Review: The Mayfly by James Hazel

The Mayfly by James Hazel, (Charlie Priest, #1), Paperback, Zaffre Publishing, June 2017, 408p.

4 out of 5 stars

James Hazel’s The Mayfly is a shockingly good debut, and certainly not what I was expecting. For a first published novel, this book was very well written and quite tight in its execution of a somewhat complex plot.

Charlie Priest (which is an awesome name for a protagonist) was a detective and left the police force to be a lawyer. Priest, as a character, has some very interesting premises: he suffers from dissociative disorder, has an angry ex-wife, and appears to think he has no social skills. The way Hazel includes dissociative disorder in The Mayfly is excellent – Priest doesn’t seem to suffer from ‘multiple personality disorder’ which is the cliché I was expecting when I started this book, but rather descends into a sort of parallel reality in his head and becomes pretty much useless. What he does during this period is not revealed to the reader, but is hinted at through Priest’s brother, a serial killer with the same condition.

Did I forget to mention the brother who is a serial killer? Another thing that’s going on with Charlie Priest, his brother is incarcerated in a psychiatric hospital for murder. He suffers from the same condition Charlie does, and it seems to be the cause of his murderous past. William Priest was a psychologist and seems to enjoy playing games with the people in his life. I would love to see more of William and Charlie interacting in future books, their relationship seems complex and interesting.

Some aspects of this novel are predictable. I had guessed the rest of the plot about half way through and while the characters are all interesting, sometimes it seemed like every character was just too special. However, The Mayfly is still a gripping and intense crime novel, so although I had an idea of what was coming, I stuck with it to see if it was as insane of a plot as I suspected. I was not disappointed.

If this review seems to be negative, it is only because as I was reading it I was looking for weaknesses – and of course found some. Hazel has delivered a wonderful, albeit slightly flawed debut novel. I read it in a single day, and found the writing to be perfectly balanced between action and description. As the opening stand of a series of novels, it perfectly introduces all the characters and intrigues the reader as to what shenanigans are going to happen in the next instalment. I will certainly be picking up the next book by James Hazel, and if you are looking for a fresh voice in the crime fiction genre you should take a look at Charlie Priest.

Thank you to Zaffre Publishing for a review copy of this novel.

Upcoming Releases: February

There are so many exciting books being released in February… I’m already feeling like 2016 will deliver some lifetime favourites.

Here is a short selection of the books I am excited for, and a blurb shamelessly stolen from Amazon.com.

Rough Justice by Brad Smith 

Series: Carl Burns #1

Publication Date: February 1, 2016

Carl Burns returns to his hometown to uncover a viper’s nest of corruption and dark secrets in this tense and twisting novel of suspense: first in a brand-new series.

After ten years’ absence and a spell in prison, Carl Burns has returned to his hometown of Rose City to offer support to his estranged daughter Kate, currently one of four witnesses testifying against former Mayor Joseph Sanderson III, who stands accused of multiple counts of underage rape.

Carl is determined to get justice for Kate, whatever it takes. But with his former sister-in-law Frances his only ally, he finds himself incurring the wrath of powerful enemies as he attempts to uncover the shocking truth beneath the layers of corruption and lies which engulf the town.

Rough Justice seems to be in the genre that I love – I seem to read and love lots of books in which the protagonist returns to their hometown and finds everything in crisis. The big difference about Brad Smith’s new series is that it is set in Canada. I read NOTHING Canadian, which should change.

First Response by Stephen Leather

Publication Date: February 25, 2016

London is under siege.

Nine men in suicide vests primed to explode hold hostages in nine different locations around the city, and are ready to die for their cause.

Their mission: to force the government to release jihadist prisoners from Belmarsh Prison.
Their deadline: 6 p.m. Today.

But the bombers are cleanskins, terrorists with no obvious link to any group, and who do not appear on any anti-terror watch list. What has brought them together on this one day to act in this way?

Mo Kamran is the Superintendent in charge of the Special Crime and Operations branch of the Met. As the disaster unfolds and the SAS, armed police, and other emergency services rush to the scenes, he is tasked with preventing the biggest terrorist outrage the capital has ever known.

But nothing is what it seems. And only Kamran has the big picture. Will anyone believe him?

Um… It’s Stephen Leather, so chances are, I will enjoy this one! I’m excited to read his latest protagonist, Mo Kamran. It’s been a long time since a standalone of his has been traditionally published, so I’m wondering if this is going to remain a standalone or be spun out into a series. I’ll find out more in late February, I suppose.

The Wrecking Crew by Taylor Zajonc

Publication Date: February 23, 2016

In exchange for his freedom from a secret Moroccan prison, deep-water salvage diver Jonah Blackwell agrees to lead a covert search for a missing research team in the dangerous coastal waters of Somalia, an area plagued by pirates and a deadly red tide killing all marine life within its reach. But when his expedition threatens the ambitions of billionaire industrialist Charles Bettencourt, Jonah’s survival depends on hijacking a hostile submarine and assembling an unproven crew who must simultaneously investigate the source of a mysterious oceanic plague and face down Bettencourt’s commandos.

