Plastic by Christopher Fowler

Plastic
By Christopher Fowler

A whole new crime is committed on 30 July (US & Can) and 1 August (UK)

£7.99 (UK) ISBN 978-1-78108-124-2
$7.99/$9.99 (US & CAN) ISBN 978-1-78108-125-9

Available in paperback and ebook


Death and shopping in a razor sharp new crime thriller

“The dark reverse of a personal growth novel, a hoot of a crime thriller.” – The Independent

“A breathtaking thriller set in the dark shadow of the everyday … a razor sharp parable of modern life” – Jake Arnott

Christopher Fowler, the writer behind the Bryant & May series, is returning to Solaris with a new horror crime thriller that slices through the facile world of modern consumerist urban life.

June Cryer is a shopaholic suburban housewife trapped in a lousy marriage. After losing her home, husband and credit rating, she flat-sits a friend’s spectacular London high-rise apartment and prepares to indulge herself amidst London’s wealth.

But when a terrified girl breaks into the flat, June makes the mistake of asking the neighbours for help and she finds herself embroiled in an escalating nightmare, trying to prove that a murderer exists. For the next 24 hours she must survive on the streets without friends or money and solve an impossible crime.

Fowler has produced a dark thriller that skewers the lives of the urban rich, cutting open dark fears and bringing forth a novel that reveals the flimsy insecurities of modern life.

About the Author

Born in London, Christopher Fowler has written for film, radio, television, graphic novels and for newspapers, including The London Times, for more than thirty years. He is a regular columnist for The Independent on Sunday. Fowler is the multi-award winning author of more than thirty novels, including the lauded Bryant & May mysteries. In the past year he has been nominated for eight national book awards.



Also by Christopher Fowler

Hell Train
by Christopher Fowler
£7.99 (UK) ISBN 978-9-07992-43-8
$8.99/$9.99 (US & CAN) ISBN 978-1-907992-44-5
Available as an ebook

Tanya Huff, J Barton Mitchell, and Sam Neace reviews

The Silvered
Tanya Huff
DAW, $24.95
ISBN: 9780756407438

The powerful Kresentian Empire invades the Aydori Kingdom with brutal force as they loathe their enemy’s ruling species, werewolves. The Aydori and its allies expect their were-prowess accentuated by the mages to defeat the invaders. Instead, the Kresentian military use silver weapons to kill the courageous werewolves.

With the Kingdom falling into chaos and a genocide campaign underway, the Kresentian know only one thing could defeat them based on the prophecy of an unborn child leading the counterattack. To prevent this from happening, they capture five high-ranking Aydori women including the wife of the Mage Pack leader. Untested were Tomas Hagen the leader’s younger brother and underachieving mage Mirian Maylin who begin a rescue mission inside the Kresentian Empire to rescue the females.

This is an exciting romantic quest fantasy starring two individuals in a coming of age entertaining storyline while the prophecy will remind readers of Moses. Though the impossible odds are so overwhelming against their success that Vegas would refuse to take bets, fans will enjoy the trek of the werewolf and the mage into the heart of the enemy. Harriet Klausner

Midnight City
J. Barton Mitchell
St. Martin's Griffin, $17.99
ISBN: 9781250009074

Eight years ago the Assembly arrived and abducted almost every American adult. The new world order has the aliens controlling most of the country while human teen outlaw bands prey on the struggling survivors, mostly young children.

In this nightmarish landscape, persistent bounty hunter Holt Hawkins and his partner Max the dog hunt fugitive Mira Toombs while eluding the Assembly patrols and the teen gangs. As the diligent pair locates Toombs, they become distracted with the need to rescue Zoey, who the Assembly covets for her magical skills. The unlikely quartet heads to Midnight City; seeking to find out who Zoey is and why the Assembly want her.

Midnight City is an enjoyable young adult post-apocalyptic thriller starring likable protagonists. The storyline is fast-paced, but goes down the anticipated path of the Tuckman's Model of Group Development, betrayals and hostile enemies everywhere in pursuit. Still this is a fun fast-paced novel. Harriet Klausner

Sugarland Melting
Sam Neace
BlackWyrm, $11.95
www.blackwyrm.com
ISBN: 9781613181072

In Eastern Kentucky ninety-nine years old multimillionaire RJ Rockhouse constructs Sugarland, a thirteen trailer park in the shape of a cross. He soon expands his original concept to fifty trailers. Rockhouse selects families living below the poverty line to reside in the trailers rent free.

