POP GOES THE WEASEL By M J Arlidge

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure why I put this on the bottom of my reading pile.There was no doubt about the fact I was going to read it; after all the first one was amazing and I knew I was going to read the next one. It's funny how we sometimes do things like that.

Anyway, as you may have guessed, this is a book read from the 'bottom' of my reading pile. In reality, since my reading pile has no bottom, the fact it was not the top of the pile will have to suffice.

After the last set of events with Helen's psychopathic sister, the entire world is now aware of every single detail in the life of Detective Inspector Helen Grace, and there is little that she can do to stop it, other than keep her last secret under lock and key and change the password every time she opens it up. But these seem to be the least of her problems as a new killer is on the loose, luring family men away into the dark and slaughtering them. Exposing these good, church abiding family men for what they really are; the life blood of Southampton's prostitution front. Cutting out the victim's hearts and sending them to either work or home, this is a mouse who certainly enjoys teasing the cat.

Can I begin with the awesome opening to the book? The first chapter is so mind boggling that you believe you are looking through the eyes of the killer instead of the victim. Arlidge sets out an entire new outlook of how men pine and crave for sex in an environment where it's either lacking or lost. The author's talent is clear right from the off and I could not fault the opening chapters of this book one way or another. The second chapter is equally puzzling with the body of a white female trapped in the book of a car. Is this the killer, is it the woman the first victim was going to see, is it a red herring, what is it?! But you aren't left confused and disorientated, just longing to read more.

My friend and I spent a good hour discussing the first five chapters alone, talking about what we thought was going to happen and I'm tell you know, even as seasoned crime readers, we didn't see this ending coming.  There are so many twists and turns which are perfectly weaved together to create an amazing read which is gripping and attention seeking and just freakin' awesome!

The only slight element that I didn't care too much for was Helen's initially hostile relationship with Charlie, I found this a little harsh and upsetting and totally uncalled for, yet I suppose it illustrates how we all react to trauma differently and it sets Helen apart from the rest of her colleagues as we have seen time and time again in EENY MEENY. I was immensely pleased when reconciliation took place and the friendship was repaired. I genuinely don't know what I would do without Charlie.

The other really important note I need to make, is that although reading the previous book does enlighten some of the references in Pop Goes The Weasel, it is not essential. I know people who have only read the latter and have still understood it perfectly and enjoyed it just the same.

I am planning on reading number three as part of my reading challenge, however as I have pre-ordered part four, I am forcing myself to spread the story out a little bit. September is a long while off and as much as I want to read three I don't know if I can wait that long. Two smaller waits will be easier me thinks. :)

I don't need to tell you to go out and read this but I'm going to anyway: GO OUT AND READ THIS! you wont be disappointed.... ever.... :)

THE SKIN COLLECTOR By Jeffery Deaver

Good book. Really good book. Definitely a perfect contender for the Mystery/Thriller category of the reading challenge.

Picked this one up in the supermarket on special, I'm terrible for buying books on special offer, I really am.

This is the story of Lincoln Rhyme; a paraplegic, independent criminalist and consultant to the NYPD and this time, he's got a slightly different case to solve. A perp is taking happenstance victims, sedating them, and tattooing messages on their stomachs. Only, the killer isn't using ink... after all what's the fun in that? No. This perp is tattooing with poison.

I really liked this book a lot. It is incredibly well written, twists and turns on every page; enough to keep you entertained but not so much that you get confused and lose the thread of the story. Even without the amazing writing of Jeffery Deaver, the unusual choice of murder weapon is enough to catch the eye and make this a book you're going to remember having read.

I've got to admit, that towards the end, I felt that there were places that Deaver could have ended the book and I was a little unsure as to whether i wanted to risk reading on in case he had ruined the end of the book and tried to hard to end it, but I should have had more faith in him. He delivered amazingness throughout the entire book and the ending was no exception. I

I've read so many crime novels now, that I can usually tell you did within the first few chapters, but Deaver kept me thinking and rethinking all the way through!

An excellent book, but definitely not one for the faint hearted. In fact I'm kinda glad the book hangover was minimal...

PERSEPOLIS By Marjane Satrapi

I was a bit unsure about what I was going to read for the graphic novel category as I've never really found any interest in graphic novels. I tried to avoid manga graphic novels, not because they're bad because many people enjoy them, but because I wanted to see if there were any other forms of graphic novel that never really go any notice. I chose this one because; on the shelf, it looked the most like a normal novel rather than a comic book or annual. Uncertain of whether I would enjoy it, I pick up another one that looked different so that I could give them both a go. in the end, I didn't need the second one, Persepolis was more than interesting to read.

