Is It Her? by Jonathan Hill and Kath Middleton

Is It Her? is a book of two stories by two authors base on one painting.  Since they are based on the same painting, they are similar in that they are based in war-time, but that's where the similarities end.

Jonathan Hill's story is tense and insular.  Set the night before he has to go to war, Cliff's relationships are not quite what they seem. 

Kath Middleton's story is of young love being destroyed by war when Frank's plane gets shot down over Germany.

Of the two, I preferred Kath's as I liked the young boy and his mother.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01DGVOGOA/?tag=jookuf-21

Black Pine Creek by David Haynes

Scott Draper is a gold miner.  He hasn't mined for 2 years after an incident, but wants back in.  The only site he can get is at Black Pine Creek.  Why did the last prospectors disappear leaving millions of dollars of equipment?  Was it just because they got bored, or did something else happen?

This is a departure from David Haynes' previous books.  It's more of a thriller and less of a full on horror story.  Yes, there's something in the woods, but for me this book was more about the story than the frights.  In fact the "something in the woods" could have been a bear and the story would still be as good.

This is a story more about the characters.  I felt drawn in from the start, even though it might have been a storyline topic I'd less likely pick up if it wasn't from an author I know and love reading.

I found the character of the woods to be as much a character as the human ones.  The descriptions were very clear (unlike the view in the woods) and I could easily picture it in my mind's eye.

Another fantastic book from an author who should be more popular.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MEDC2G4/?tag=jookuf-21

A Creative Crime by Cecilia Peartree

A Creative Crime is the twelfth in the Pitkirtly series.  You'd think the quality would lapse after so long and that there's nothing left to shock the inhabitants of this small Scottish town, but anytime outsiders come to visit, something goes wrong for them and the story unfolds wonderfully.

The council wants a "Pitkirtly Creates" festival but everyone is ambivalent about it, no-one more so than Christopher, who has to organise some of it.  Amarylis is feeling her age a bit, but still manages to poke her nose into someone else's business.

As usual, I get enveloped into the small town (or is Pitkirtly a village?) and like hanging out with them.  The quality of the story does not flag, it's like being at home again.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LZ0K5X9/?tag=jookuf-21

Signal Failure by David Wailing

Emily is heading home on the tube.  It's well past midnight and the train is fairly quiet.  Then it stops and all the lights go out.

This is a short(ish) story that's setting up for a bigger story.  It's quite insular and creepy.  The descriptions of the disused tunnels and rooms are very atmospheric and I felt like I'd been there.

After reading this taster, I'm definitely looking forward to the main course.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01JDI84J8/?tag=jookuf-21

Chickens by Julie McLaren

Tony has just been dumped and he feels his life is going nowhere fast.  His colleague suggests he becomes a mentor to a troubled teenager and so Tony embarks on this new phase of his life.  But nobody knows that Tony was in care when he was a youngster, so this is the story of how he copes with trying to be a friend to a boy who doesn't want it and how Tony works through his demons from his childhood.

This is not a particularly happy story.  Tony struggles with connecting with Jordan.  The chickens are the only lightness to his life.  The story is part told in first person and part the emails Tony sends to both his mentoring contact and his ex-girlfriend.  I liked this mix of writing.

This was an easy read, I kept thinking of Tony when I wasn't reading it.  I also thought of Tony after finishing it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LRZCWFS/?tag=jookuf-21

The Redemption Trials by Julie McLaren

Wayne is at his desk at the admissions hall to Hell.  Lottie enters and Wayne's life - or neverending death - is not the same again.  While he tries to get her to a better place, preferably not here, he finds out that it's not just her that's in the wrong place, but many others.  But Wayne doesn't car about them as he's maybe falling in love a little.

I expected this to be a bit more zany from the description, but it was more of a gentle road trip story.  The humour is subtle and I quickly grew to like Wayne's un-heroicness. He wants to do good by Lottie, but is a bit of a wuss.

