Le Bron

 By:  Jeff Benedict

Location: NF 920 Sport

Genre: His own

The first definitive biography of basketball legend LeBron James, by the acclaimed author of Tiger Woods.

LeBron is unquestionably the greatest basketball player of the 21st century. Off the court, LeBron's political activism, outspoken stance on racism and social injustice have helped build a social media presence that includes 117 million followers on Instagram and 51 million followers on Twitter. He is an international brand worth billions of dollars. He doesn’t just have huge endorsement deals with some of the biggest corporations in the world; LeBron sits on boards of directors and has an equity stake in the companies he sponsors. He has forged a close friendship with President Barack Obama and clashed publicly with President Donald Trump.

As a child, LeBron was a lost little boy living in a public housing project in Akron, Ohio. His mother, who had LeBron when she was just sixteen, would disappear for days at a time. Scared and alone, LeBron rarely attended school. He was dirt poor and fatherless. And he had never played organised basketball. Yet he would become the most successful and most popular athlete that the United States has produced this century, bringing success to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers.

To tell this epic story, Benedict has done exhaustive research, digging through thousands of pages of primary source documents, articles, books and hundreds of hours of video footage. He’s also conducted hundreds of interviews with the people who were intimately involved with LeBron from the beginning of his life to the present. He shows the initial slow rise of a star that suddenly transformed into a speeding comet during his senior year of high school. It is a unique and unmissable insight into one of the world's greatest athletes.

The Sparrow

 By: Tessa Duder

Location: FIC DUD

Genre: NZ- Aotearoa History

A powerful new historical novel from one of New Zealand’s best-loved YA authors

An exciting new novel from the author of Alex.

In September 1840, two ships arrive on the shores of the Waitematā Harbour to establish Auckland, the new capital of New Zealand. Among the settlers on board the Platina is young Harry, travelling alone and determined to return to family in England. But the more immediate challenge is finding food and shelter — and hiding the truth about Harry’s real identity and what was left behind in Van Diemen’s Land.

Review by "what next book"- Goodreads

"This would have to be my favourite of Tess Duder Young Adult novels yet. Meticulously detailed and gripping, The Sparrow is a historical tale that spans 12,000 miles, genders, the rich and poor, people of good character and bad, over 4 years and three countries.

The reader will see the very beginnings of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, once deemed the capital of a new colony in the years of 1839-1840. Harriet is a brave character, doing all she can to survive terrible hardships forced upon her in spite. She has a strong sense of what’s right over pompous superstition and prejudice and stands her ground. Unfortunately this will be her downfall more than once.

This novel is told in two timelines that connect at the end – and what a conclusion!

Many of the characters are based on real people and the major events are taken from historical records. This is not only an insight into Aotearoa New Zealand’s early days, but a riveting story too."

Daughters of a Dead Empire

 By: Carolyn Tara O'Neil

Location: FIC ONE

Genre: Historical Fiction, Retelling,  Anastasia 

"Beautifully written, this is a story of friendship and survival after a tragic loss. A fascinating tale of a familiar legend and what happened in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution." Danielle

“We are harder than anything the world can throw at us.”

“I prefer a peaceful revolution.”
She shook her head. “There’s no such thing.”

"This fresh, thrilling take on Anastasia establishes that O'Neil is a debut author to watch." ― Buzzfeed

From debut author Carolyn Tara O'Neil comes a thrilling alternate history set during the Russian Revolution.

Russia, 1918: With the execution of Tsar Nicholas, the empire crumbles and Russia is on the edge of civil war―the poor are devouring the rich. Anna, a bourgeois girl, narrowly escaped the massacre of her entire family in Yekaterinburg. Desperate to get away from the Bolsheviks, she offers a peasant girl a diamond to take her as far south as possible―not realizing that the girl is a communist herself. With her brother in desperate need of a doctor, Evgenia accepts Anna's offer and suddenly finds herself on the wrong side of the war.

Anna is being hunted by the Bolsheviks, and now―regardless of her loyalties―Evgenia is too.

Daughters of a Dead Empire is a harrowing historical thriller about dangerous ideals, inequality, and the price we pay for change. An imaginative retelling of the Anastasia story.

Foul Lady Fortune

By: Chloe Gong

Location: FIC GON

Genre: Fantasy. Historical Fiction, Mystery Retell!

