noveldeelights's review
4.0
Great collection of short stories, with a bit of horror, ghosts, crime and even some laughter. Not only does it give you the chance to get acquainted with authors you don't know, but the proceeds of the sale go to two very worthy UK charities.
sarahs_bookish_life's review
5.0
Dark Minds is a novel made up of forty one short stories by various authors.
There is a vast array of talented authors that are at different stages of their writing journeys. From one young author who is just starting out, to newly established, to the very much established authors. There really is something in here for everyone who likes their stories on the darker side.
For fans of crime books such as the DI Damen Brook series by Steven Dunne and the Aidan Snow SAS thriller series by Alex Shaw, readers will be pleased to see both characters featured in here. It’s great to catch up with some very well known characters and get a quick fix of them.
The stories are a mixture of horror and crime. As there are so many stories it is hard and would be way to long to review each one, so can only base my review on the overall collection. What you will find, is that this will introduce you to new authors whose books you have never read, but after reading the shorts in here, believe me you are going to want to.
I enjoyed all the stories. They are all unique and highly entertaining but the ones that really stood out are as follows:
London’s Crawling by Emma Pullar
Never Tell A Lie by Tara Lyons
A Christmas Killing by Richard T Burke
By The Water by Betsy Reavley
Slow Roast Pork by S E Lynes
The Shepherd’s Bothy by L J Ross
I’ve Gone by Anita Waller
Dangerous Actions by M A Comley
Captive by Stephen Edger
The Retreat by Jane E James
Bonus Story by Jenna-Leigh Golding
As previously mentioned, the stories are a mix of crime and horror. There is a whole array of different crimes and horrors in this collection. Plenty to shock, scare and horrify!
Dark Minds is a truly wonderful collection that is a great way to get a fix when you are in need of something dark and twisted. Best of all, money raised from the book go to two great charities. Great book and highly recommended.
There is a vast array of talented authors that are at different stages of their writing journeys. From one young author who is just starting out, to newly established, to the very much established authors. There really is something in here for everyone who likes their stories on the darker side.
For fans of crime books such as the DI Damen Brook series by Steven Dunne and the Aidan Snow SAS thriller series by Alex Shaw, readers will be pleased to see both characters featured in here. It’s great to catch up with some very well known characters and get a quick fix of them.
The stories are a mixture of horror and crime. As there are so many stories it is hard and would be way to long to review each one, so can only base my review on the overall collection. What you will find, is that this will introduce you to new authors whose books you have never read, but after reading the shorts in here, believe me you are going to want to.
I enjoyed all the stories. They are all unique and highly entertaining but the ones that really stood out are as follows:
London’s Crawling by Emma Pullar
Never Tell A Lie by Tara Lyons
A Christmas Killing by Richard T Burke
By The Water by Betsy Reavley
Slow Roast Pork by S E Lynes
The Shepherd’s Bothy by L J Ross
I’ve Gone by Anita Waller
Dangerous Actions by M A Comley
Captive by Stephen Edger
The Retreat by Jane E James
Bonus Story by Jenna-Leigh Golding
As previously mentioned, the stories are a mix of crime and horror. There is a whole array of different crimes and horrors in this collection. Plenty to shock, scare and horrify!
Dark Minds is a truly wonderful collection that is a great way to get a fix when you are in need of something dark and twisted. Best of all, money raised from the book go to two great charities. Great book and highly recommended.
damppebbles's review
5.0
Well I take my hat off to the folk at Bloodhound Books. What an achievement! For those who haven’t heard of Dark Minds, let me explain.
Bloodhound Books are one of my favourite crime publishers and over the last year they’ve gone from strength to strength. 2016 has seen some fantastic signings and new releases from the Bloodhound kennel (my favourite being The Optician’s Wife which will remain in my ‘favourite books of all time’ list for, well, ever!) Bloodhound decided they wanted to produce a crime anthology where all net proceeds go to charity. What they needed though was the input of generous, selfless authors to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys!) and write some blisteringly good dark stories for inclusion in the book. Surely it would be a struggle to get authors on board, particularly as there was no personal gain to the authors involved. They needn’t of worried. Within the covers of this book you will find 41 brilliantly crafted dark stories by 41 talented writers. Some names you’ll recognise, some not so much (at this point I would like to say to 17 year old Jenna-Leigh Golding who has a story in the anthology; keep on writing, I think you have a bright future ahead of you!). There really is something for everyone; a short story collection that caters to all crimey tastes. And if that doesn’t get your attention then the eBook is a mere £1.99 in the Kindle store at the moment! If you love crime, Dark Minds is a must-buy.
I had wanted to review each story individually but it’s nearly Christmas and I’m sure you all have things to do. So instead I will explain why I loved this book. First off, this year has been an exceptional booky year for me and other devoted crime readers. I’ve read some astoundingly good books such as The Sister and The Gift by Louise Jensen, Valentina by S.E. Lynes, The Optician’s Wife and Frailty by Betsy Reavley, In the Shadows by Tara Lyons and Death do us Part by Steven Dunne to name a few. All of the aforementioned authors have written a story for Dark Minds. It was such an enjoyable experience to read more from these writers and in this restricted format. How would they adapt their style to fit, would the characters still have the same believability, would I still enjoy their stories? The answer to that last question is a big fat YES!