Persepolis is the story of a young Iranian girl who is the grand daughter of a Prince who was thrown out of power and a rebellion started in the country. Marji attempts to fight in the rebellion and encourage her parents to do the same. This is a story of how a young girl's religious and political views are chopped and changed rapidly as she grows up in a world that no one would ever wish on their children.

This was not at all what I had expected from a graphic novel. I was expecting romance and teenagers along with drama and relationship crisis'. In no way did I expect to be reading a book that really ought to come with a health warning.

I really liked that fact that this focussed on a war which wasn't the first or second world war. This was a much more recent war which impacted many of the community still alive today. Why is it that was seem happy to talk about the horrors other generations had to face, but we wont talk about our own? This is an important portrayal of how war doesn't just affect the people on the front line.

I did enjoy reading it although I would never have picked it up if it hadn't been for the reading challenge. I enjoyed the experience of reading a graphic novel more than expected to. I can't say that the GN section in the library will be my firs port of call from now on because that would be a lie, but I do think that I may be a little open-minded to the world of comic style and graphic novels.

I AM PILGRIM By Terry Hayes

Okie doke folks! Here is the book that I have read for the category of A book with more than 500 pages. In fact this book has closer to 900 pages and that is also the reason that it has taken me so long to read it and upload a review about it.

This book follows the story of a retired intelligence agent who is pulled out of retirement to try and solve the biggest terrorist attack that America has ever seen, a new, hot, unstoppable strain of small pox.

Obviously this book contains a lot more than just this one story and I'm not going to lie, I did get a little bit worried when I realized that smallpox was going to be the terror agent in this book and I as quick to become sceptical that it was going to become samey and unoriginal, however, I loved it. I really really did enjoy this book an awful lot.

The thing I found most interesting about this book it the way that the beginning, middle, and end of the book, are all completely different and could; in themselves, be separate volumes, but they still flowed seamlessly from on to another, and it honestly didn't feel like 850+ pages.

It was also really nice to read a modern book which is aimed at adults without being sexually explicit. It really goes to show that although sex sells, it isn't the only thing that makes a book worth reading, or a film worth seeing. I think throughout the whole book, there is only one mild innuendo that i can remember and to be honest, I've read this more graphic than that in YA books.

This is a fantastic book which I would recommend to everyone. It is ridiculously well written and if I hadn't know beforehand, I would never have guessed that this was a debut novel. Hayes may have little novel writing experience, but he has the talent and voice of a master.

THE SHINING By Stephen King

Oooooh *shivers*, no guessing which category this book got read for. You got it! A book that scares you. Before I go any further, let me clarify the kind of fear that this book induced in me. It was the shiver-down-the-spine kind of fear rather than the pant-wetting-screaming-crying kind of fear, although I could see how The Shining would have that effect on people. I guess I've just read too many graphic, horror/murder novels to be frightened of blood and gore, but no matter how many books I read, I will always be an unwillingly willing victim to psychological terror.

This is the first Stephen King book I have ever read and I must say that I wasn't disappointed. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting from the great S.K but I'm really pleased with what I did read and I do not regret it in anyway shape or form. I will certainly be reading more of his novels in the future.

We start off with Jack at an interview for the job of winter care-taker at The Overlook Hotel. Looking at this as a second chance to get his life back on track after a life time of alcohol abuse, a slowly dwindling writing career and a more than dwindling marriage. However his son Danny has an incredibly strong psychic 'gift' despite being only five years old. Alone and snowed into the hotel, things start coming to life in the hotel and its grounds and things start to reveal themselves for what they truly are. The question is, is the Overlook Hotel a door to a new life, or something else?

Hallorann was my favourite! Throwing that out there right now, I liked Danny and Wendy as well, but I always loved Dick Hallorann throughout the entire time! He's the kind of person who you'd want for a Grandad, or and Uncle. His heart throughout the entire thing is so unique and genuine it is just impossible not to love him.

I would definitely recommend this book. It's gripping, your hooked from the first page, the characters are believable and after reading this it is incredibly easy to see why Stephen King is the best selling author he has become. You aren't just buying/reading these books for the author's name, you're reading these because they are amazing!