“Nation over everything. But not you, sweetheart. Never your life in exchange”

― Chloe Gong, Foul Lady Fortune

The first book in a captivating new duology following an ill-matched pair of spies posing as a married couple to investigate a series of brutal murders in 1930s Shanghai.

It’s 1931 in Shanghai, and the stage is set for a new decade of intrigue.

Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from sleeping and aging—and allows her to heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Now, desperate for redemption from her traitorous past, she uses her abilities as an assassin for her country.

Code name: Fortune.

But when the Japanese Imperial Army begins its invasion march, Rosalind’s mission pivots. A series of murders is causing unrest in Shanghai, and the Japanese are under suspicion. Rosalind’s new orders are to infiltrate foreign society and identify the culprits behind the terror plot before more of her people are killed.

To reduce suspicion, however, she must pose as the wife of another Nationalist spy, Orion Hong, and though Rosalind finds Orion’s cavalier attitude and playboy demeanor infuriating, she is willing to work with him for the greater good. But Orion has an agenda of his own, and Rosalind has secrets that she wants to keep buried. As they both attempt to unravel the conspiracy, the two spies soon find that there are deeper and more horrifying layers to this mystery than they ever imagined. 

The Mountain and the Sea

 By: Ray Nayler

Location: FIC Nay

Genre: Sci Fi, Animals, Fantasy

"A sure-fire Hugo contender (and probable winner)!

No matter what you are looking for in a novel, The Mountain in the Sea is a real winner. You do not have to be a science-fiction fan to love it. The plot is gripping, with various groups in fierce competition as humans explore the nature of minds and consciousness and take actions that will be crucial to the future of humans and other life. The characters are fully developed; I believed in and cared about them." - Ange

Humankind discovers intelligent life in an octopus species with its own language and culture, and sets off a high-stakes global competition to dominate the future.

Rumors begin to spread of a species of hyperintelligent, dangerous octopus that may have developed its own language and culture. Marine biologist Dr. Ha Nguyen, who has spent her life researching cephalopod intelligence, will do anything for the chance to study them.

The transnational tech corporation DIANIMA has sealed the remote Con Dao Archipelago, where the octopuses were discovered, off from the world. Dr. Nguyen joins DIANIMA’s team on the islands: a battle-scarred security agent and the world’s first android.

The octopuses hold the key to unprecedented breakthroughs in extrahuman intelligence. The stakes are high: there are vast fortunes to be made by whoever can take advantage of the octopuses’ advancements, and as Dr. Nguyen struggles to communicate with the newly discovered species, forces larger than DIANIMA close in to seize the octopuses for themselves.

But no one has yet asked the octopuses what they think. And what they might do about it.

A near-future thriller about the nature of consciousness, Ray Nayler’s The Mountain in the Sea is a dazzling literary debut and a mind-blowing dive into the treasure and wreckage of humankind’s legacy.

Godkiller

 By: Hannah Kaner

Location: FIC KAN

Genre: Fantasy, Mythology, LGBGT

"..theres a lot of enjoy about this. the characters are wonderfully developed, the plot is engaging, and the world is built up perfectly for a medieval fantasy." Jessica

Kissen kills gods for a living, and she enjoys it. That is until she finds a god she cannot kill: Skediceth, god of white lies, who is connected to a little noble girl on the run.

Elogast fought in the god war, and helped purge the city of a thousand shrines before laying down his sword. A mysterious request from the King sends him racing back to the city he destroyed.

On the way he meets a godkiller, a little girl and a littler god, who cannot find out about his quest.

Review from James on Goodreads

"You are not welcome here, Godkiller" is a simple statement that piqued my curiosity when I opened the package that included Hannah Kaner's upcoming fantasy debut. I was so intrigued that I opted to read Godkiller next. I'm content that I did as this release is a fascinating and engaging dark fantasy adventure reminiscent of Sapkowski's The Witcher series. It is extremely well-written, features excellent pacing and contains some wonderful twists.

