Back to the Hunt(er)

For quite a few months nothing compelled me to write a post. But now Will Patching's Hunter is back. He did not disappoint me. This thriller is just as outstandingly excellent as all his previous books.

In this third book of the trilogy Hunter and Kate find themselves involved in a seemingly unbelievable international conspiracy including terrorism and warmongering.

But is it really impossible? Look at the world, at those in power. What do we really know about their motives? We don't know what's going on behind the scenes. We don't know what the different secret services are doing - and where. And sometimes one hand does not even know what the other hand does.

Yes, Will Patching's story is creepy and shocking - but not impossible.

I get it, politics are a dirty game of power, always have been. Personal or supposed national interests rule, but the motivation of some of the characters in this plot are disgusting in a way that hurts me on a very peronal level. They claim and believe to be devout Christians and that they do what they're doing because it's God's will. Nothing could be farther from the truth. That's the kind of fanatism we usually attribute to Islamists. Sadly the same mentality exists within Christian circles, a fact I find hard to believe.

As always Will Patching's writing flows easily, drawing me in, making me fear for his characters, letting me see the atrocious scenes, taking me to England, Iran, the USA, Turkey and Cyprus within minutes.

Besides his breathtaking novels (Remorseless, Mutilated, Gaslighting, The Hack, The Hunter) Will Patching has a very informative webside about his writing, the background and his inspiration: www.thehacknovel.com

Will did it again

Will Patching is without exaggeration one of the best authors I know.
His writing skills are exceptional, his novels have psychological depth and always bring in some mostly unknown well-researched facts and are incredibly suspenseful.

The Hack was Will Patching's first novel. Since I read it nearly two years ago I've been waiting for the sequel.

In the meantime Will published his Remorseless Trilogy - three outstanding thrillers about psychopaths - that made the waiting bearable.

Finally Will send me an ARC of The Hunter!

Yes, this book is as explosive as dynamite! All his books are full of action, but this one tops them all. It left me breathless.

Hunter is a dangerous but fascinating man. Kate is a journalist seeking the truth investigating on an island in Thailand where slavery and human trafficking thrive and billionaires act like they own the world.

Yes, it's a novel and the fruit of Will's unstoppable imagination, but the disturbing thing about this novel is that these things happen in the world we live in. There still is slavery and humans are sold like objects. I highly recommend visiting Will Patching's blog thehacknovel to learn more about the inspiration for this story and to read The Hack - it's for free for a short period.

Gaslighting

It's been a while since I posted last time. Of course I've been reading, but nothing blew me away like the beta-read of the third part of Will Patching's Remorseless Trilogy.

I had been waiting impatiently for this one. But knowing that Will's a perfectionist and truly one of the best writers I've had the pleasure reading, it was worth waiting for:

Suspense glueing me to the pages, heart beating faster than normal, empathizing with the characters, fearing for them - I knew there wouldn't be an easy happy ending. Will doesn't spare his flawed heroes.

.

I had no idea what Gaslighting means before reading this book. The novel includes perfectly both meanings: manipulation and emotional abuse as well as arson using a Molotov cocktail to ignite a flammable compound.

As in Remorseless and Multilated Will's villain is a psychopath of the worst kind, cruel, selfish, insensitive, frighteningly intelligent, cold and heartless - although he's just a 16-year-old kid.

That, of course, arouses the question: Is he born as a psychopath, is it in his DNA? Or did he become like this because of the traumatic experiences told in Remorseless? Nature vs. nurture. In this case both come together and the result is devastating.

Why do I love the thrill of his books? It's not that I like to see with my inner eyes all the cruelty he's conjuring, sometimes I'm glad it's not a movie, but I love that his characters are real and three-dimensional who think, act and speak like real persons.

Gaslighting will be launched at the end of June - but read Remorseless first, the kindle version is currently free on amazon!

The surgeon is ready...Are you?

Finally there's a publication date for Will Patching's new thriller: 11th December

I just love his writing that flows so effortlessly and doesn't feel written at all.

His books are cruel, graphic and gripping with real characters and I literally can't put them down.

I guess I'm one of his greatest fans. He sure is one of my favorite authors.

I had the honor to beta-read Mutilated. I was enthusiastic and told Will so - and I mentioned some points where I had doubts. Now, two months later, the final version in hand, curiosity took over. I wanted to see what changes he made. Of course I don't know what the other beta-readers said, but he cut out some scenes I thought didn't help the story and put in some others I could not even have imagined. The result? Although I knew what to expect, it was as gripping as the first time and the bigger changes made the story even more intense.

With my pre-knowledge I could appreciate all the finesse in crafting this shocking thriller without being distracted by uncertainty. (less)   

The surgeon is ready...Are you?

Are you ready to read Mutilated, a story about a serial killer who mutilates his victims in a way you can't imagine, and if you do you'll cringe and try to forget the pictures your mind conjures.

