Cover Reveal: The Blameless Dead by Gary Haynes

I’m delighted to be taking part in the cover reveal for The Blameless Dead by Gary Haynes and to be spreading the word about this fantastic sounding book ahead of its publication in March 2019.

The Blameless Dead is described as ‘an epic, compelling, edge-of-the-seat drama that sweeps the reader from twentieth century Europe to modern-day New York, taking in some of the most important events of modern history and exposing them in honest and unflinching terms. Part murder-mystery, part historical novel and shot through with adrenaline-pumping action, this novel superbly demonstrates that, while the hostilities may cease and the peace be signed, the horror that is war is never really over.’

If that description gets your bookish juices flowing in the same way it did mine, why not add The Blameless Dead to your Goodreads To-Read shelf now?  I have and I’m really looking forward to reading the book and sharing my review as part of the blog tour next year.

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The Blameless DeadAbout the Book

In the dying days of World War Two, Pavel Romasko and his Red Army colleagues pick their way through the carnage and detritus of a dying Berlin. Stumbling upon the smoking remains of a Nazi bunker, they find something inside that eclipses the horror of even the worst excesses in the city above them…

As the war ends, retribution begins. But some revenge cannot be taken at once. Some revenge takes years.

And so it is, as post-war Europe tries desperately to drag itself back onto its feet, and soldiers attempt a return to normality, that retribution continues to ferment in the Gulags of the Soviet Union and beneath the surface of apparently ordinary lives.

Which is how, seventy years later, FBI agent Carla Romero and New York lawyer Gabriel Hall are enlisted to investigate a series of blood-chilling crimes that seem to have their roots in the distant past — even though the suffering they cause is all too present. And for one of them, the disappearance of young women is a particularly personal matter.

Gary Haynes author imageAbout the Author

Gary Haynes is a bestselling thriller writer, and member of the International Thriller Writers organisation. He studied law at university and passed his post-graduate legal qualifications before becoming a commercial litigator. He is a Freedom of Speech advocate and is interested in history, philosophy and foreign policy. Gary’s previous novels include the popular Tom Dupree series: State of Honour and State of Attack.

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The Blameless Dead

Throwback Thursday: No Ordinary Killing by Jeff Dawson

ThrowbackThursday

Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme created by Renee at It’s Book Talk.  It’s designed as an opportunity to share old favourites as well as books that we’ve finally got around to reading that were published over a year ago.

Today I’m revisiting a book I reviewed in March 2017 – No Ordinary Killing by Jeff Dawson.  Originally published by Endeavour Press in March 2017, it was reissued by Canelo in May 2018 with a new cover.

I really enjoyed No Ordinary Killing, as you will see from my review below.  I wasn’t the only one impressed either.  Sarah Ward, author of A Patient Fury, said: ‘Dawson has produced a strong thriller with something to say… An intriguing mix of John Buchan style adventuring and well researched period detail, full of superstition, mistrust and political intrigue… A very strong debut.’  Regular followers of this blog will know of my passion for John Buchan so any comparison to his adventure novels is high praise indeed in my book.

The Cold North SeaYou’ll also understand my excitement when I saw that Jeff has written a sequel, The Cold North Sea, (due to be published by Canelo on 3rd December) and my delight when I was approved for an advance reader copy on NetGalley.

The Cold North Sea is available to pre-order from Amazon UK.


No Ordinary Killing NewAbout No Ordinary Killing

The Empire has a deadly secret…

1899, South Africa: As the Boer War rages, Captain Ingo Finch of the Royal Army Medical Corps pieces together casualties at the front. Then, recovering in Cape Town, he is woken by local police. A British officer has been murdered, and an RAMC signature is required for the post-mortem.

Shocked by the identity of the victim, the bizarre nature of the crime and what appears a too-convenient resolution, Finch turns detective. He is soon thrust into a perilous maze of espionage and murder.

Along with an Australian nurse, Annie, and an escaped diamond miner, Mbutu, Finch finds he has stumbled on a terrifying secret, one that will shake the Empire to its core…

Format: ebook (401 pp.)    Publisher: Canelo
Published: 28th May 2018     Genre: Historical Fiction, Crime, Mystery

Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk  ǀ  Amazon.com
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find No Ordinary Killing on Goodreads


My Review

This is an impressive debut with a convincing period setting and a strong narrative full of twists and turns as the plot unfolds against the background of the Boer War.  The “no ordinary killing” of the title refers to the death of an army colleague of the protagonist, Captain Ingo Finch.

The story is told both from his point of view and from the point of view of Mbutu Kefaleze, a native runner (and to a lesser extent, Annie Jones, a volunteer nurse).   I found the story line involving Mbutu was particularly well told and engaging.   Although she plays an important part in events in the latter half of the book, I would have liked the character of Annie Jones to have been developed further with the reader given more from her point of view.

The different strands of the story run in parallel with the reader left to guess at the connection between them until the point the author chooses to reveal it.   The mystery is skilfully sustained right to the end of the book with plenty of action, intrigue, red herrings, secrets, murder, lies and “who can you really trust?” moments along the way.

The plot positively zips along helped by the alternating points of view and relatively short chapters usually ending with an element of suspense.  I particularly liked the walk-on part for the creator of a famous detective.    This is a very enjoyable historical mystery with an interesting period setting.

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In three words: Well-researched, action-packed, mystery

Try something similar…The Price of Compassion by A. B. Michaels (read my review here)


Jeff Dawson CaneloAbout the Author

Jeff Dawson is a journalist, author and screenwriter. He has been the US Editor of Empire magazine and a long-time feature writer for The Sunday Times’ Culture section. His non-fiction books include an approved biography of Quentin Tarantino; the football history Back Home (“Truly outstanding” — The Times), and WW2 shipwreck tale, Dead Reckoning, nominated for the Mountbatten Maritime Prize. No Ordinary Killing is his first novel. (Photo credit: Canelo author page)

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