The action picks up some time after a momentous event in this world, the killing of the majority of the gods under the King's orders. Although things seem pretty settled at the moment, there are rumours of a civil war, political unrest, civilians who miss the gods, and there are strange happenings that have taken place. This all causes a few of our main characters' paths to cross - following a secret request from the king - culminating in the necessity for a quest to the ruined city of Blenraden. A lot has happened previously in Kaner's fantasy world and the details, mythology, and the positions that the gods play are all revealed neatly and gradually as the tale progresses.

Whilst reading Godkiller, we follow four different points of view. Two of them are reluctant legends in their own fields, both were active and influential throughout the god war, and are now just generally plodding along. They find themselves in a position that is similar to how Ringil begins in The Steel Remains. Kissen is the titular Godkiller and her occupation is pretty self-explanatory. She doesn't like gods much and will kill them for a fee. Elogast is currently a baker, yet his previous occupation was as one of the King's most trusted Knights. We also follow Inara, a young noble lady who the majority of the nobility don't seem to know exists, and finally her bonded god companion Skedi, the god of white lies.

All the points of view are interesting; their past experiences, flaws, and vulnerabilities revealed to the reader as they're detailed to the other main characters. Inara and Skedi's connection and the god's past are shrouded in mystery, as it should not be possible for a god to survive without a shrine and the love and dedication of followers.

Regarding what to expect, Godkiller includes an LGBTQ+ lead, main characters who struggle with mental illness, a point of view character who has a prosthetic leg, other important disabled characters, and this world's equivalent of sign language. All of these aspects fit seamlessly and enhance the story and the characters around them. We also have incredible set pieces, romance, betrayals, showdowns, curses, tragic loss, demons, and an amazing ending. Little statements and seemingly unimportant details come to be of the utmost importance later on, so Godkiller is absolutely a rewarding novel for those that pay attention.

Godkiller delivers an impressive fantasy world, the way the gods are presented is unique, and, as previously mentioned, the fact that the mythology and history are delivered at a steady pace hints that this series has a lot more of its secrets yet to reveal. Kaner's debut reads similar to one of Sapkowski's short stories or the stand-alone Season of Storms in that it's self-contained, follows a few main characters on an adventure, and that it feels like we're only witnessing a small yet exciting part of what's going on in a massive, vivid world.

At around 300 pages, it's quite a short read for epic fantasy and I truly hope that Kaner builds on this credible platform that showcases great potential. My only minor complaint is that due to Godkiller's short length, some of the exchanges and events seem a bit too neat and coincidental. In light of this point, I'd personally like the series' next entry to expand, include more point-of-view characters, to show us what is happening elsewhere in the world concurrently, adding extra depth, and drama, and becoming even more impressive. Happenings have truly heated up by the end of the novel, and so I will trust the author's vision and I'll definitely read what comes next.

The Lorikeet Tree

 By: Paul Jennings

Location: FIC JEN

Genre:  Health, Nature, Family- Grief and Loss- tough stuff!

A sister and brother face the hardest year of their lives and discover the healing power of nature in this compelling tale from master storyteller Paul Jennings.

Emily loves the bush and the native animals on her family's reforested property, particularly the beautiful rainbow lorikeets that nest in one of the tallest trees. But then her father is diagnosed with a terminal illness, and Emily's world enters a tailspin.

Her twin brother, Alex, refuses to accept the truth. His coping mechanism is to build elaborate additions to his treehouse in the superstitious belief that it will avert disaster - leaving Emily to deal with harsh reality on her own.

When Alex secretly adopts a feral kitten, going against everything that's important to Emily, the siblings' emotions reach boiling point - with potentially dangerous consequences for them all.

A moving story of family, loss and love, from one of Australia's most beloved storytellers.

"The Lorikeet Tree tells the story of twins, Emily, and Alex, who are thrust into the trauma of grief when their picturesque bush retreat is struck by the reality that their Dad is dying from a terminal illness.

Emily is the pragmatic sister, wise beyond her years with a big heart and a protective spirit. While Alex fails to accept that their Dad won’t recover, losing himself in his superstitious activity of adding to the treehouse that he believes will heal all.

Together, the siblings muddle their way through life, bristling at their grief and loss, navigating a world that is too unfair to fathom.

With beautiful rainbow lorikeet’s and feral kitten’s colliding, a profound representation of just how difficult life can be. With his ever sensitive, thoughtful, and powerful storytelling, this is another great example of Paul Jennings’ ability to capture the heart of children throughout the decades."