This fast-paced action-packed book won't let you untouched, it's impossible not to feel and fear with Doc.

If you like your books well-written, suspenseful, with characters you can relate to, if you love horror that feels real and have a heart for people who are beyond the bonds of the social norm you need to read Mutilated.

Now I'm waiting for the third in this series and of course for the sequel of The Hack.

(updated 12-03-16)

Beta-Reading and First class English

It's more than two months since my last post. I didn't stop reading but for some time I encountered only average books.

Then this month suddenly there were some emails from authors asking me to read their books that have not yet been published.
I must admit it makes me proud. I want to help author's to make their work even better, and it's a big ego-booster when they come and ask me and appreciate my comments.

The varity could not have been greater.

Teddy asked me to beta-read, because Martin suggested to contact me with this stunning mail:

I should have mentioned two things, Teddy. First, Barbara's German but her English is first class.

Second, in her last beta read for me (she's a survivor of two editions of my novel) she noted something like "nice paragraph." She only did that once. She picked out the one paragraph that I thought best.
So my English is "first class"???!!!???

Teddy's quite good at writing sexy scenes and funny dialogues, but she thought it necessary to put some action, mystery and suspense in the mix. I hope Martin and I convinced her not to do it.

***

For the next one I had already been waiting impatiently. I was really excited to be allowed to be a beta-reader for the sequel of Remorseless by Will Patching.

It didn't feel like beta-reading at all: the novel is perfect. It's creepy, well constructed, full of believable strange characters...and there wasn't much to suggest, to comment or to correct. Will is really an incredibly gifted writer. As soon as I know the publication date I'll post more about it.

BTW Remorseless will be free on BookBub on November 3, 2016. Don't miss it!

***

Robert apparently found me on goodreads, had a look at this blog, liked what I read and asked me to read his manuscript.

Pirates, drugs, revenge in 1936.

I made so many hopefully friendly comments that I feared to discourage the author, something I never want to do. But I was wrong, he appreciates my comments and wants to continue the work with me, closing his email: "your forever beta friend".

***

Ok, the last one isn't a beta-read. It's just an ARC, publication date November 1, 2016. I'm not sure if I'll have a review ready by then, because this is deep stuff. I've read about 15 % now of
Gregoy Brown's                                 

"If we do not know God's words, if we do not know theology, then we cannot truly worship him."

and it's amazing. I've read my share of bible studies, but this is something different. There's so much depth in there, he is really exploring all the glorious mysteries hidden in a text I've read uncounted times - and he challenges his readers, not by difficult writing or sophisticated ideas, but by the truth of God's Word.

He told me that The Armor of God is part of this book.

After finishing I'll write another post about it.

Child abuse and human trafficking

Good comtemporary fiction reflects the world we live in. And this world is not perfect. It is a fallen world. One of the ugliest things in this world is child abuse and human trafficking.

Since I startet reviewing I've read some impressive books about that issue. Reports and statistics can't touch you as can a good story with characters you can relate to.

The two best of all those books until recently were the thriller "The Hack" by Will Patching (author's page) and the autobiography of Barbara Amaya Nobody's Girl (author's page).

Now I discovered another excellent novel about this incredibly evil reality.

My review on goodreads

This excellently written book is suspenseful, entertaining, hurtful, moving, thrilling....and true.

The book compares Zoey's situation with Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and Uncle Tom. The methods have changed but slavery still exists.

In the back of the ebook there are some shocking statistcs, reviews from readers who have been victims, information about organisation and an interview with the author Christopher Stollar who talks about his three years of research for this book and about his faith.

Yes, this is a christian book, but unlike other christian novels it doesn't shy away from graphic descriptions of the cruelties. The language isn't "clean" and although there is one christian secondary character it's not at all preachy or evangelistic.



In the interview Christopher Stollar quotes C.S. Lewis:

"The world does not need more Christian literature. What it needs is more Christians writing good literature."

Christopher Stollar does just that.

We live in this world and we can't close our eyes. This author not only writes about it but is donating 10 percent of the earnings of this book to organizations that battle modern slavery.

Have I become too picky?

Did some really outstanding books spoil me for the average good books? Does reading too much too fast change my view on literature?

Since my last post I've read 10 published books and none of them was worth a blogpost. There was not one bad book among them, I rated them 3 or 4 stars, and I'm sure that some time ago I would have liked them better.

I don't think I made bad choices. Outstanding books are rare. My expectations are high, maybe too high now.

Am I really asking too much?

An outstandig novel needs a good story, an intelligent plot without logical gaps, even if it is placed in a non-existent futuristic world. The plot needs enough twists and surprises to keep me turning the pages in anticipation and longing for the next opportunity to continue when I'm forced to do something else.
I want to read about well-developed characters I can relate to and with whom I can suffer, fear and/or rejoice. I want to know what's going on in their mind. I want life-like dialogues and believable behavior.