The nearby townsfolk wonder why he used this form of philanthropy when the affluent Rockhouse could donate to causes that would help many more people. Five years ago, RJ’s beloved wife Lola died. At her funeral he apparently lost his mind. Now the townsfolk believe his latest action affirms his insanity. Instead, RJ, who believes in the magic of 100, has a plan to transfer his soul and that of Lola into the bodies of his Sugarland residents.

Sugarland Melting is an engaging thriller that keeps readers guessing whether the storyline is a necromancy horror or a psychological suspense. Once readers know the path the entertaining plot goes, the excitement ebbs. Still this is a strong character driven tale of a desperate person trying to regain paradise lost at any cost. Harriet Klausner

Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction and Alternate History

Warrior Prince
Nancy J Cohen
The Wild Rose Press (Faery Rose), $15.99
www.thewildrosepress,com
ISBN: 9781612173573

Nira Larsen arrives at Drift World on Orlando’s International Drive for a make-up job interview though she is confused as the theme park’s log cabin employment office seemed to materialize in the parking lot out of thin air. Algie Morar welcomes Nira and asks her to test her skills on odd looking Jek by making him appear more human. When Nira resists Algie’s mental Confounding commands, the Drift World employee needs to know how so he directs Jek to restrain her. Drift Lord Warriors led by Commander Zohar Thoral rescue Nira while Algie escapes.

Like Algie, Zohar wants to understand how Nira resisted the Confounding but does not imprison the bewildered human; instead they seek to learn who she truly is. As she begins learn the truth behind ancient mythology, Nira is falling in love with Zohar and while he feels the same way. However, a malevolent force invades the earth through a schism in the Bermuda Triangle, the Drift Lord and the human know they must team up to save the planet, but neither trusts the other with their respective life or heart.

The first Drift Lord romantic urban fantasy is a super thriller as Nancy J Cohen brings ancient mythology to a city known for modern day mythos. The Cohen world feels real due to the warriors, their adversaries like the Trollecks and the mystery of Nira. Readers will relish this engaging save the planet before the protagonists can consider love. Harriet Klausner

Ghost Planet
Sharon Lynn Fisher
Tor, $7.99
ISBN: 9780765368973

Environmentally compared to earth Ardagh-1 is Eden. However, there is one major problem with this otherwise idyllic world: a native species hooks onto a human by taking the form of a dead person the outside knew. The alien spirits are meek followers of their “host”. Psychologically the colonists struggle with a deceased loved one following them everywhere they go New Seattle Counseling center chief psychologist Dr. Grayson Murphy issues the “Ghost Protocol,” which bans the colonist from interacting with their ghosts.

Dr. Elizabeth Cole arrives on Ardagh-1 to help the unsettling humans with their mental traumas. She thinks the “Ghost Protocol” is a mistake. Additionally the new psychologist is attracted to her supervisor until she realizes that Dr. Elizabeth Cole died due to a malfunction upon landing in the ocean instead of a pad. Her host Dr. Grayson Murphy ignores her existence, but unlike her new docile peers she plans to learn what she has become.

Ghost Planet is a great romantic science fiction with a strong premise that Sharon Lynn Fisher executes perfectly. Elizabeth is a super protagonist even though we (and she) know she died by chapter 2 as she keeps the fascinating storyline focused. Character driven, readers will appreciate this engaging tale. Harriet Klausner

1635: The Papal Stakes
Eric Flint and Charles E. Gannon
Baen, $25.00
ISBN: 9781451638394

In 1635 Rome, Cardinal Borja y Velasco of Spain has taken control of the Vatican. However, he is upset that Pope Urban VIII escaped. United States of Europe (USE) Ambassador Sharon Nichols and her husband Ruy Sanchez provide sanctuary for the beleaguered Pope and his retinue near Padua while Borja sends assassins to kill the Pope so that he can replace him as His Holiness.

Sharon finds radio contact with Colonel North fails. At the same time among Borja’s prisoners are Frank and pregnant Giovanna Stone. North dispatches Commander Harry Lefferts and his Wrecking Crew on an extraction mission.

The latest 1630s Ring of Fire alternate history (see 1634: The Galileo Affair collaborated with Andrew Dennis) is an exhilarating entry with a strong Papal Stakes plot enhanced by a profound look at seventeenth century Catholicism. The storyline is extremely complex as theological debate and armed combat (including targeted assassinations) combine to a fabulous thriller as Eric Flint and Charles E. Gannon prove a deft pairing. Harriet Klausner

Fire Season, Revenant Eve and The Shattered Dark reviewed

Fire Season
David Weber and Jane Lindskold
Baen, $18.99
ISBN: 9781451638400

Teenager Stephanie Harrington was euphoric when she obtained an internship in the junior forestry program on Meyerdahl. However, she became depressed when her family including her relocated to Sphinx, which had no such program. The seventeen-month winter and her boring peers at the Two Forks School are uninterested in her passion xeno-biology which adds to her despondency. Stephanie investigated the stealing of celery. That led to her meeting and bonding with Climbs Quickly the treecat. The Chief Forester named her and her only human friend Karl Zivonik is a provisional forest ranger (see A Beautiful Friendship).