THE WARD By S.L Grey

Happy new year guys! Hope you've had a good book filled year with some incredible books to recommend to people. The Ward is the first book I have read for the POPSUGAR 2015 reading challenge (Checkout the heading up top :) ), and will be filling the category of 'Book you can finish in a day'

This incredibly surreal book was recommended to be by my wonderful friend, colleague and author Rebeccah Giltrow. Having been warned about its graphic content prior to reading this, I attempted to prepare myself for the journey I was about to embark on, but nothing, and I mean NOTHING could prepare me for what lies within these pages.

We begin the story with Lisa; a cosmetic surgery addict, and Josh Farrell; a celebrity photographer who is more commonly known as Farrell. Both these people have ended up in the grimmest of all hospitals; New Hope. Neither can wait to get discharged and every time they come close, a doctor demands they stay. After they try and escape, they find themselves in separate luxury hospital suits labelled 'Client' and 'Donor' and things start to get very weird indeed.

Firstly I have to thank Rebeccah for recommending this book for me and secondly I have to warn you all! This book is not for the meek and/or faint hearted. From about page 50, reading the book gives you the same experience I would imagine you get from a really bad acid trip. Its almost hallucinogenic in places.

I really really enjoyed reading this book and am tempted to read some other books by this author. (well actually, its two writers writing together under one name, Sarah Lotz and Louis Greenberg). Other than that I'm not really sure what I should say about this book. I liked the characters, more so Lisa than Farrell. At times I really did hate Farrell and I found that I tended to side with Lisa more often than not as I found Farrell too judgemental and quick to act on things. I didn't like the way he insisted on assuming power and blamed Lisa for the choices he made. Don't get me wrong, I liked him, he was just an idiot.

This is most definitely not a book for younger readers (due to severe bad language, mild sexual references and graphic violent content), however for those experienced readers looking for something unique and different to change up their reading habits... I think you've found you're book.

I was going to say enjoy, but that doesn't seem like the right word.... more like proceed with caution and always read the fine print.

THE BEHAVIOUR OF MOTHS By Poppy Adams

This is an interesting story about an elderly woman named Virginia who has lived alone in her family mansion for nearly fifty years, when suddenly her sister Vivien decides that  she is suddenly moving back in to the house to be with her older sister. This triggers memories and feelings to surface for the first time in decades and suddenly, the truth comes to light and the prices are finally paid... but is it to many decades to late?

I gotta say that I really enjoyed reading this book and it had me hooked quite definitely. The story line was simple and relatively easy to follow. Although I normally read something a little more complex in structure, it was nice to be able to read something that didn't take too much thinking about.

I really liked the back story of the protagonist, it was something different and something that is very memorable. Its a story that stands out among the thousands of other characters in the thousands of other books in the thousands of book stores across the globe.

I thought that the use of the child surrogacy plot line was an interesting addition to the story and really added another dimension to the intercharacter relationships. Although I can help but wonder what things would have been like if the child hadn't died so young... hmmm....

The ending of the book was very very sudden and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that. I kinda liked it and I also kinda didn't. It left me feeling a little bit helpless and I knew that I felt uncomfortable with the direction that the book was heading in. Ultimately I was saddened my the ending, but that doesn't make it any less of a really good book.

The only quarm I have is that the questions that Virginia asks all the way through the book don't get answered at the end of the book leaving you a little bit lost and disappointed with the lack of closure you are left with.

A good book that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good book that doesn't take too much concentration to read. A good book, a good good book.

MESSENGER OF FEAR By Michael Grant

Erm... wow! Where to begin?

Before I get started, I would just like to say that this book took me very much by surprise. Having read the GONE series by the same author just over a year or so ago, I thought I knew what to expect from this author. I'm telling you now that I wont make that same mistake again! This book was so totally different from my expectations it was unreal. It also happens to be one of the weirdest book I think I have ever read. Great, but weird. Also did I mention that I read this one in around six hours?

I think the thing that I found most bizarre was the fact that you don't learn anything about the main character until right at the end of the novel. It worked surprisingly well, having a narrator whom you know nothing about.

I would have like to known more about Messenger, and I felt a little put out that all the way through, Mara talked about how she would eventually come to know Messengers real name and why he became the messenger of fear, but then she never actually tells you what they are. I really liked the characters Daniel and Oriax and I would have liked to have known more about them and had a bit more of a back story as to who they were, especially Daniel whom I never really understood. I really liked and connected with the messenger and although I want to know more about him and what was it he did that was so evil, but part of me wonders that if I did know that then my feelings towards Messenger would be different, and not necessarily a good different.

Also, as well as being a tremendously good book, it is also a valuable lesson about the effects of bullying and how  we should stop and assess ourselves occasionally, because sometimes we bully other people without even realising it.

