It is a good and well told story that has a chilling familiarity
937682
While I found this book to be interesting from a current affairs standpoint, in my opinion it is not up to some of his earlier Sasha Del Mir books. It is a good and well told story that has a chilling familiarity.
3913553
Bleak, well-written story.  The tale is told by a township police officer who is personally well-acquainted with loss.  While it is clear all the way through that the climate makes violence inevitable, there is certainly suspense about the particulars.  What life is like in rural and heavily fracked Pennsylvania comes clear, and it isn't a pretty picture.
2141035
I found this a fascinating tale, a psychological horror story, horrifying in such an understated and believable voice. Written well before its time, in my opinion. I have recommended it to numerous friends. Purchasers should read the description carefully--this is a short story, not a novel.
4103509
When a local myth becomes a chilling reality and past nightmares become present terrors you know that you're in for a treat.

Difficult to review without spoilers but this is a dark and creepy read that will have you checking that you've locked the doors and will keep you turning just one more page. It's tense and well written but you need to keep your wits about you as the changing between timeline and characters does get a bit distracting at times. I would have liked to like the main character more, but maybe that was the writer's intention, perhaps the damage from her past set her at a bit of a distance from the reader as well as from her colleagues.

This standalone book has made me want to read his Murphy and Rossi series!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC copy of this book
3670091
At times this is quite a chilling and a moving story about different generations of Persian women from one family. Headed by Pari, who marries a man who already has one wife. Pari's husband is head of a village, so Pari becomes the Zan-Arbab, the Women Master who everybody goes to if they need help and advice. The story moves through Pari's lifetime and the changes she goes through.  It is about tradition and the ways that women have to do what is expected of them. There are some scenes towards the end of the book that the reader may find disturbing and uncomfortable. The author does present the story well and it is beautifully written. I would read more books by this author in the future.
4706074
A capably written, albeit rather dark, tale of the fallen archangel Sargatanas and his attempt to redefine and redeem himself whilst mired in the festering and treacherous environs of Hell as Barlowe has imagined it. It is a classic story of regret and sadness, driven by hope and a longing for salvation. Inspired by Milton's Paradise Lost, it is told from the perspective of those enduring their eternal punishment, as opposed to the rather high-handed and arrogant observer's position taken by Dante in his 14th century epic poem Inferno.

As a writer Barlowe is solid but occasionally uneven, and the dialog stumbles just a bit in places, but the descriptions of Hell and its denizens are outstanding. They also clearly reveal Barlowe's interest in the visual and visceral aspects of the place, but this works in the story's favor, lending an air of realism, and even some familiarity, to an otherwise surreal and terrifying place.

Sargatanas may be the primary character in the drama, but others of historical note also make appearances. Hannibal is a significant supporting character, and he's introduced with a description of the ritual sacrifice that originally shattered his humanity. It is profoundly disturbing (at least it was for me), and Barlowe elicits a sympathetic reaction in the reader that is hard to ignore, and hard to forget. However, Barlowe's resolution for Hannibal, and his personal redemption, is almost as gratifying as his original tragedy is shocking.

Lilith also appears, and some mythologies have proposed that Lilith was the original Eve (i.e. The Alphabet of Ben-Sira). Barlowe works her into the story as a strong, intriguing and sympathetic supporting character.

The conclusion of Sargatana's story is moving without being overly contrived, and Barlowe leaves no major loose ends dangling, only interesting questions arising from his description of Hell and the beings who inhabit it. There's enough left over for a second book, but God's Demon is a solidly told story perfectly capable of standing on its own.

To heighten the experience and put "faces" on the characters as Barlowe sees them, I would recommend picking up the art books "Barlowe's Inferno" and "Brushfire: Illuminations from the Inferno" to examine while reading God's Demon.
1762274
If there is a message in this story it's beyond doubt: companies do not care about people, and it is chilling that the events in this story are not so far removed from some of the practices we see in real life.

The characters are realistically portrayed as the reader comes to the awful realisation of what is going on. Especially the scientist's rampage is very well-done.

No, it cannot end well, but I still thought the ending could have been stronger.
4320751
This is a compelling story of the hardships of WWII especially through the eyes of a young blind girl and an unrelated German boy.  The human interest side of how people fought back in small but meaningful ways was very interesting. The story of how the Nazis chose young boys to indoctrinate is compelling and chilling.  Even more so in light of how children are often used to fight today in return for food and/or feelings if self worth.
  This is a worthy book to read but not a feel good story.  Hard to realize those atrocities that were committed did not inspire the human race to become better in many places.
3471213
Possibly 4.5 stars but I just finished via Audible and though have not yet fully processed can say that this story is quite gripping, at one point even rendering me breathless to learn what would happen next -an intensity of interest that snuck up on me- the tension is that thick and not a little bit vexing. I cringed at some accounts of what I'm calling sadism rather than bullying, somewhat surprised by the dark nature detailed in a book for middle-graders but finding, upon relief of it giving way to other intriguing aspects of story, it to be the right amount depicted to clearly capture the often unexplainable -even if (one hopes is) rare- mean and evil that can emerge in and be acted out by humans, including young humans. Lovely characters and relationships, too plus a notably refreshing respect for children by the adults. That the 11 year old protagonist is smart and tenacious as compassionate is satisfying. Still, there is a twinge of disappointment and sorrow left with me in the end, which is not consoled by recognition that there is no lack of truth shown here. "Sometimes things come out right and sometimes things don't."
3780641
As an identical twin, I completely identified with the two main characters in this story (Bessi and Georgia). I also recognised the difficulties of Kemmy, the younger sister who finds herself outside the golden circle, and think that the parents are both excellently described, three-dimensional characters, seen as they are through the eyes of the young people. For me, the stay in Nigeria is a strong part of the story, and I took it as laid out before me, without questioning its accuracy, which I don't think is too important in this story anyway it's not a travel guide to the parts of the world that can be seen, but rather to those that can only be sensed beneath it.

