Morris came to Manderlay Colony to write, to share his truth, and create something literary. But on his last night in the quiet, small town, a series of events leave him trapped, with shrinking funds and no sure means of escape. As the hours and days pass, the beer bottles pile up on the bar counter, and as he confronts a man from his past, his sense of self is challenged. Jonathan Harper’s debut novel is snarky, at times brutal, exploration of the modern man who stands at the mouth of a tunnel, knowing that what’s inside will change him, and not always for the better.
“A queer Kafka novel set in a mountain resort town of gingerbread houses, bad memories, and nightmares.”
– Christopher Bram
Review by Coffee&Ink
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the title and the summary of this book, but what a wild ride. I think it’s true we get stuck in places with unpleasant people or can see ourselves getting stuck during a brief visit to a time or place with a bad vibe (I’m looking at you, Troy, NY). The car breaking down, a sudden illness, the theft of all money, cards, phone, and ID—what if you had to stay there?
The author takes the story another step further—what if you couldn’t leave? What if staying served a darker purpose?
This is a very well written angsty dark speculative novel with a constant thrum of underlying dread and despair. The main character’s trip to this weird town for a writing retreat is also punctuated by the unstable state of his homelife. An endlessly spiraling loop, very well plotted and which sucked me right in.
By the end of the story, I was shouting at the main character to go, go, go!
I highly recommend this off-beat novel from Lethe Press.
Thank you BookSirens for a copy of this novel to read and review.
Nelan Michaels is a young Flemish man fleeing religious persecution in the Spanish Netherlands. Settling in Mortlake outside London, he studies under Queen Elizabeth’s court astrologer, conjuring a bright future – until he’s wrongly accused of murder.
Forced into the life of a fugitive, Nelan hides in London, before he is dramatically pressed into the crew of the Golden Hind.
Thrust into a strange new world on board Francis Drake’s vessel, Nelan sails the seas on a voyage to discover discovery itself. Encountering mutiny, ancient tribes and hordes of treasure, Nelan must explore and master his own mystical powers – including the Mark of the Salamander, the mysterious spirit of fire.
THE MARK OF THE SALAMANDER is the first in The Island of Angels series: a two-book saga that tells the epic story and secret history of England’s coming of age during the Elizabethan era.
Book Details:
Genre: Historical Fiction / Magical Realism Published by: Book Guild Publication Date: September 28, 2023 Number of Pages: 256 ISBN: 9781915853271 (ISBN10: 1915853273) Series: The Island of Angels, 1 of 2 Book Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
Chapter 19
Home at Last
26th September 1580
It was midway through the afternoon watch. On a Monday. It wasn’t any old Monday. It was a special Monday. Not because of an extra beer ration; nor because of the smell of fish emanating from the galley. No – it was because, on that autumn day, nearly all fifty-eight surviving crew members hung over the gunwale, their eyes dripping with expectation and glued to the horizon. On occasion, they glanced up at the topmast and the barrel man as if waiting for a message from the heavens. None came, even after they’d passed the Isles of Scilly. Nor did it come after they passed Wolf Rock. It surely wouldn’t be long in coming.
As the creaking of the sails ceased, the Golden Hind glided serenely through the waters as if drawn forward by a divine wind. Even the gulls stopped squawking. A light rain shower washed the decks. The men gazed at the white flecks on the waves.
Amidst the quiet, a cry went out, and travelled down the mizzenmast, across the poop deck and into the soul of each crew member. “Land ho!”
Nelan stood next to Fletcher, who raised his hands like an Old Testament prophet and cried out, “Oh, my God!” Then he knelt on the deck, hands clasped in a prayer of thanksgiving.
The other hands – all long-haired, heavily bearded, and stinking of piss, ale and perspiration – planted their knees on the deck. To Nelan, that moment felt portentous. It was one of collective bliss in which men of all ranks, natures and ages shared a sublime experience and encountered, perhaps for a few seconds only, the most concentrated religious feeling in the world: that of belonging to each other and to a land. Perhaps they didn’t know it fully, then. Maybe they had an inkling of it, as Nelan did. But at that moment, each of them knew that, through their voyage, their endeavours and their courage, they had unchained the shackles of the past, cut most of the remaining threads of the Gordian Knot of papal suppression, summoned the fresh, clean winds of the future, and set the people of England on a course towards the discovery of themselves and towards an exploration of the world and its peoples.