Wren

 By: Lucy Hope 

Location: FIC HOP

Genre: Historical Fiction. Gothic

"I loved this! Great Gothic vibes."

A dark, gothic adventure set on the island of Anglesey in North Wales and featuring a very fantastical beast…

Wren lives in an ancient castle in the mountains near the sea. The wind whistles through it and the walls sing to her. Wren is busy inventing things, and her father is busy disapproving.

But the castle contains a mystery and as Wren is drawn further into it, she realises the answer lies in the very foundations of her home, foundations that are being shaken to their core…

New Dragon City

 By: Mari Mancusi

Location: FIC Man

Genre: Fantasy, Dragons

Set off on a high-stakes, action-packed adventure in this story about friendship, survival, and fighting for ones you love, perfect for fans of Wings of Fire and How to Train Your Dragon .  No one predicted the dragon apocalypse. The dragons came suddenly and decimated the world as we knew it, including New York City. Now, three years later, Noah, his hardcore survivalist father, and a ragtag group of survivors are barely scraping by in this new reality. Kids scavenge not only for materials in abandoned homes but also for leftover books at the library. Adults spend their time establishing a make-shift society and defending their shelter... with any means available. At least for the few months the dragons are hibernating, until it’s no longer safe aboveground.

Noah has seen the damage these creatures can do firsthand. When it comes to It's kill or be killed. But a chance encounter between Noah and a young dragon causes him to question everything he thought he knew. With rumors spreading that there’s a group of survivors living in harmony with dragons instead of hiding underground, Noah teams up with his fire-breathing ally to find out if peace between humans and dragons is really possible. But the division runs deeper than scales versus skin because trying to follow his heart might just cost Noah his family too. If Noah and his father can’t see eye to eye, can he really get humans and dragons to?

A Clock of Stars

 By: Francesca Gibbons

Location: FIX GIB

Genre: Fantasy

With all the magic of Narnia and the humour of Mary Poppins, this is a future middle grade fantasy classic – and the beginning of an unforgettable journey…

The thrilling third volume in the bestselling middle-grade trilogy, beautifully illustrated throughout by Chris Riddell
Step through the door in the tree and into another breathtaking adventure. . .
When Anneshka’s hunt for the greatest kingdom brings her into our world, Imogen and Marie know it’s bad news. But Anneshka isn’t their only problem. Mum’s boyfriend, Mark, is sick and getting sicker, thanks to the monsters he accidentally carried home.
Can the girls escape Anneshka and find a cure for Mark before it’s too late? Their quest will take them through the door in the tree and further than ever before, into the magical lands of Nedobyt beyond.
But there is more to this kingdom than meets the eye. Miro, Imogen and Marie must learn its secrets if they’re to save their families – and stop Anneshka once and for all...

Daughter of the Pirate King

 By: Tricia Levenseller

Location: FIC LEV

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

I loved this book. The pirate captain, Princess Alosa, was bad to the bone and I loved it!

Seventeen-year-old Alosa, daughter of the feared Pirate King, is on a mission. She must retrieve an ancient hidden map, the key to a legendary treasure trove. The catch? Alosa needs to conceal her considerable combat skills and allow herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship. More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the map: her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate, Riden. But luckily, she has a few tricks up her sleeve- and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

Tarquin The Honest

 By: Gareth Ward

Location: FIC WAR

Genre: Fantasy

"The airship's genie is just the best."

Tarquin the Honest, Wizard of the Silver Weasel, is a liar, a coward, a charlatan and a cheat. And, according to his diminutive roguish sidekick Lunar Nix, those are his most endearing qualities.


On a perilous quest to recover The Golden Gauntlet for a mysterious patron, Tarquin and his band of unlikely warriors must navigate the terrors of the Sorrow Wood, battle zombies, giants, zombie-giants and an entire evil order of necromancers. Despite never living up to the expectations of his hero father, somehow Tarquin – through his multitude of dubious skills and a deluded perception of his own greatness must defy death to overcome a series of complex challenges. Will Tarquin betray his friends to save his own skin, or will he roll the dice and risk everything? Only the goddess Fortuna knows and she’s not telling.

Uglies

 By:  Scott Westerfield

Location: FIC WES

Genre: Dystopia, Youth Fiction, a classic!