Stephanie persuades Karl to allow her to use his family's aircar to practice flying. As the provisional forest rangers and Climbs Quickly fly, the treecat smells smoke. They inspect the fire and rescue twin treecats Left-striped and Right-striped who they bring to her father, a veterinarian.

Xenoanthropologist Dr. Whittaker arrives from Urako with his team and his son Anders to study the treecats. He distrusts the government including the Sphinxian Forestry Service to put the interests of the native population above those of the humans. Thus he leads his unit on an exploration of an abandoned clan site only to have their air-vehicle sink into the ground leaving them stranded while struggling to survive as forest fires ignites.

The second Stephanie Harrington Star Kingdom young adult science fiction thriller is a superb prequel to the Honor Harrington saga. The key cast is fully developed regardless of species or national origin. The storyline is great when the focus is on the interactions between the two species or the exploration of the planet; however, the teen relationships seem stereotypical. Still fans will enjoy exploring Sphinx with Harrington as our guide. Harriet Klausner

Revenant Eve
Sherwood Smith
DAW, $25.95
ISBN: 9780756407445

Southern California Professor Kim Murray prepares for her marriage to the Statthalter Marius Ysvorod, who will soon be the Crown Prince of Dobrenica. Her ancestors come from the small European nation, which recently regained its independence from the Soviets.

However, her happiness runs out of time when Kim finds herself in 1795 France as the spirit guardian to hybrid Aurélie de Mascarenhas of Saint-Domingue. The twelve year old girl is the only person who sees Kim. The college teacher realizes the stakes are whether she, her parents and grandparents exist if she fails to escort her charge to Dobrenica. This means the child must travel across dangerous anarchistic post-Revolutionary France. However, Aurélie’s family has plans for her and the French demand she spy for them as her fulfilling her destiny seems unlikely while both grow close with a profound understanding of Vrajhus, the Blessing, and the Nasdrafus.

The exciting Revenant Eve works on two fronts: as a terrific time travel thriller and as a Dobrenica entry (see Coronets and Steel, and Blood Spirits). The mentor and the mentee are fully developed so that the trials and tribulations of both seem genuine especially in light of what is at stake within the deadly era. Fans will relish this exhilarating thriller while newcomers will find this a fine taste of Dobrenica. Harriet Klausner

The Shattered Dark
Sandy Williams
Ace, $7.99
ISBN: 9781937007812

McKenzie Lewis attended college but differed from the other students in that she is a shadow reader who can see the fae and their movements between earth and the Realm. Called insane, McKenzie became apprentice to fae sword master Kyol. Together they supported the fae king against the rebels. Fae rebel leader Aren kidnapped McKenzie and she learned the truth that the side she supported was brutal and oppressive. The king and his top general died, but the fae remain divided and the civil war continues.

Though she loves Aren and adores Kyol, McKenzie looks forward to a normal life. However, even that proves out of reach when her BFF Paige vanishes and McKenzie must save her but the cost could be those she risked her life to protect.

The second Shadow Reader urban fantasy is a superb thriller as both sides in the dispute recognize the significance of the heroine’s skill and will do anything including an abduction of an innocent to insure cooperation. McKenzie ponders whether she can trust anyone as betrayal haunts her every step. With a strong romantic triangle adding to her dilemmas, fans will appreciate McKenzie’s fast-paced odyssey. Harriet Klausner

Young Adult Reviews

The Lost Prince
Julie Kagawa
Harlequin Teen, $9.99
ISBN: 9780373210572

Meghan Chase’s younger brother Ethan strictly adheres to his survival technique of never looking at the fey that he can see. He knows he wants nothing to do with the Iron Realm where his sister and her Ice Prince rule the Nevernever after spending a horrible time in that abomination (see The Iron King).

Though several years have passed since his living nightmare when his sibling became The Iron Queen, Ethan has become an angry acrimonious teen as he blames the fairy for his obsession to never allow anyone to get close to him. However, his avoidance technique ends when he starts a new school and gets into trouble with Miss Singer within thirty minutes due to Kenzie St. James. This is followed by a fight with a jock and Todd the half-breed recognizing he can see his true nature and Them; Thistle knows who his sister is. After the first day is over Ethan soon realizes that exiled fey and half-breeds are vanishing though he prefers his tough guy isolation, but cannot remain reclusive.