I must admit, there were times when I was reading this book that I wanted to put it down, I didn't want to read any more, yet I just couldn't allow myself to put the book down. But I guess that was done so that I could feel what Mara felt. wanting to stop watching the suffering and pain and yet not having the ability to do so.

This is a very interestingly written book and definitely not for the faint hearted. Not you're traditional horror/fantasy novel but hey, why should we always stick to the tradition.

This is a great, if a little weird, read.

This book does contain graphic violence and some very mild sexual references.

EENY MEENY by M J Arlidge

OH MY DAYS!!!!! Read it! Read it! Read it! Read it!

And to think that I very, very nearly returned this book to the library without even starting it!!! I would be kicking myself now if I had done.

This is the story of DI Helen Grace as she tries to capture the serial killer who is taking pairs of people and locking them away with only one instruction. One person must shoot the other. One dies, the other goes free...

This book is so, incredibly gripping and twisting in so many brilliant ways. It keeps you hanging on right until the very last page, the very last word even. You think your just getting the hang of the story when it takes another brilliant turn in a completely unthinkable direction! I've read crime novels with a similar final target to this before, but never have I read one so unique and different!

Each and every single one of these characters is so deep and well written that they become almost real to the reader. My personal favourite (Other than Helen) being Charlie. But even the other, more minor characters such as Bridges and Sanderson, had enough material written into them that they had real emotion and story, that you can't help but remember them in the way that you remember an old friend from school. Not always at the front of your memory and mind, but still always, definitely there somewhere.

Mark was an incredible piece of work in my opinion. So very often, the cops are always the people who have over come everything and become what they are today, but I think Arlidge's take was very interesting. It's really rare to read about a cop who is still going through his life changing events while at what appears to be the top of his game.

Wow this is an easy book to write about!

This does does contain adult, mature and graphic content and is very likely to leave you thinking what you would do in that situation, who you would be with etc... This is a very gripping book, that moves at such a pace it is unbelievable.

I would definitely recommend this book at all maturer readers, but make sure you keep arms and legs inside the car at all times as you're in for a bumpy ride!

THE HIT By Melvin Burgess

I must say, this has been a really enjoyable and interesting book to read. There are so many different themes and ideas packed into this book and yet it doesn't seem complicated or over crowded in anyway shape or form. I love it! Then again, I'm all for any book that has some sort of moral, especially one that makes you think about, and appreciate it more than you do already. There were a number of times while reading this book when I genuinely found myself thinking about what would be on my bucket list if I found myself under the influence of Death, or equally I might have found myself wondering whether or not I would have chosen to take it.

I think it was quite brave of the author to take on a topic like drugs and gang violence, because these are covered a lot in novels now-a-days and it can be difficult to write about it in a way that makes your story stand out from the others. But I'm am pleased to say that I think Burgess has done an incredible job and has definitely written a novel which tackles common but important themes while making it stand apart from everything else at the same time.

A brilliant book and one that I would definitely recommend, I'm looking forward to reading some of Burgess's other work.

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST By Ken Kesey

I've been wanting to read Cuckoo's Nest ever since I saw the stage production at our local theatre. I must say that if I was blown away by the incredibleness of the stage adaptation then I simple cannot put into words how much I have been effected but the novel itself. As someone who is greatly affected by mental health myself, I was interested to see what society had allowed to be broadcast.

I was a little worried when I started out reading the book and it doesn't have chapters as such, only breaks in the text and it's split into four lengthy segments, however in my excitement to read the book I push forward and I am so glad that I did! I badly notice the fact that there were no chapters and i found that once I picked it up, I could hardly bring myself to put it back down again. The pages seemed to turn themselves.

One of the biggest themes I picked up on throughout the novel was social standing and hierarchy. Although it s not a society in the way that we would normally talk about it, there is still a sense of community on the hospital ward and you can see the ranks which have been put in place. The vegetables and the bottom, followed by the chronics, then the acutes, after that its the aides and the the doctor and finally the Big Nurse. This is define clearly throughout and as in Tess of the d'Urbervilles and a lot of Percy Shelley's work (I choose these two as they are the other two texts i am working with for my course), The top tier of the society holds complete control and no matter how hard the lower levels of society try to change things, it never happens.