COMING TO NETFLIX!!!!!

Westerfeld has created a good old-fashioned coming of age tale in a sf world. Sure it's a YA novel, but that's ok. We need to create another generation of sf readers.

Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. In just a few weeks she'll have the operation that will turn her from a repellent ugly into a stunning pretty. And as a pretty, she'll be catapulted into a high-tech paradise where her only job is to have fun.

But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to become a pretty. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world—and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally a choice: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. Tally's choice will change her world forever....

Weyward

 By: Emilia Hart

Location: FIC HAR

Genre:  Historical Fiction Fantasy, Witches

COVER ART!!!!

 

KATE, 2019
Kate flees London – abandoning everything – for Cumbria and Weyward Cottage, inherited from her great-aunt. There, a secret lurks in the bones of the house, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.

VIOLET, 1942
Violet is more interested in collecting insects and climbing trees than in becoming a proper young lady. Until a chain of shocking events changes her life forever.

ALTHA, 1619
Altha is on trial for witchcraft, accused of killing a local man. Known for her uncanny connection with nature and animals, she is a threat that must be eliminated.

But Weyward women belong to the wild. And they cannot be tamed…

Weaving together the stories of three women across five centuries, Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.

The Lindbergh Nanny

 By: Mariah Fredericks

Location: FIC FRE

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

Mariah Fredericks's The Lindbergh Nanny is powerful, propulsive novel about America’s most notorious kidnapping through the eyes of the woman who found herself at the heart of this deadly crime.

When the most famous toddler in America, Charles Lindbergh, Jr., is kidnapped from his family home in New Jersey in 1932, the case makes international headlines. Already celebrated for his flight across the Atlantic, his father, Charles, Sr., is the country’s golden boy, with his wealthy, lovely wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, by his side. But there’s someone else in their household—Betty Gow, a formerly obscure young woman, now known around the world by another name: the Lindbergh Nanny.

A Scottish immigrant deciphering the rules of her new homeland and its East Coast elite, Betty finds Colonel Lindbergh eccentric and often odd, Mrs. Lindbergh kind yet nervous, and Charlie simply a darling. Far from home and bruised from a love affair gone horribly wrong, Betty finds comfort in caring for the child, and warms to the attentions of handsome sailor Henrik, sometimes known as Red. Then, Charlie disappears.

Suddenly a suspect in the eyes of both the media and the public, Betty must find the truth about what really happened that night, in order to clear her own name—and to find justice for the child she loves.

A sympathetic and thought-provoking portrait of "she who left unlocked." Betty Gow had a plum job as the nurse for the Lindbergh baby. The narrative takes some time setting the scene and showing us life with the Lindbergh family. There were so many staff members who would have known that Charlie was staying at Hopewell that night. It is unfortunate that Betty was tried and convicted by so many without evidence. The trial scenes were especially revealing. This was fascinating!

My Father's House

 By: Joseph OConnor

Location: FIC OCO

Genre: Historical Fiction, Thriller, Italy

Bring on the movie- it will parallel Schlender's List!

“I have come to see neutrality is the most extremist stance of all; without it, no tyranny can flourish.”

A literary thriller based on the true story of an Irish priest in the Vatican who rescued victims of the Nazis in Rome under the nose of his SS officer nemesis. From the bestselling and prizewinning author of Shadowplay. September 1943- German forces occupy Rome. SS officer Paul Hauptmann rules with terror. The war's outcome is far from certain. An Irish priest, Hugh O'Flaherty, dedicates himself to helping those escaping from the Nazis. His home is Vatican City, the world's smallest state, a neutral, independent country within Rome where the occupiers hold no sway. Here Hugh brings together an unlikely band of friends to hide the vulnerable under the noses of the enemy. But Hauptmann's net begins closing in on the Escape Line and the need for a terrifyingly audacious mission grows critical. By Christmastime, it's too late to turn back. Based on an extraordinary true story, My Father's House is a powerful literary thriller from a master of historical fiction. Joseph O'Connor has created an unforgettable novel of love, faith and sacrifice, and what it means to be truly human in the most extreme circumstances.

Review by Sujoya

“During the nine-month occupation of Rome, eighteen hundred Roman Jews were deported to the death camps. Fewer than twenty returned.”

