Roy Robson

Virtual Shadows by Roy Robson 5*
Not my usual cup of tea, but these seven, well-written PG dystopian stories will fill a long afternoon.
Virtually Lost: 10 minutes about the effect of VR on bulimia. 5*
Threads: 40 minutes of experimentation toward transhuman leads to Prometheus. 5*
The Pledge: 20-minute Halt Harm Harmonizers exposure. 4*
Chuckle Matterhorn's Last Laugh: about 40 minutes mostly of stand-up. 5*
Wonderland: about 30 minutes of the Doyen of Quantum Plane and Quantum Death. 5*
Bits and Pieces: about 40 minutes for a prisoner's confession. 5*
The Watchers: 19 minutes of conform or die. 5*
I had a copy via Bookfunnel and this is my voluntary review.… (más)

This book is a good page turner right out of the gates! It starts with a bloody crime scene right outside the Queen's residence in London, and as the story unfolds, Detective Hawkins and his partner Amisha, uncover corruption of some of the most influential people in London's population. In order to save his partner's life, Detective Hawkins has to race against the clock to reach her before she becomes one of the many people that lose their life to cover up the crimes of the rich and powerful. This is a fast paced mystery story right from the first page, and as the story progresses, the level of corruption gets deeper and deeper.… (más)

Harry Hawkins, a London cop and Falklands veteran, finds himself embroiled in a gangland war and the murder of two socialite sisters. As Harry “H” digs deeper into the murders chilling truths are uncovered that send “H” off the rails. “H”’s violent actions and disregard for the rules get him suspended. His partner takes over and does some digging of her own. When she is kidnapped it’s a race against time to find her alive.

Harry Hawkins, as a winning crime protagonist, ticks all the right boxes. Alcoholic ✓ ex army ✓ broken ✓ divorced ✓ disregard for authority ✓ strong morals ✓
Harry was easy to like, flaws and all, and I was quickly on his side. Harry is yesterday’s hero – he hadn’t changed, the world around him had. He was a seething mass of anger, resentment and frustration. He had an old school moral compass; an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

I rarely come across a omniscient narration that is done well, however the Robsons have pulled it off. The story flows seamlessly through the various perspectives.

This is an action packed story with shocking twists at every turn but there are also plenty of laugh out loud moments delivered with perfect timing.

Frequent coarse language, graphic violence, rape and torture render this novel not for the squeamish.… (más)