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Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez – Locke and Key Volume II: Head Games | Review

Title: Locke and Key Volume II: Head Games

Author: Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 160

Rating 4/5

Another strong instalment at the series, and I’m starting to feel pretty invested by this point. The only thing that I’m really worried about is the fact that it currently feels so open that I feel like it could go on for much longer than the four more volumes that are out. But then, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing, and so perhaps they quit while they were ahead.

I can’t say too much here without spoiling the plot, but suffice to say that we get to quite literally see inside some of the characters’ heads. It’s a unique little quirk that I haven’t seen elsewhere and it was cool to see what Hill and Rodriguez could do with the idea. Cool.

Click here to buy Locke and Key Volume II: Head Games.

Peter May – Cast Iron | Review

Title: Cast Iron

Author: Peter May

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 408

Rating: 7/10

Peter May – Cast Iron

Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this for free to review.

There’s a pretty interesting concept behind Cast Iron, and I liked the way that the book’s title refers to a type of alibi. This book is part of a series following Scottish forensic expert Enzo Macleod as he researches a number of cold cases as the result of a bet that he made. It’s a bit like what would happen if Dave Gorman was on CSI, and I thought that it was an interesting quirk. It’s also worth noting that despite being the sixth (I think!) book in the series, it works just as well as a standalone – this is actually the first Peter May book that I’ve read, although I’ve heard of him before.

Unfortunately, I didn’t think that there was much more than that to make this book stand out in a competitive market. It was a strongly written whodunnit and it was a pleasant enough read, but while I would say that it’s worth reading, there isn’t anything in particular that makes me want to suggest you should go out of your way for it.

That’s not to say that I wouldn’t consider reading the rest of the series. After all, it’s a professional quality release from a man who’s sold over a million copies of his books, and so you know that it’s going to be competent. If you’re happy with competent then it could be the book for you, especially if you’re a Francophile and want to be immersed in the country’s culture in a murder mystery that will keep you turning through the pages.

Peter May

I suppose it’s just that there are so many crime novels out there on the market that I think I’d rather spend my time reading through Agatha Christie’s work or introducing myself to as many different crime writers as possible. Now that I’ve read this one, I’m curious about the rest of the series, but I don’t find myself compelled to read it, as I sometimes do with other authors.

So overall, it’s a book with a few things going for it, but it’s not going to blow your mind. It might hook your attention and keep you rolling until the end, but it won’t necessarily make you think. It’s your call!