up residence in an abandoned asylum, this is a supernatural tour de force and I am genuinely excited to see where SJI Holliday goes next!

http://sjiholliday.co.uk/

‘Meddling Kids’ by Edgar Cantero follows up his debut ‘The Supernatural Enhancements’ by taking on, and deconstructing the ‘Scooby Doo’ team, and asks ‘What happened when the mystery solving kids grew up?’

The title comes from the often used phrase in Scooby Doo, and other child detective books and shows, ‘I would have gotten away with it if it hadn’t been for you meddling kids’.

It pits the Blyton Summer Detective Club -now all adults with issues and their original dog’s grandson-against The Sleepy Lake Monster. The monster , of course, is really a man named Thomas X Wickley who is up for parole and out for revenge.

It is definitely an adult read, and once you get past the sometimes clunky translation, this is a real hoot of a story with homages galore and a darkly supernatural heart .

http://punkahoy.blogspot.com/

Alas, I cannot go into a full and detailed review of ‘The Pupper Show‘ by M.W Craven, as I am due to take part in a blogtour for the paperback release in January 2019.

However, what I can say is absolutely buy the book!

This is the first in the Washington Poe series of novels, book 2 is due in June 2019, and this, his first outing , introduces us to him in self imposed exile in Cumbria with his doggy companion, Edgar.

Blaming himself for a catastrophic event and handing in his resignation, Washington is bought out of his state of solitude by the news that his name has been found burned into the chest of a serial killer’s victim. ‘The Immolation Man’, so called because he burns his victims in ancient stone circles, has clocked up 3 deaths already and appears to have Poe lined up to be his 5th….it’s a race against time to locate No 4 and prevent Poe or anyone else expiring in such a horrific manner!

https://www.mwcraven.com/

‘I am not a monster’ by Carme Chaparro, is translated from the Spanish by Dick Cluster, and is a debut novel. Featuring 2 female protagonists, Chief Inspector Ana Aren and reporter Ines Grau, it is a heart racing pursuit of a serial kidnapper who has Madrid in the grip of fear.

Ana is used by close friend Ines to get close to this story whilst she, in turn ,is prepared to share details with Ines for access to her underground sources.

Having previously kidnapped a 4 year old boy from a shopping centre, the pressure mounts for Ana to solve this case before she becomes a public scapegoat-as the first female chief inspector of the children’s unit she needs to solve this case.

And then Ines’ son goes missing….

Drenched in atmosphere, brilliantly translated with edge of your seat suspense, I would absolutely recommend reading ‘I am not a monster’-full review will be incoming but I have to say there were several parts where I actually stopped breathing…

http://www.carmenchaparro.org/

‘Snap’ by Belinda Bauer was everything I have come to expect from a writer at the top of her game, and more.

Recommended by crime alumnus Val McDermid no less, ‘Snap’ is the story of 3 children, a broken down car, a mother who goes for help…and who never returns.

The eldest child, Jack, keeps the  family together with an intricate series of lies and half truths whilst trying to work out exactly what happened to his mother. 3 years later, he is still looking.Running parallel to this is the police hunt for a serial robber nicknamed ‘Goldilocks’ who is entering houses without a trace and a woman named Catherine who finds terrifying notes, and more, under her pillow…

https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/106/1062898/belinda-bauer.html

Well, that is possibly the last post of 2018, I hope that you have all read some great books this year ,please feel free to share your blogs, recommendations and feedback on your top reads of this year below!