I enjoyed this story as it was a little different to most things I've read.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01I2A0ZO0/?tag=jookuf-21

The Pitkirtly Triangle by Cecilia Peartree

We're back in Pitkirtly for the 11th time (12th if you include the Mysterious Pitkirtlycoach tour).  Something's not quite right this time.  Amarylis has caught a cold - but she never gets a cold.

This time the gang have to solve the problems between the tea shops and the new garage.  Why are people dying (apart from they are new to the village) and why does Amarylis keep getting attacked.  

I keep saying it, but I love theses stories.  The variations on a theme vary slightly, but they always seem fresh and are always a joy to read.

The Church of Virtual Saints by Michael Brookes

This follows on from Faust 2.0.  The two characters at the end of that one are incarcerated.  Dan in normal prison, Sarah in a top secret one.  Morton, the lawyer (or evil mastermind) needs to use them.

The Church in the title is an on-line one and Sarah gets dragged into it.  Dan is released from prison on the proviso that he'll help Morton get into The Church to see what they are up to.  In this story Dan was the better character for me.

This was a bit heavy on the technical side of things and I'm not sure I liked the "fighting" bits of the book, but it was a decent read and I expect I shall read the next book if there is one.  This book ends satisfactorily but lends itself to further adventures.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01AGZBC82/?tag=kuffbl-21

Cleaver Square by Daniel Campbell and Sean Campbell

A boy's body is found in the marshes.  DCI Morton is on the case, but he just cannot find out who this young lad is.  Nobody is reported missing and all the evidence just doesn't add up. Charlie moves into his new foster home, he's been traumatised by recent events and seems to have turned into himself.  Morton's home life is going down the pan.  How do these threads get together and resolve?

This was a cracking story.  We got information as Morton got it.  I was wondering about what was happening as the story progressed.  The story was weaved quite well.

There are two more Morton stories and since I've really enjoyed the first two, I'm sure the next will just get better.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00HGSVGSY/?tag=jookuf-21

Boo by David Haynes

Clowns, or clownz - fun circus characters or evil monsters?  There's no doubt which type this book is about, the nasty, evil, serial killing type.

Maldon wants to smile again.  His smile was taken away when he was a child when he saw his parents get murdered by a clown.  The voices in his head say he needs to take other people's smiles away from them.

This is a creepy story (as usual from this author) with a mystery as to how the various characters' lives cross.  There are hideous murders, but told with a hint, rather than the gory detail, which for me makes it more hideous.  It's often not what's said, just hinted towards that makes this story all the more tense.

My favourite character is Stan the retired greyhound.  He wants to be brave for Ben, his owner, but doesn't know how to.

Yet another fantastic story from this author who has switched his horror from Victorian macabre to modern fears.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01E1ND4RM/?tag=jookuf-21

I Can See You by David Haynes

Since Chris' father died when he was a boy, Chris has been haunted by nightmares.  But now it is coming to a head and his son is getting nightmares too.  He needs to go back to Cornwall and exorcise the demons from his and his father's past.

This is another creepy story by this author.  Things can be meandering along and then the tension is ramped up.  The author's descriptions are extremely compelling and I was biting my nails at times.

Thinking back on this now, I can feel the greyness and dampness of Cornwall.  Which to me shows what a great storyteller David Haynes is.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01AQOCSAO/?tag=jookuf-21

How Not to Self-Publish by Rosen Trevithick

First off, I'm not and will never be an author.  Second off, this is a very funny book that is not just for authors.

Yes, this is a very instructive book for would-be self-publishers, but it's a lot more about what not to do and how not to offend readers.

The book is set out into mini chapters based on potential scenarios, such as "A Reader Notices a Typo", "Your Wallet Hears Erotica Calling", "Your Quote About Dog Turds Goes Viral" and "Another Author Plagiarises Your Zombie Heptathlon".  There then follows guidance on how to manage these scenarios.

Since the book is set out in mini chapters it is easy to just read one or two when you have a few minutes.  I read this book in 3 goes as it was "just one more", "OK just another".  I found it to be very light and funny and quite adult in places.

