Book reviews June 12
Adrenaline- fuelled, cinematic action grabs you by the jugular in vampire fiction Skarlet. This clever novel abandons tired Dracula myth in favour of a well-researched, believable and current premise for a blood-sucker invasion of London.'Fear grips the capital as dozens of clubbers die after taking a sinister new drug. Forty-eight hours later, the dead clubbers wake up and it's open season on the living', reads the blurb. This is an un-put-down-able read. (JO ROBERTS)
The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Weidenfeld & Nicholson, hardback £18.99
The wait for the follow-up to The Shadow Of The Wind has been worth it. Readers are back in the winding streets of old Barcelona and the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. This time we read of David Martin, a young man found a job as a horror writer for a crooked publisher. A mysterious letter from a Parisian publisher makes David an offer he cannot refuse. But the deal comes at a price. This is a pleasure to read and is addictive. Questions remain unanswered, but this is beautifully-written. (CAROLINE DAVISON)
Home From War by Martyn and Michelle Compton, Mainstream Publishing, hardback £14.99
If you need reminding of the power of love, heroism and friendship in British life, here it is. Lance Corporal Martyn Compton's existence was changed beyond recognition when he was blown up in a Taliban ambush that killed three colleagues. He suffered near-fatal, disfiguring burns. But fiancée Michelle found inner strength to help them both face up to the future. The couple share rare and remarkable insight into the human stories behind the war. (JO ROBERTS)
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