Although he isn't mentioned too often throughout the book, I think that Pete is my favourite character.  His quietness and the way he is put aside by everyone else really reached out to me. He clearly has a need that needs to be addressed and yet he is just swept under the carpet in a hope that eventually the issue will go away. I like Chief Bromden as well, and I think the way that his narration shows his growth as a person is very clever. His thoughts and opinions become longer and braver as the novel progresses whereas he started very quiet and scared and only narrating the bare minimum.

I am really glad to have read this book and I have really enjoyed reading it. But that isn't to say that there weren't parts of the book that made me stop and think twice about the way I think and the way society thinks as a whole. I think this is a brilliant commentary on Mental health and society, as well a social politics.

This is definitely one for a slightly older / young adult audience but one that I would most definitely recommend to every one. Its such a great book, with a brilliant message and to top it all, it's so easy to read!

RED DRAGON By Thomas Harris

I've been dying to read the Hannibal Lecter books for a while and I am more than pleased to say that I was not disappointed! Not exactly what I was expecting, but nevertheless... if we always got what we expected then the world would be a very disappointing and boring place indeed.

If I'm truly honest with you, I was expecting it to be a lot more graphic than it was, unless I've just read too many crime/thriller books and I've become used to the grime and the gore?? Maybe.... it wouldn't surprise me if that was the case.

I like the idea of the main protagonist being a retired agent rather than a working one. This want you get a sense that Graeme really wanted to catch the killer, he didn't have to come out of retirement, but he felt a need and an urge to do something that big and important. I thought that this helped you understand Will's character more because he wasn't bound by FBI rules and regulations and he wasn't having to follow professional police conduct, you could see a lot deeper into his character and begin to really understand him. A lot of other crime writers fail to do this because their protagonist is forced to behave and speak in a professional manner, so yes we know that they wanted the killer dead and/or arrested, and that they hate them to pieces, but beyond that, you don't really ever get to understand the relationship between captor and criminal.

I think my favourite character in the book was Dolarhyde, even though he's the killer and the murderer, his back story was so well written and so well put together that I felt closest to him out of all the other characters. I usually get a bit wary of authors who decide to develop a characters back story by deviating completely from the story and spending a whole chunk of chapters telling a completely different story to the main narrative, however when Harris did this, it flowed so well that you didn't mind and personally, I barley notice as he moved between the two.

Despite his infrequent appearances, Lecter's character intrigues me and is defiantly one of the driving forces, pushing me towards the next book in the series; The Silence of the Lambs. This I have also heard little negative comment about and I can't wait to get my hands on it and start it.

Harris's writing is so fluid that the hardest part about reading this is putting it down at the end.

This is most defiantly a book for more mature readers but that really goes without saying. What with the graphic violence, murder and nudity and all. However if you're alright with all that then I would defiantly recommend picking Red Dragon up and starting reading!

Red Dragon is a must read for all crime and thriller fans.

THE SCREAMING STAIRCASE By Jonathan Stroud

Wowser! I can't remember the last time I got so engrossed in a book! Five days it has taken me to read this and had it not been for college, it probably would have taken a lot less. Stroud is a genius and has left me clinging onto the edge of my seat for September to come around when the sequel comes out.

I am no stranger to ghost stories and tales of things that go bump in the night. In fact one of my many favourite series, is The Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delaney, set in Lancashire (My home county, in fact it was set in the town next door!). I was familiar with the iron and salt and other remedies for ghosts and such like, but The Screaming Staircase seemed different. Whether that was because it was a different setting, or because of the differences in the ghost themselves, I'm not sure but I tell you now, September cannot come quick enough!

From the moment I 'laid eyes on him', I was in love with Lockwood. I'm pretty sure that this is what Stroud would have wanted and certainly, you can do nothing but love Lockwood. His humour, his smile, even his rebellion, everything about him is perfect, yet still you can see the underlying dark secrets that we never get to know about. I think this is what makes him so appealing. Despite this, there was no love interest between the main characters which to be honest, I liked. It was nice to read something that wasn't about the protagonists and they're relationships, you can probably tell, I'm not one for the romantic side of things. The small element of romance (if you can call it that) was confused and ambiguous which made you appreciate it more in the end when it was finally confirmed and revealed fully.

There is such a uniqueness to the Stroud's supernatural characters, he has taken something so well known and so stereotyped and turned it into something new and something brilliant. My favourite being a group of ghosts that work together as one and manifest differently in three different places. They are working as one yet they are separated.

I could write about this forever but I really don't want to give any of this away! I would recommend this book to everyone (Unless you're a little faint hearted, but even then you should be fine ;) ). It is a work of pure genius and as soon as I get the chance, the second in the Lockwood & Co. books will be in my hands and the pages will be turning! Read it! Read it! Read it!