If you've liked any of this author's more comedic stories, you'll like this, even if you are like me and prefer reading to writing.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00MHTW07S/?tag=jookuf-21

Mysterious Pitkirtly by Cecilia Peartree

This is a "bonus" novella in the Pitkirtly series.  Someone's organised a coach trip round Pitkirtly to all the murder spots.  No, the organiser doesn't get murdered.  Although I'm sure Amaryllis would like them to.  This story is about the mystery about who the organiser is.

We visit many of the scenes of the previous stories.  This is like a gentle reminisce of what's (and who's) gone before. There are quite a few locations that are on the coach's itinerary.  Considering Pitkirtly is a quiet backwater town, it's a dangerous place to visit.

I enjoyed this story, even though it was not quite a "proper" one.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B019P930TO/?tag=jookuf-21

E.T. The Extra Tortilla by Ray Kingfisher

Hmmmm.  Where do I start on my brief description of this story?  In England at Heathrow Airport?  In BallyMcBunion, Texas at the Mexas Grillbar?  Or on Gneer Jjiiwn (pronounced Gneer Jjiiwn)?  It doesn't matter.  There is no "brief description" that I can come up with.  This story is just bonkers.  

The narrator is always talking to you.  Yes, YOU.  If you don't like this method of storytelling, then you probably won't like this book.  Once I got used to it, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I felt like being on a roller coaster reading it.  It was a wild ride, for sure.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B019NH76JI/?tag=jookuf-21

Stranded by Tim Arnot

Stranded is the third book in the Flick Carter series and follows straight on from Hunted.

Flick, Shea and PJ find themselves trapped on a slave ship heading to foreign shores.  Back in Bristol, Socko doesn't believe the government when they say PJ (Princess Jessica) is dead and that Flick and Shea are terrorists who set off the bomb that destroyed much of the harbour at Bristol.

With nobody knowing who to trust and main characters being killed off, this is a good continuance and finale to this trilogy.

Even though the two main parties/threads of this story barely cross over, I liked both stories. Even though I think the audience for this is supposed to be younger, it had quite adult themes, whilst not being graphic about them.  The descriptions of this future, yet past world kept me in the time zone and I enjoyed being there.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B019YI0ZKS/?tag=jookuf-21

Auto 2 by David Wailing

Whilst Auto 2 follows Auto, it is more of a linear story as opposed to Auto 1's individual stories only tying-in in retrospect.

Auto 2 follows the stories directly from the first book with the distinct chapters telling the story from different character's viewpoint.

Joanna has lost Greg but nobody knew they were seeing each other.  Her sister, Siobhan, has come to stay with her own problems.  But there's an even bigger problem on-line.

I love these stories set in the early 2020s.  Seeing the youngsters in work tapping on their social media makes me think of how things will be just 5-7 years down the line.  In fact whilst reading this book on my kindle, I had to leave the house to go fetch a curry and made sure I synced it on my phone so I could read it whilst waiting for my order.  Each little thing makes me wonder how historical the Auto series will become.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0189W4PLA/?tag=jookuf-21

The Journal of Reginald Perigar by David Haynes

This is a shortish story by the Master of Macabre David Haynes, but it's back in his smoggy London that he evokes so well.

Basil Jenkins is an old widower who likes to visit Jacques' Emporium to collect ever more exotic trinkets.  This time, Jacques has something a bit different for him.

Considering this book is about reading a book about chess, it is filled with creepy moments. I was drawn in from the off with wondering what was going to happen.

I love this author's works so much I refuse to read any synopses, so I rarely have any idea what's ahead.  To me, this makes the reading experience even more exciting, like Basil's anticipation as he returns home. 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0184267NY/?tag=jookuf-21

Mini Interview with Rosen Trevithick

This person has made me a junkie.  A chocolate junkie.  But now I cannot have any old stuff, it has to be hand-made with love and a bit of swearing.  And chocolate smeared everywhere, especially my cheeks from when I stick my face in the mixing bowl to make sure there's no waste.

So here's a few words from the dealer.

What’s Chocolate Making Adventures, and in what way is it about an adventure?