Then we come to the fact that I am a crime fiction blogger who is yet to read some very prominent author’s work. There were names on the contents page that leapt out at me. Authors who I have been wanting to read for some time but haven’t managed to squeeze in (as yet!). Authors such as Lisa Hall, Jim Ody, L.J. Ross, Lucy V. Hay and Paul D. Brazill to name a few (in all honesty, there were quite a few names which I ooh’ed and ahh’ed over!). It was an exciting prospect which delivered again and again.
And finally we come to the stories where I NEED to read more by these authors. Their short story has drawn me in and I’m adding them to my ‘authors to watch’ list. The book opens with a blisteringly good piece from B.A. Morton. DS Fuller and DC Harte felt like fully established characters to me and I would love to read more. A Christmas Killing by Richard T Burke is immediately intriguing and very compelling reading. I thoroughly enjoyed Sticky Fingers by J.T. Lawrence; reading about Nicolette antics and her heartbreaking conclusion. Pop Dead – The Pension Papers by Pete Adams made me laugh out loud. And Jane E. James’ take on a writer’s retreat gave me goosebumps. Thanks to Dark Minds I’ve added so many new authors to my favourites list.
Would I recommend this book? If you’re a crime fiction fan then you’d be silly not to buy a copy. Not only do you have 41 brilliant stories to dip into as and when needed but you’re supporting two brilliant charities at the same time. It’s a win-win situation. I firmly believe there is something for everyone in this book. Outstanding reading!
Five out of five stars.
I chose to read and review an ARC of Dark Minds but I will be purchasing my own copy.
Bloodhound Books are one of my favourite crime publishers and over the last year they’ve gone from strength to strength. 2016 has seen some fantastic signings and new releases from the Bloodhound kennel (my favourite being The Optician’s Wife which will remain in my ‘favourite books of all time’ list for, well, ever!) Bloodhound decided they wanted to produce a crime anthology where all net proceeds go to charity. What they needed though was the input of generous, selfless authors to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys!) and write some blisteringly good dark stories for inclusion in the book. Surely it would be a struggle to get authors on board, particularly as there was no personal gain to the authors involved. They needn’t of worried. Within the covers of this book you will find 41 brilliantly crafted dark stories by 41 talented writers. Some names you’ll recognise, some not so much (at this point I would like to say to 17 year old Jenna-Leigh Golding who has a story in the anthology; keep on writing, I think you have a bright future ahead of you!). There really is something for everyone; a short story collection that caters to all crimey tastes. And if that doesn’t get your attention then the eBook is a mere £1.99 in the Kindle store at the moment! If you love crime, Dark Minds is a must-buy.
I had wanted to review each story individually but it’s nearly Christmas and I’m sure you all have things to do. So instead I will explain why I loved this book. First off, this year has been an exceptional booky year for me and other devoted crime readers. I’ve read some astoundingly good books such as The Sister and The Gift by Louise Jensen, Valentina by S.E. Lynes, The Optician’s Wife and Frailty by Betsy Reavley, In the Shadows by Tara Lyons and Death do us Part by Steven Dunne to name a few. All of the aforementioned authors have written a story for Dark Minds. It was such an enjoyable experience to read more from these writers and in this restricted format. How would they adapt their style to fit, would the characters still have the same believability, would I still enjoy their stories? The answer to that last question is a big fat YES!
Then we come to the fact that I am a crime fiction blogger who is yet to read some very prominent author’s work. There were names on the contents page that leapt out at me. Authors who I have been wanting to read for some time but haven’t managed to squeeze in (as yet!). Authors such as Lisa Hall, Jim Ody, L.J. Ross, Lucy V. Hay and Paul D. Brazill to name a few (in all honesty, there were quite a few names which I ooh’ed and ahh’ed over!). It was an exciting prospect which delivered again and again.
And finally we come to the stories where I NEED to read more by these authors. Their short story has drawn me in and I’m adding them to my ‘authors to watch’ list. The book opens with a blisteringly good piece from B.A. Morton. DS Fuller and DC Harte felt like fully established characters to me and I would love to read more. A Christmas Killing by Richard T Burke is immediately intriguing and very compelling reading. I thoroughly enjoyed Sticky Fingers by J.T. Lawrence; reading about Nicolette antics and her heartbreaking conclusion. Pop Dead – The Pension Papers by Pete Adams made me laugh out loud. And Jane E. James’ take on a writer’s retreat gave me goosebumps. Thanks to Dark Minds I’ve added so many new authors to my favourites list.
Would I recommend this book? If you’re a crime fiction fan then you’d be silly not to buy a copy. Not only do you have 41 brilliant stories to dip into as and when needed but you’re supporting two brilliant charities at the same time. It’s a win-win situation. I firmly believe there is something for everyone in this book. Outstanding reading!
Five out of five stars.
I chose to read and review an ARC of Dark Minds but I will be purchasing my own copy.
dmsullivan's review
4.0
A great collection of short, horror stories. There were only a few I wasn't a fan of, but overall, well written and pretty creepy.
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