The first three Iron Fey urban fantasies (see The Iron King, The Iron Queen and The Iron Daughter) focused on Meghan; the fourth entry centered on her beloved Ash; this exciting thriller places Ethan as the prime lead. Ethan is an angry teen wanting to be left alone but his reputation precedes him (think of the Heath Ledger character in 10 Things I Hate About You). Staring with Kenzie the school reporter, he seems to land in constant trouble until he and his sidekick find themselves in the Iron Realm. Fans will enjoy the escapades of this tough guy as Kenzie, the Fey, the half-breed and his DNA lead to unending danger. Harriet Klausner

Sacrifice
Cayla Kluver
Harlequin Teen, $9.99
ISBN: 9780373210442

Sixteen years after the Legacy of their previous war, the forces of the Cokyr Kingdom led by Commander Narian conquer their neighbor Hytanica. The new teenage Queen Alera knows she and her people must wait for the right time before throwing off the yoke of their more powerful invader. She shares her rule with Narian, who she loves but loathes for betraying their people when he chose his Allegiance to his evil guardian the Cokyr monarch and the malevolent mystical Overlord.

Shaselle does not have the chains of ruling to hold her back. She thirsts to avenge the murder of her father as she prowls the capital seeking to join the growing resistance. Rebellion is everywhere in the nation forcing Queen Alera and Commander Narian to choose between leading and following.

The third Legacy young adult romantic military fantasy is an enjoyable finish to a fabulous trilogy in which the aggressor nation supports women’s rights while the oppressed does not. Filled with political intrigue in a medieval setting, fans will enjoy this entry wondering whether Alera can reveal her love for Narian to her people and if they will accept him as her consort; that is if they can defeat the Cokyr invaders. Harriet Klausner

The Tangled Bridge
Rhodi Hawk
Tor, $14.99
ISBN: 9780765324979

Tulane University Professor Madeleine LeBlanc, a psychologist, researched her family heritage in an attempt to avoid the shortcomings caused by the unique ability to see things that others cannot. She fears joining the long list of members committing suicide like her brother did (see A Twisted Ladder).

Madeleine vow to never use her power ends when she learns that Zenon, her great-grandmother Chloe the Voodoo Queen and their demons hunt a little boy she obsesses over keeping safe though he is the one who destroys her and her family. She and her friend Tulane neurologist Ethan Manderleigh finds a corpse physically murdered by a tall big woman controlled by someone else probably Chloe. Madeline looks back to the 1930s in New Orleans for answers to how to defeat her relatives.

The second Madeleine LeBlanc exciting urban psychological suspense fantasy is a family good and evil affair. Maddy is a complex individual who fears her bloodlines (either inheriting the darkness of century plus old malevolent Chloe or the schizophrenia of her father). The leisurely-paced convoluted storyline is atmospherically driven giving the plot a modern day bayou gothic feel. Not for everyone, fans who appreciate something interesting but different will want to cross The Tangled Bridge where past and present converge. Harriet Klausner

Stephen Baxter, Jack McDevitt and Mike Resnick

Bronze Summer
Stephen Baxter
Roc, $26.95
ISBN: 9780451464798

Millennia have passed since the Year of the Great Sea led to teenagers Ana and Novu leading the construction of the Great Wall. By the Year of the Fire Mountain, Northland has become a prosperous pat of the continent rather than being under the North Sea or conquered by the kingdoms to the east. The impoverished Greeks look at Northland and its trading partner the thriving Hittites for conquest during devastating drought.

In the Northland capital Etxelur, the head of the ruling order dies in what appears to be an accident at a time her daughter Milaqa has failed to choose which Order to join. Milaqa’s Uncle Teel believes his sister was murdered and demands his grieving niece join him and the secret Order of the Crow in investigating the death. At the same time Qirum and dethroned queen Kilushepa team up to take advantage of the chaos engulfing much of the continent including Northland.

The second Northland alternate prehistoric thriller (see Stone Spring) has moved the people from a stone age into a bronze age at a time when an Icelandic volcanic eruption has led to climate change and famine. The action-filled storyline is filled with too much blood and gore distracting from the engaging political and social upheaval started by that volcano erupting; violence is a way of life in Stephen Baxter’s Bonze Age tale. Harriet Klausner

The Cassandra Project
Jack McDevitt and Mike Resnick
Ace, $25.95
ISBN: 9781937008710

In 2019, the United States remains in the throes of the Great Recession. Federal agencies are cut to the bone so that there is little strategic planning when surviving daily operations has become the norm. In that environs, NASA press director agent Jerry Culpepper is a long term thinker grounded in reality.