It’s a cookbook that teaches you how to make chocolate at home. By chocolate, I mean actual chocolate – the brown (or white) stuff. It’s not one of the many books where chocolate can only be made by buying some then melting it.

It’s an adventure in two senses. Firstly, developing the recipes was an adventure for me. I didn’t wake up one morning and think, “I know, I’ll type up my chocolate recipes and publish them”. I had to develop each one individually, trying out every kind of cocoa butter, sweetener and milk product until I was 100% happy with the results. Two forms of chocolate – milk and white – took months to perfect. It’s also an adventure in the sense that the book sets the reader on a journey with endless possibilities. Once you learn how to make chocolate, you will want to do it again and again, creating all kinds of variations.

You got members of the public to test recipes for you. Did that really make a difference?

Absolutely. No matter how hard you try and follow a recipe to the letter, when you’ve written it yourself, it’s impossible not to fill in any gaps. Invaluable recipes testers such as yourself drew attention to parts that needed tweaking and further information.

The recipe testing programme also threw up issues such as to only use full cream milk powder, which I would have never arrived at without people trying unexpected permutations.

Thank you so much for testing so many recipes, Joo. I really appreciate it.

How do you respond to allegations that your methods mirror those of a drug dealer?

Admittedly, there are some similarities between hooking vulnerable people onto addictive drugs, and sending out small samples of cocoa butter by post. Had I known so many would rush out and buy further cocoa butter by the sack load, I’d have bought shares.

http://www.rosentrevithick.co.uk/recipes/

Chocolate Making Adventures: Create Your Own Chocolate by Rosen Trevithick

I was told this is one of the only books to show you how to easily make your own chocolate from raw ingredients.  I didn't really believe it, but on having a look online, it's true, there is very little information on actually making your own chocolate.  There's plenty of books and websites on how to melt chocolate to make new shapes but that's not this book's main selling point.

The book starts out with info on chocolate, then has the main recipes on how to make dark, milk and white chocolate basics.  

I volunteered and got involved with a facebook group to test out the recipes.  I am normally someone who avoids spending too much time in the kitchen, but I soon got addicted.  The ver first time I tried following the first recipe I didn't have a clue and didn't have half the proper tools for the job.  I had no idea whether I was doing things correctly as I didn't know how the ingredients would react.  Then I had to do it again and again and again as I wanted to get better.  My colleagues like my new hobby as there I make far too much chocolate for me to eat.  They always asked what liqueur I used, but it's just honey.

There are also recipes for the insides.  My particular favourites are peppermint creams and the clotted cream mousse.  Sometimes I'll make my own chocolate for the outside and sometimes I'll melt a cooking chocolate to make things easier.  None of the recipes have loads of ingredients.  They are really simple.  I do advise on reading the recipe thoroughly beforehand, especially whether to use teaspoons or tablespoons.  One recipe said up to 6 teaspoons of honey.  I used 4 tablespoons!!!

There is a lot more info and help in the book such as troubleshooting, alternatives to recipes, what ingredients and moulds to use.

As a whole book, this one seems to cover everything you need to know about making chocolate (and a note on how to best enjoy chocolate)  Be warned, it's addictive.  I am awaiting more moulds so I can make even more chocolates.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B017WUOSOE/?tag=rosent-21

http://rosentrevithick.co.uk/recipes/

Here are some photos of my creations.

The Cage by David Haynes

I started reading this story without a clue of the plot.  All I know is that I love this author's stories.

This one starts with a murder in a hotel room.  But who did it?  Was it really the husband who was caught "red handed"?

Ted is hired to investigate this and sets off in a snowstorm to the hotel.  There's just him and the twins who run the place staying in the hotel.  Or is there?  

This started off more of a mystery, but as it progressed and the snow penned the people in, the story got more and more claustrophobic and ever so creepy.  The noise the cages made was horrific in my imagination.  This is not a story to read late at night.  There are many layers to this story, even though it's not a mammoth read.

As expected, I thoroughly enjoyed this story.  This author's mind is a bit warped.  Which is good for us readers.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B015GAXSSO/?tag=jookuf-21