But all that is not enough. In addition I want it to be written in a unique outstanding writing style. All these above mentioned 3 and 4 star books are well-written in a way that flows smoothly, doesn't distract from the story, but isn't exceptional, just kind of unremarkable. I love writing with a wow-effect.

Who am I to judge English writing?

I'm just an avid reader. I can't name any criteria why a specific writing is better than others. There's just this feeling when the language reaches my soul, when I want to linger on a phrase because of its beauty, when feelings are expressed the way I feel, when people or situations are fully described in a few sentences...

I don't think I'm asking too much 

There are authors who have got the talent to write the way I love it.
Sometimes it's pure luck when I find one of them.
Probably they are to blame for my actual selectiveness.

This month I had the pleasure to beta-read Chris Brown's new book (I absolutely need to read his first one in this series, Dirty Tiger!)

On Goodreads I met some outstanding writers. I don't think I would have chosen their books in a book store or on amazon.

The first one I discovered was Peter Rosch. His challenging writing in never-ending complex sentences made me translate his book But I love you.

Then there's Mark Matthews. His dark novels about addiction make me experience what his characters go through.

Michael Lewis captured me with a short story. His skillful writing shows in both his untypical  love stories.

The voice of Anthony Vicino's blog made me read all his work although in a genre I don't normally read.

Will Patching is another highly talented author who combines psychological insight with thrilling action.

Looking outside the bestseller lists
All these authors and many more are not (yet) on the bestseller lists. I'm lucky (and proud) I have the pleasure knowing them and I'll continue browsing Goodreads for others.

Amidst all the average books out there, there are some jewels. We just have to find them.

Trying to listen to an English audiobook

I don't know why I never tried audiobooks. It seems to be too difficult to find enough quiet hours to listen carefully without distraction. I never even considered listening for hours to a story.

But then Will Patching offered to send me the link to his new free audiobook Remorseless. I love the book and therefore I decided to give it a try.

Of course I knew it wouldn't be easy to listen to a British audiobook, but at least I know the story. I'm not used to listen to English, always only reading (and surely "pronouncing" badly in my mind), much less British English. But this excellent story was worth the try.

Another reason was that I wanted to know how Will would master the job, if he is not only a very talented author but also a good narrator.

I was surprised. Will has done a fantastic job: the different voices are distinct and even the female voices are believable. That's of course a great advantage. On the other side it's a problem for me: When certain characters talk I have difficulties to get what they say, Especially Peter Leech is a challenge! Then again, I understand the narrator much better than I had expected.

To tell the truth: I haven't finished the whole thing and I'm not sure if I would have been able to follow the events if I hadn't read the book.

I guess I'll stick to reading. I can read while I'm not alone in the room, I can take my book wherever I want without creating a wall around me by wearing earphones.

For a short time Will is offering this audiobook for free on his very interesting blog!

Real crime

My review on goodreads

Another intense read by Will Patching. After Remorseless I really wanted to read his first book.

And I found out that this very different book is just as good. It tells the story about crimes that not only could happen, but happen every day.

Journalists doing whatever to sell their stories no matter the cost.

Insider trading out of insatiable greed.

Sex tourists from our so-called "civilized world" satisfying their perverted lust in the so-called "Third World".

The CIA all over the world doing whatever they think "right".

Hackers proving that no system is really secure.

Abusive child carers.

"Honorable" members of society buying photos of abused children on the internet, or worse, abusing children themselves, making profit with such photos, discarding the "objects" after use. 

All of them play their part in this crime thriller, but there's Doug, the revenge killer.

"Who is more evil? The killer or the victim?" Chief Lee is putting the question not only in Kate's mind but in mine.

Two psychopaths in one week

This was a "thrilling" week - at least in my imagination as I read two really good thrillers with psychopaths. Seems I'm back on the dark side of reading...

Two very different British books, both dealing with psychopaths and both authors seem to know what they are writing about.

I hate spoilers and I won't write anything about the stories, but I highly recommend this book to all readers who like their suspense with psycological background.

The first one was this hard and cruel, very graphic book about hunting down a psychopath on his revenge campaign.

It was hard to read not only because of the detailed descriptions but also because of what it might be like to be loosing your mind.

There were spread very well researched informations about psychopaths without being teaching.

Guilt or the lack of it is the big issue in this brilliant thriller.

And there's this sweet hesitant love story.

And a lot of alcohol.


My review on goodreads

Will has startet a prize draw: He's giving away 30 audiobooks !Here's the link
http://www.remorselessnovel.com/

Then I read this one.

A lot of alcohol, too.

And an unconventional love story showing how close love and hatred can be, full of confusion and doubts.

Thrilling without too much violence, playing with fear and making the reader laugh and smile a lot.

Of course there's the psychopath acting always according to his selfish interests.

And when I thought everything was sorted out came another surprising twist.

My review on goodreads


Both books are well-written, real page turners - I must use this cliché because I just couldn't put them down.
Perhaps the first one is just a tad better, but both deserve definitely 5 stars.