Jerry releases material from the 1960s Apollo mission that contains a shocking recording between Houston and Sydney Myshko, captain of the first test mission to circle the moon on which the astronaut says he is landing. In the second test mission, astronaut Aaron Walker wrote in his diary that he walked on the moon. Two now deceased men and apparently a few others claim to have taken that “… giant leap for mankind” before Armstrong did. Jerry seeks the truth while trying to contain what seems to be a scandalous cover-up that capitalist Bucky Blackstone plans to exploit for his private enterprise moon landings. President George Cunningham realizes he loses credibility no matter what happens.

This is a superb NASA thriller that works because the key players seem genuine especially in how they react to the information as it is found. With a nod to the movie Capricorn One but with realistic people and critically no odious villains, fans will want to know if Armstrong was fifth in the batting order and why the four astronauts to precede him were not acknowledged as walking on the moon.
Harriet Klausner

Home, The Walking Dead, and Halo

Home
Matthew Costello
Dunne, $25.99
ISBN: 9781250012739

After the assault by the feral cannibalistic Can Heads left his Brooklyn police bat partner dead and him injured, NYPD police officer Jack Murphy, accompanied by his wife Christie and their two kids (Kate and Simon) go on Vacation to the Upstate fortified Paterville Family Camp. There he and his family eat old fashion real food, drink pure water, and have fun until he sacrifices himself to keep his beloved family safe (see Vacation).

Christie, Kate and Simon are shocked by what happened to their dad, but have no time to grieve if Jack’s last actions are to be meaningful. They barely escape from the Paterville Family Camp, but fear there is no sanctuary anywhere in a world gone mad. Still, the trio struggles to survive from the nightmares they know exist and even more horrid beasts they will soon learn exist.

The second Murphy family post-apocalyptic horror tale is a gripping survivor thriller as three innocents struggle to stay alive. Their ordeal is fast-paced but at times lacks vividness due to the frantic speed of the plot. Still readers will want to travel the road with the Murphy family who believe in Schwartz’s Law as their namesake’s law proves too optimistic. Harriet Klausner

The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury
Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga
Dunne, $24.99
ISBN: 9780312547745

In what was the Atlanta metropolitan area, the zombie plague continues to spread unabated. Those still human struggle to survive against The Walking Dead taking shelter wherever they can find temporary safety; these spots are dwindling. Frightened Lilly Caul seeks sanctuary as she flees from the undead horde, but rarely finds it and when she does it is temporary as the abominations never rest in their endless quest for live flesh.

Lily reaches the fortified town of Woodbury, Georgia; a haven for squatters to barter in relatively safety from the Walking Dead. In a previous life, he was known as Philip Blake, but now he is the Governor of Woodbury. After feeling safe for the first time since the plague began, Lily has a new fear as she observes how the Governor and his law enforcement rule the city with an iron fist. She and others rebel against his tyranny as Woodbury implodes from within.

The sequel to the Rise of the Governor is an exciting horror thriller based on the Benjamin Franklin premise that “Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.” Fast-paced, fans will enjoy this entry though they also will wonder how traumatized scared of shadows Lily suddenly turns into a ferocious freedom fighter. Harriet Klausner

Halo: The Thursday War
Karen Traviss
Tor, $15.99
ISBN: 9780765323941

In 2553, the Unified Earth’s Office of Naval Intelligence assigns psyops unit Kilo-Five to occupy the Sangheili Covenant by causing internal troubles so that the enemy loses sight of what earth is doing to insure their permanent defeat. To accomplish their mission, the black-ops squad first must prevent the Covenant’s former military leaders the Elites from regaining control and second foster a civil war.

On recently liberated Onyx, the ONI interrogates captured Elite Jun Mdama who has his own plans for the human enemies. Meanwhile all is going well in Sangheili until Captain Serine Osman reports back to headquarters in Sydney that she lost contact with her Sangheili language and cultural awareness expert Professor Evan Phillips. Besides never leaving behind anyone and in this case his knowledge is too valuable to ignore, Osman knows she needs to mount an extraction from Sangheili unaware the professor is knee deep in Forerunner technology.

This is an exciting fresh spin to the Halo universe as the second post-war military science fiction (see Glasslands) occurs after Halo 3 has several key players fascinatingly looking back at the moral decisions they made especially with deployment of the Spartans during the hostilities. The other major subplot is a deep look at the enemy’s civil war. Fans of the game will enjoy this tale though will need to adjust to the relatively minor role of the Spartans as they were created for war, so with a tentative peace their action is much less than it has been. Harriet Klausner