Don’t Fear the Reaper by Andrew S

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Andrew S French, Astrid Snow, Don't Fear the Reaper, Intrigue, mystery, Review, Review week, story, Thriller, writing

Just for a change (and in support of a few authors whose work I have been enjoying) I thought that I’d post a review a day for a week. Hopefully something might take your fancy!

Don’t Fear the Reaper by Andrew S French

‘Don’t Fear the Reaper’ is a well-paced, exciting and engaging mystery-thriller which takes the reader into a world of murky, dangerous and hidden government agencies. Original and skillfully written it is full of the grit that one might expect without the glamour that is so often portrayed elsewhere. Yes, there are several references made to cities more ‘associated’ with espionage and subversive activities such as Berlin, Prague and Vienna, but most of the action takes place in and around London and the (unassuming) South and South-East of England. And this results in the story being both more realistic and more relatable.
An intriguing opening introduces the reader to the lead character who is, refreshingly, female. Astrid is a strong, but ultimately flawed, woman whose backstory is unveiled in a series of flashback memories. It is, indeed, these flaws that engage the reader and give her character depth and realism in what is (action aside) a very character-led story.
The story itself is complex but not complicated and, as it progressed, I found myself being more and more drawn in by it. It is full of twists and turns (some of them unexpected) right up until its gripping conclusion, where the reader is left wanting more – fitting, really, as this is the first of a series of books featuring the protagonist. 
One feature of this book which I think French employs with particular success is the use of double narrative: the bulk of the writing carries the story in the third person, but a second narrator (the antagonist) tell events from their perspective which adds an extra level of interest.
Oh, and did I mention the great musical references that run through the story?
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys not only thrillers and mystery stories but also readers with a penchant for stories featuring a strong female lead

The Time Traveller’s Murder

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Adventure, Andrew French, Andrewsfrench, Apocalypse, Book review, creative, Detective, future, mystery, Novel, Review, Sci-Fi, story, The Time Traveller's Murder, Thriller, Time travel, writing

A short review of ‘ The Time Traveller’s Murder’ by Andrew French.

‘The Time Traveller’s Murder’ is a novel which is tricky to categorise – part mystery, part thriller and part Sci-Fi, it excells in crossing between genres to create an engrossing and entertaining story.

Set in the near future it tells the tale of an ex-detective (now turned private investigator) who gets drawn into an elaborate investigation involving time travel. However, as the story unfolds, French brings in several sub-plots which are interwoven cleverly and keep the reader engaged (and indeed guessing) as the main plot progresses.

From the opening line: ‘Detective Inspector Harry Hook flexed his fingers in anticipation of strangling a man’ we are introduced to characters who are rounded, three-dimensional and believable and French’s strong, realistic use of dialogue serves well to enable them to be visualised clearly. The back-stories of the main characters are drip-fed into the novel cleverly, helping to provide the reader for a deeper understanding of both them and their motivation.

The Sci-Fi element of the story is well researched and explained effectively, but also poses some interesting philosophical questions about the nature of time travel.

From the first chapter – which sets both the scene and tone of the book and gives the reader an outline of the lead character – we are lead through a series of twists and turns, many of which are quite unpredictable, and I found myself being sucked deeper and deeper into the book the more I read. Music plays a strong role throughout the book (look closely at the chapter titles!) and acts as a reminder that, despite time moving forward, links to our pasts are everywhere. 

If I were to level any criticism at this book (and it is a very minor point) it would be that I found one or two phrases to be a little stereotypical.

Overall this is a fantastic read which I would recommend for anyone who enjoys a good mystery, detective story, thriller or, indeed, a slice of Sci-Fi.