Mark Tilbury

A lot of readers were excited when Abattoir of Dreams came out and having read it, I can see why. I chose this as my kindle loan book for the month but I wouldn't have hesitated to buy a copy just to get my hands on it to find out what everyone was raving about.

Michael Tate is in hospital with amnesia, accused of killing his girlfriend, Becky. Although he has no memory of events, he must have done it as everyone tells him so. In order to escape capture after killing Becky, he apparently jumped off the roof of his building and is left paralysed from the waist down. Lying in his hospital bed, he thinks he must have overdone the painkillers when he sees an emergency door appear in his room. A door that only he can see. Where did it come from and where does it go to?

As an invisible force lifts him from his bed, puts him gently in the wheelchair and pushes the emergency door open, Michael is wheeled back to his past. Think Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, except Michael doesn't know who has come back to visit him - who desperately wants him to remember what happened in the past?

WOW! What an AMAZING book. I knew it would be good, as all the book bloggers said it was, but I didn't expect it to be THIS good. It went in directions I never expected, breaking my heart in two at times and had tears rolling down my face in laughter at others. I can't look at a catflap without bursting into fits of laughter, imagining Michael and his friend, Liam, crawling through.

Michael had such a hard life and the friendship he forged with Liam saved his life on more than one occasion. It just shows that no matter how bad your circumstances, something good can come out of adversity. Not that I am condoning what happened to Michael and Liam, but the friendship that the boys had was second to none. They helped each other more than they can ever imagine and my heart swelled with feeling for both of them.

I loved the tangible flashbacks in The Abattoir of Dreams. It felt like two books in one, both equally as good as the other, so a bumper prize for anyone who reads it. Who is the ghost of Michael's past? I couldn't have told you straight away as I had to read the end twice with crying so much! Michael's story really got under my skin and I admit to finding it difficult reading at times. The world is indeed cruel.

Awesome, heartbreaking and amazing The Abattoir of Dreams is a spectacular book that should not be missed. Completely unique and unusual; I was completely enthralled from start to finish.… (meer)

Lee Hunter 14 years old lives at home with his mum, his dad having departed. Mum works long hours as a nurse to compensate for the drop in income. This offers Lee the opportunity to go adventuring with his best friend Charlie Finch. One afternoon they decide to go exploring crossing a nearby river in a flimsy rubber dingy. The following morning the boat has vanished and the boys have no choice but to swim for home. A disaster occurs and Lee sinks to the bottom of the river where an out of body experience see him transported back in time some 30 years.

In this bygone era Lee has been transformed into a teenager known as Paul Collins and has his first painful experience of meeting a young very evil Daryl Finch, Charlie Finch's father. The elder Finch sets about tormenting, and finally destroying the Paul's family because they refused to give him money to set up his own business which in his twisted mind they should have done as he is married to Susan, Paul Collins sister. (I hope you are following this dear readers as it is a little confusing!) The purpose of this transition in time is to instil in Lee how important it is to understand the evil that is Daryl Finch and to eradicate that evil when he once again travels forward to the present. Daryl Finch is truly depraved, anyone or anything who obstructs him he will wipe out. His wife Susan is being systematically destroyed, and tortured by him and events soon reach a bloody conclusion when Lee and Charlie are apprehended by Finch. Can Lee fulfill his destiny and stop the destructive Finch thereby restoring some normality to his young 14 year old life.

What an odd story that seems to spend most of its narrative describing in great detail the gory, plundering murdering rampage that is Daryl Finch. Although this is a novel set in the UK it has a strange American feel both in its language (always referring to policemen as Cops) and location which resembles a rural southern USA. The time travel aspect helped in the overall atmosphere but even that at times was confusing. Quite an enjoyable read showing a world where evil is always present but balanced against this is the importance of friendships and family, with always the hope that goodness will prevail. Many thanks to the good people at netgalley, and the publisher Bloodhound books, for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.… (meer)

After reading and enjoying The Revelation Room, I just had to see what happened to Ben & Maddie next. The second book jumps right into the action, as we follow Hannah Heath through her kidnapping. Who nabbed her, and what do they want with her baby?

With his father paralyzed after their ordeal with the crazy cult, Ben tries taking up the reins of the Whittle PI business, but his father fights him at every turn. Just as Ben’s ready to throw up his hands in defeat, they pick up a case. A young, pregnant woman has disappeared, and the coppers have no leads. As Ben and Maddie follow Hanna’s cold trail, hey run across a handy-man named Crowley. Just reading about him makes you want to wash your hands. He is such a creep. But, at the same time, Tilbury gets into his head so much, that we understand, to a certain degree, why he is what he is. We should all have mother’s like his. NOT!. Makes me really appreciate my eccentric family.

Anyway, as the case moves along, Maddie finds herself, once again, in mortal danger. Will Ben find her in time? I always thought Maddie was the stronger person, and she is. But, Ben does some growing in this story, even facing up to his overbearing father. I have to admit, I chuckled a few times over some of the words of wisdom that spouted from Geoffrey’s mouth. Kinda of reminded me of my own father.

The Eyes of the Accused isn’t quite as dark as the first book, but it still delves into the sinister, sick mind of the antagonist. Mark Tilbury does an excellent job as we jump from suspect to suspect, trying to figure out who the kidnapper is, and for what nefarious reason they want Hannah’s baby.

The story moves along at a good pace, but there were places with unnecessary info dumps about Crowley’s past that slowed down the reading. I didn’t feel they advanced the story at all, and some of it was repetitive to boot. Also, everyone seemed to have voices talking to them. Internal dialogue is expected, but these seemed like disembodied voices. Most people don’t have ‘voices’ talking to them all the time. Or, do they?

This is a well-written story that kept me on the edge of my seat, especially the end. If you enjoyed the first book, you got to try this one. I give it 4 feathers.… (meer)