Oh, and you might want to leave the light on...

THE HOLLOW CHOCOLATE BUNNIES OF THE APOCALYPSE By Robert Rankin

With a name like The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies Of The Apocalypse, how can you not be intrigued into reading this fantastic looking book?

Before I started reading this novel, I Googled it to see what other people had said about it and the general consensus was that this book had what I like to call, 'the marmite effect'. People were either giving it five stars or one, they either loved it or hated it, and with no clearer view on whether I should read it or not, I just dived straight in.

Unfortunately, six chapters in and I am no closer to knowing whether or not I like the book and why I was continuing to read a book that did nothing to entertain me what so ever. I'm not saying I hated the book I just found it a little pointless and O.T.T on the violence front. Personally, I get no enjoyment from reading about a thirteen year old boy, threatening to shoot a barman with a homemade pistol, because his cooker had broken down and he couldn't give him any food. That just doesn't do it for me!

I can see why this would appeal to some people but it just isn't for me. I can't make a recommendation for this book because it really is a read-it-and-see kinda novel.

LONG LANKIN by Lindsey Barraclough

Firstly let me say that I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and a good start to the new year. I'm sorry its taken a while for me to post this, but it took a little longer to read than I expected it to.

If you have read my previous post about DANCING JAX by Robin Jarvis, you will recall that I mentioned this book; LONG LANKIN, saying that it was the only book creepier than the novel by Jarvis that I have ever read, intact, reading DANCING JAX inspired me to go back and read LONG LANKIN for a second time.

It has been a good two years since I had last read this novel, but the impeccable writing and storytelling contained within its pages meant that I had hardly forgotten the terrifying tale, and the most loveable of charters, my favourite being Mr Haldane Thorston and his garden.

Barraclough tells the story of two young girls (Cora and Mimi) who are sent to live with they're Great Auntie Ida, who at first appears to hate the girls and wishes to have nothing to do with them. In the end though it turns out that the harshness and the anger that she shows towards them is born out of fear for their safety and her own. She has already been plagued by the horrific Cain Lankin and the ghosts of the children he took, long enough, and is terrified that history will repeat itself because of the two young girls, who innocently and unknowingly bring danger and the possibility of death unto the hole of Bryers Geurdon. I believe that the thing that makes Lankin such a terrifying thought is that he preys in infants and young children. Children are the thing that we most care for adore with everything we have. Most parents would do anything for their children, putting them first and doing everything possible to protect them from danger. So for Barraclough to create this monster that is virtually unstoppable (save for the lych gate), that will tear through anything that gets in his way, and will hunt down the children is horrifying. The thought of a parent/guardian not being able to do anything but what and wait while an evil, twisted creature of a man hunts down their child is a very scary thought which many people would rather not have.

I found the thought of Ida Eastfield rather interesting and insightful, as through out the book, she slowly reveals more and more about the situations, her intentions and her reasons behind her actions. The first time we hear directly from Mrs Eastfield, we begin to agree with Cora, that she is just an angry old woman who hate children, but towards the end, Ida's bitterness and harsh facade, crumbles into sorrow and regret and most importantly, eventually into determination to do what should have been done centuries ago.

The actual description of Lankin himself is enough to send a shiver down your spine, just the thought of his feet slapping the ground as he walks, the idea of his weeping, half decayed body trying to survive the half life he has is completely grotesque. On occasion, towards the end of my book, I did find myself glancing into the darker corners of my bedroom if I was reading it in bed, of looking out of the window and across the garage roof, checking the darkness for anything that wasn't the dog skulking around, miffed that he'd been kicked off the bed. When an author is able to take something completely and utterly fictional and make it seem real to the reader while they're reading it then its a pretty clear indication that they have done they're job properly.

One thing that I admire about this author is the variety of story telling voices that she has incorporated into the story, Gussie, Mr Thorston, Ida, Mrs Jotman, they all recall the same story in a different voice, revealing new parts of the story and hiding others. In many ways, Long Lankin is written more as a documentary of events than as a novel, switching between past and present tense, looking into the future and recalling history. This novel is a brilliant lesson in learning from mistakes, how and why not to do things again, or equally learning what should be done should there be a second time around.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a book that sends a shiver down your spine and likes reading during the daytime. LONG LANKIN is a brilliantly terrifying read and I think that Barraclough is a fantastic author whose work I shall be further watching out for in the future.

This book may be unsuitable for younger readers.