Based on true events, My Father’s House by Joseph O' Connor, the first in his Rome Escape Line Trilogy, is a fictionalized account of a secret mission (codename Redimento) carried out by Monsignor Hugh O’ Flaherty, an Irish Catholic priest, and his trusted accomplices during WWII. A few years prior to the events of 1943, as an official Vatican visitor, O’Flaherty had been assigned to visit an Italian concentration camp for British PoWs. He was deeply affected by the plight of the prisoners, the filthy conditions of the camps and the inhuman treatment meted out to the prisoners by their Nazi captors. O Flaherty’s anti-Nazi stance earns him the ire of his superiors at The Vatican, which pursued a policy of neutrality during World War II, but does not deter his efforts in doing as much he could for those in need of his help.

“I have come to see neutrality is the most extremist stance of all; without it, no tyranny can flourish.”

Under the guise of a “Choir”, Monsignor Hugh and seven others, each from different walks of life, operate an “Escape Line”. Their choir practice sessions are a front for their efforts toward devising plans to aid escaped PoWs– a mammoth task that encompasses sheltering the escapees in safe houses, acquiring travel documents in false names and arranging transport to Switzerland- a task made more difficult on account of ruthless Gestapo officer Obersturmbannfurher Paul Hauptmann, who was aware of the existence of an Escape Line and was keeping a close watch on Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty in hopes of catching him and /or his friends at the right moment.

With beautiful prose and vivid imagery, author Joseph O' Connor has done a superb job of transporting the reader to Nazi-occupied Rome. The narrative is shared between multiple perspectives across dual timelines. In the 1943 timeline, we follow Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty and his Choir in the days leading up to Rendimento (Christmas Eve, 1943). Other details pertaining to the mission and the participants can be gathered from written statements, pages from an unpublished memoir and interview transcripts of the choir members twenty years after the events (1962-63)which are interspersed throughout the narrative. All the characters are well fleshed out and the author skillfully brings all the threads of the story together weaving a cohesive, intense and suspenseful narrative that is hard to put down. Ultimately this is a story of immense bravery, sacrifice and hope.

“You don’t understand the fact that hope, if it is ever encountered, is in the small things of the everyday, not an announcement from on high. In the aroma of cooking, a phrase from Vivaldi. A handclasp. A conversation.”

The Hive

 By : Scarlett Brade

Location: FIC BRA

Genre: Thriller, Fiction Mental health

SHOULD HE LIVE OR DIE? YOU DECIDE.

Charlotte Goodwin looks directly at the camera and reveals a chilling truth to the thousands watching her Instagram live broadcast. She has killed her ex-boyfriend's new partner in cold blood. But she is not finished yet. With bloodied hands she takes a calm sip of tea before continuing. Lincoln Jackson will now make his confession, then the viewers must vote to decide whether he should live or die.

The public display sends shockwaves rippling through the online community and the numbers of viewers skyrockets. But as Lincoln's past is revealed, how will he be judged?

Bonded by mutual tragedy, Charlotte's three best friends have supported each other through the soaring highs and devastating lows of their lives. Now, in Charlotte's hour of need, her friends also face a choice, whether to help her get away with murder.

The Hive explores our darkest fears of the relationship between social media and mental health, but, most importantly, the strength of sisterhood against all the odds.

Good Girls Die First

 By: Kathryn Foxfield

Location: FIC FOX

Genre: Mystery Thriller

For fans of Karen McManus' One of Us is Lying, Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None and films like I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Mind games. Murder. Mayhem. How far would you go to survive the night?

Blackmail lures sixteen-year-old Ava to the derelict carnival on Portgrave Pier. She is one of ten teenagers, all with secrets they intend to protect whatever the cost. When fog and magic swallow the pier, the group find themselves cut off from the real world and from their morals. As the teenagers turn on each other, Ava will have to face up to the secret that brought her to the pier and decide how far she's willing to go to survive.

Review

"A gripping read!

I was always a huge fan of Point Horror as a teen, so this took me right back; it's deliciously dark, a little bit tongue-in-cheek, and has a satisfyingly high death count!

Abandoned funfairs are always a bit of a winner on the creepy front, and the author does a great job of maxing this out - I particularly liked the scenes in the hall of mirrors.

I keenly await the next one!"