As the familiar jagged promontory of the Lizard hove into view, the hardy souls who’d survived unimaginable hardships together were stunned to silence. For once, their tongues stopped wagging. Where before they had been vocal in their japes and musical in their jaunts, now they were mute, stilled by the awe and wonder of seeing the distant contours of their land, their England, appear on the horizon. Their journey neared its end. They knew that another would begin as surely as God gave them the grace of another breath. They had not seen this land’s green pastures and gentle slopes for over a thousand days; 1,018, the pilot told them. England. Home at last. They would greet friends they had not seen for two years and ten months. See children who’d grown from suckling babe to infant. Meet mothers who’d given birth in the interim. Comfort wives grown old from the worry, and embrace daughters who’d married during their long absence. They’d clasp hands with their brothers, fathers and sons, and hold them close. Such were the anticipated joys of homecoming. Since they’d set out twice from old Plymouth – once when storms had forced them to return to safe harbour, and later when they’d finally embarked on that fateful day in December 1577 – this was a second coming.
Nelan swallowed hard. He licked his parched lips. While he didn’t expect anyone to meet him on the quay, he remained as excited as the native-born mariners to see old England. She was his home now. She had been a haven for Protestants from all over Europe fleeing the cruel persecution of the Inquisition. He couldn’t go back to Sangatte or Leiden. The angels of the island coursed through his blood and enriched his soul. He belonged to them, and they belonged in him.
From within him there arose a poem of persuasion, a song of softness, a dance of deliberation.
One question hovered on the lips of the crew. But none dared speak it aloud. Not Nelan, and, for once, not even Tom. But it demanded to be asked. The answer would decide their fate; particularly that of the officers and gentlemen and, most of all, of the admiral. He had to be the one to ask it.
***
Excerpt from The Mark of the Salamander by Justin Newland. Copyright 2023 by Justin Newland. Reproduced with permission from Justin Newland. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
JUSTIN NEWLAND’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres from historical adventure to supernatural thriller and magical realism. His stories explore the themes of war and religion, and speculate on the human’s spiritual place in the universe. Undeterred by the award of a Doctorate in Mathematics from Imperial College, London, he conceived his debut novel, The Genes of Isis (Matador, 2018), an epic fantasy set under Ancient Egyptian skies. The historical thriller, The Old Dragon’s Head (Matador, 2018), is set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall. The Coronation (Matador, 2019) was another historical adventure and speculates on the genesis of the most important event in the modern world – the Industrial Revolution. The Abdication (Matador, 2021) is a mystery thriller in which a young woman confronts her faith in a higher purpose and what it means to abdicate that faith. The Mark of the Salamander (Book Guild, 2023) is the first in a two-book series, The Island of Angels. Set in the Elizabethan era, it’s an epic tale of England’s coming of age. His work in progress is the second in the series, The Midnight of Eights, the charting of the uncanny coincidences that led to the repulse of the Spanish Armada. Author, speaker and broadcaster, Justin appears on LitFest panels, gives talks to historical associations and libraries and enjoys giving radio interviews and making podcasts. Born three days before the end of 1953, he lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.
In a twisty, claustrophobic suburban suspense novel for fans of Ruth Ware and Liane Moriarty, the aftermath of a murder in a quiet coastal New England town reveals a web of dark secrets among friends . . .
“An inventive and fiendishly-layered exploration of secrets dark and deep.” —LOU BERNEY, Edgar-winning author of November Road
“Hill navigates the dark corners and complicated relationships of a small, seaside town with precision and panache.”—ALEX SEGURA, bestselling author of Secret Identity
Monreith, Massachusetts, was once a small community of whalers and farmers. These days it’s a well-to-do town filled with commuters drawn to its rugged coastline and country roads. A peaceful, predictable place—until popular restaurateur Laurel Thibodeau is found brutally murdered in her own home. Suspicion naturally falls on Laurel’s husband, Simon, who had gambling debts that only her life insurance policy could fix. But there are other rumors too . . .
Among the group of six friends gathered for Alice Stone’s fortieth birthday, theories abound concerning Laurel’s death. Max Barbosa, police chief, has heard plenty of them, as has his longtime friend, Unitarian minister Georgia Fitzhugh. Local psychiatrist Farley Drake is privy to even more, gleaning snippets of gossip and information from his patients while closely guarding his own past.
But maybe everyone in Monreith has something to hide. Because before this late-summer evening has come to a close, one of these six will be dead. And as jealousy, revenge, adultery, and greed converge, the question becomes not who among these friends might be capable of such a thing, but—who isn’t?
Review by Coffee&Ink
How am I going to write this review without giving anything away? Everyone is guilty of something and the main characters each have a point of view, confiding their secrets to the reader. I’m usually not a fan of multiple first-person points of view but the author is highly skilled at making each one of the voices stand out on their own. Everyone in the group of friends has a motive in this small coastal Massachusetts town.
The plot is a puzzle taking shape as each of the characters steps forward to tell a piece of it. I could not guess what was going to happen next or who was going to have the next point of view—I’ve read quite a bit of Edwin Hill, and I think this is the most emotionally intense of his novels. A real page turner and his writing is an absolute joy to read. Highly recommended.
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for a copy of this book to read and review.
Tis the season of goodwill, and Dickens extends the hand of friendship to a stranded stranger and his nephews for Christmas, with deadly consequences . . .