The relationship between the twins is a truly authentic one for me, even down to the way one comes to accept the current life while the other, unnerved by what happened in Nigeria, is unable to. I also found the supernatural touches to be completely believable, hovering on the edge of the story the way so many of these things do in our apparently ordinary lives. Family myth and reality often blend like this, so that a new chronology is created by the vision of the person creating the story.

The strange thing for me is that it is the dead twin, Georgia, who seems to be the stronger character of the two, while the one who remains in the known world becomes a little flatter and less clearly seen as a result. Shadows can often pick out hidden seams of richness that the light sweeps over and fails to touch. If it is true that this novel is autobiographical where it concerns the relationship between the twins, then the more worldly Bessi has a deep understanding of how easily interchangeable she and her sister are in their feelings and experiences.
4455252
Berlin and its society are brought into technicolor in this great but chilling story.  A modern, sophisticated European city that slowly realizes, too late, the incredibly evil side of what it thought it wanted.  Presented from the perspective of the American ambassador who is a surprise Roosevelt appointee outside the established American diplomatic corps, and his daughter, the author uses contemporary diaries (everybody kept a diary!) to tell a story that hits very close to home with this story of where casual hatred with blinders, can lead.
141242
This is a subject matter that is any parents worst nightmare; their 3 year old child goes missing but, in The Darkest Secret, that is only the beginning of the story and when money and reputations are at stake, it becomes something even more sinister.

The story builds from the first page and takes a very firm grip on you. It covers 2 main timelines - the days leading up to Cocos disappearance and the days leading up to her fathers funeral some years later. Its told from various perspectives which, I think, was very clever as it provides different views of the same events and how each of the characters explain and, at times, justify their actions.

We meet some of the most thoroughly abhorrent and loathsome characters you are ever likely to meet but, on the other hand, we meet 2 sisters who, despite their childhood and upbringing, turn out to be half decent human beings. There are characters that you dislike at the beginning but develop sympathy for and their are others you take an instant aversion to which grows in intensity as the book develops, the story unfolds and the shocking truth starts to emerge.

I cant recall having read anything by Alex Marwood before but after reading this, I will certainly read something by her again. If you enjoy dark, twisty stories that are full of people you love to hate, then this is the one for you.

I want to thank the publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for a copy of this engrossing book in return for an honest review.
2428077
This was actually well-written, tense, and creepy, with a good story to boot!
4100668
Chilling and realistic story about what could happen regarding terrorism in the U.S.
C Fry
462557
The Little Dog is a philosophical story that makes one think about evil and punishment, of karma. It tells the story of Stan Blackman through the narrative of Bill Armstrong.

What I liked: It is a simple tale, told with passion and emotion. The story flows smoothly. Despite long musings on good and evil, the little book, at no point, seems boring. It contains some beautiful descriptions of nature too.

What I wasn't comfortable with: Blackman is discussed as bad company, a bully, and progressively evil. However, the characterisation is 2-dimensional and we don't get a full picture - only what Bill relays from his own experience and from what others have told him. Also, the reason why the triple murder was committed is not talked about. That leaves a gap in both the narrative and characterisation of Blackman. If someone had found out something about Blackman's past it would have added to the human element of the story. It would have made for a bit of psychological study as well as a moral study. But then again, maybe that's something the author did not want - to turn it into a psychological case study rather than the mysterious case of retribution that it is right now.

A slightly annoying point was that there were too many looooong sentences in the book. Some are a little clumsy to read because by the time you reach the end of the sentence, you've forgotten what it started with.
4644568
This book began as merely a good story.  It was not long, however, before it became a gripping and quite horrifying plot about a very unpleasant aspect of human nature which one almost hates to admit exists.  The devotion of father and daughter is an underlying theme, along with their abiding faith that their wife/mother will ultimately be returned to them.  In the final chapters, I was struck by their intelligence and resourcefulness as well as compassion displayed.  The sub-plot had a typical twist as it ended and my feeling was:  well deserved.  While this story may not have a real-life counterpart (and I hope it does not), it is a fine study in how people react to unsavory situations that seem beyond their control.
2344959
This is a creepy story well told.  The author does an excellent job of ramping up the tension, steadily introducing new characters in a way thwt makes the reader more nervous with each one, not sure which, if any, will be the bad guy.  Haunting, tense and well- paced.