“The ingenious solution to the mystery makes this the series’ best entry yet. Victorian whodunit fans are in for a treat” Publishers Weekly Starred Review
Wilkie Collins is looking forward to spending Christmas at Gads Hill, Charles Dickens’ Kentish country home, but the festivities are cut short when a body is found on the snowy marshland. Timmy O’Connor was invited to the gathering with his four nephews after a chance encounter with Dickens, but is now dead.
Dickens is convinced the murderer is one of the convicts from a nearby prison ship, but Collins is not so sure. Who was this mysterious and unpleasant stranger from Cork who turned Christmas cheer to fear? With the convicts, guests and even Timmy’s nephews under suspicion, there is no shortage of suspects for such a violent act, but which one of them is a cold-blooded killer?
Review by Coffee&Ink
There is something oddly comforting about Victorian murder mysteries. I especially liked the main character Wilkie Collins, as I feel the author does an excellent job capturing the inner world of A Victorian Author. The outer Victorian world is well detailed, also, a whole character on its own. It’s Christmas at the Dickens’ home and Wilkie is glad to be invited to spend the holiday with the family. He brings his housekeeper and her daughter, too.
The misery of a prison ship contrasts with the high holiday feelings as Wilkie goes there to investigate a murder of a rather unpleasant guest of Dickens’. A very well plotted murder mystery with lots of interesting characters. This is the fifth in the series, but apparently all five can be read as standalones. I’m definitely going back to read some of the earlier novels and looking forward to the next. Highly recommended.
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book to read and review.
“Meek never fails to stun and impress with his evocation of scenes and events, of sights and dialogue, and of peoples’ reactions to them.” – HFC Reviews
The Dream Collector immerses the reader into the exciting milieu of late 19th Century Paris when art and medicine were in the throes of revolution, art turning to Impressionism, medicine turning to psychology. In 1885, Julie Forette, a self-educated woman from Marseilles, finds employment at the infamous Salpêtrière, hospital and asylum to over five thousand disabled, demented and abandoned women, a walled city ruled by the famed neurologist and arrogant director, Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot.
Julie Forette forms a friendship with the young, visiting intern Sigmund Freud who introduces her to the altering-conscious power of cocaine. Together they pursue the hidden potential of hypnotism and dream interpretation. After Freud receives the baffling case of the star hysteric, Sabrine Weiss, he is encouraged by Julie to experiment with different modes of treatment, including “talking sessions.” Their urgent quest is to find a cure for Sabrine, Princess of the Hysterics, before Dr. Charcot resorts to the radical removal of her ovaries.
In Paris, Julie finds a passion for the new art emerging, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and forms friendships with the major artists of the period, including Pissarro, Monet, and Degas. Julie becomes intimately involved with the reclusive Cezanne only to be seduced by the “Peruvian Savage” Paul Gauguin. Julie is the eponymous ‘Dream Collector’ collecting the one unforgettable, soul-defining dream of the major historical figures of the period.
“When R.w. Meek submitted his manuscript THE DREAM COLLECTOR for our contest I thought it was some sort of a joke. Not because it was badly written but because it was so well written – along the lines of George Saunders and Tolstoy!! I was certain it was a literary friend posing as a contestant. Our judges too said this was hands down the best submission we ever received in ten years of the Palm Beach Book Festival. A masterpiece in every sense of the word.” – Lois Cahall, Founder Palm Beach Book Festival.
“Tribute must be paid to the obvious and clear literary skills of the author R.w. Meek and to his ability to invoke historic personages and the Belle Époque he so evidently adores.” – Julian de la Motte, award winning author of Senlac
“It is difficult to describe The Dream Collector by R.w. Meek without resorting to clichés: “A masterpiece!” “A stunning achievement!” Those phrases, while true, can in no way convey the immersive power of Meek’s’ writing as his characters journey through 19th century Paris with its experimentations in both art and medicine, its debauchery and decadence, and the sheer, unbridled passion of its denizens. A brilliant storyteller, Meek has created a world you simply won’t want to leave and will never forget.” – Trish MacEnulty, Historical Fiction Author
Review by Coffee&Ink
A stunning historical novel set in Paris during the infancy of neurology, psychology, and the difficult birth of Impressionism. Stunning in the level of detail and the literary style, the emotional lives of the characters, the very streets of Paris. Every time I picked up the book it was almost like entering a dream state, so vivid is the style and setting. Sabrine is fascinating, a stubborn character collecting both dreams and art as she scouts out paintings to buy for the eminent neurologist Charcot. Her observations and insights are acute but she has an ulterior motive in breaching the gates of the Salpetriere, where many unfortunates lived, all labeled “hysterics.”
A truly fascinating story, and I’m very much looking forward to the next one.
Thank you Historium Press and RW Meek for a copy of this novel to read and review.
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