A thrilling, fast-paced adventure set in the world’s last frontier, THE WRECKING CREW will resonate with James Rollins and Clive Cussler fans alike.

So, I’m pretty much trash for any type of naval thriller. This one has Somalia (PIRATES), a submarine (IT GOES UNDERWATER!) and a mysterious oceanic plague (Oh, MY GOD WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!) I have this sneaking suspicion that this book could beat my naval love evidenced by the hashtag #iloveoilrigs. I might tweet this book with #ilovesubmarinesandoceanicplagues it’s a bit long, I’ll have to come up with something a little more catchy.

Viral by Helen Fitzgerald

Publication Date: February 2, 2016

So far, twenty-three thousand and ninety six people have seen me online. They include my mother, my father, my little sister, my grandmother, my other grandmother, my grandfather, my boss, my sixth year Biology teacher and my boyfriend James.

When Leah Doyle and her adopted sister Su go on holiday together to Magaluf to celebrate their A-levels, only Leah returns home. Her successful, swotty sister remains abroad, humiliated and afraid: there is an online video of her, drunkenly performing a sex act in a nightclub. And everyone has seen it.

Jennifer Doyle, mother of the girls, successful court judge, is furious. How could this have happened? How can she bring justice to these men who took advantage of her dutiful, virginal daughter? What role has Leah played in all this? And can Jennifer find Su and bring her back home when Su doesn’t want to be found?

This book seems to be genuinely scary. Also, very recently my sister was a victim of a vicious facebook hack in which very private photos of her were shared on the social media site, using her account. Family members, friends and colleagues all saw these X rated photos, and she is now dealing with the mental fallout. They were only online for two hours, and they certainly didn’t go viral. It can happen, it does happen, and I think Fitzgerald’s exploration of these themes is timely and topical.

Awesome January ’16 Releases

At the end of each month, I am going to share a couple (2-5) books that are due for release in the following month, and my current level of excitement for their publication. I like to talk about newly published books as much as the next person, but my real motivation is to discover new-to-me-authors and keep up to date with the growing list of series that I read! Anyway, onto the list!

In The Cold Dark Ground – Stuart MacBride
Series: Logan McRae #10
Publication Date: January 14, 2016

Sergeant Logan McRae is in trouble…

His missing-persons investigation has just turned up a body in the woods – naked, hands tied behind its back, and a bin bag duct-taped over its head. The Major Investigation Team charges up from Aberdeen, under the beady eye of Logan’s ex-boss Detective Chief Inspector Steel. And, as usual, she wants him to do her job for her.

But it’s not going to be easy: a new Superintendent is on her way up from the Serious Organised Crime Task Force, hell-bent on making Logan’s life miserable; Professional Standards are gunning for Steel; and Wee Hamish Mowat, head of Aberdeen’s criminal underbelly, is dying – leaving rival gangs from all over the UK eying his territory.

There’s a war brewing and Logan’s trapped right in the middle, whether he likes it or not.

I’ve been following the McRae series for awhile now, and the anticipation for this book has me in knots! MacBride manages to balance dark and horrific plots with inappropriately hilarious humour in this series. The last book in the series ended with Logan in a very precarious position. I preordered a copy of this book in November (on Amazon) but then managed to get my hot little hands on a copy a couple of days ago. I’m now trying to ignore the holiday season so I can pretend I’m in gritty Aberdeen with Logan and Steel.

Coffin Road – Peter May
Publication Date: January 14, 2016

A man is washed up on a deserted beach on the Hebridean Isle of Harris, barely alive and borderline hypothermic. He has no idea who he is or how he got there. The only clue to his identity is a map tracing a track called the Coffin Road. He does not know where it will lead him, but filled with dread, fear and uncertainty he knows he must follow it.

A detective crosses rough Atlantic seas to a remote rock twenty miles west of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. With a sense of foreboding he steps ashore where three lighthouse keepers disappeared more than a century before – a mystery that remains unsolved. But now there is a new mystery – a man found bludgeoned to death on that same rock, and DS George Gunn must find out who did it and why.

A teenage girl lies in her Edinburgh bedroom, desperate to discover the truth about her father’s death. Two years after the discovery of the pioneering scientist’s suicide note, Karen Fleming still cannot accept that he would wilfully abandon her. And the more she discovers about the nature of his research, the more she suspects that others were behind his disappearance.

Coffin Road follows three perilous journeys towards one shocking truth – and the realisation that ignorance can kill us.

Considering how much crime/thriller fiction I read, it’s a bit of a worry I haven’t touched any of Peter May’s work. I’m not sure I’m ready to emotionally invest in his much acclaimed Lewis Trilogy – but Coffin Road is a standalone that is calling to me. I will be putting a hold on this one at the library and giving May a try!

A Death in Sweden – Keven Wignall
Publication Date: January 1, 2016

Dan Hendricks is a man in need of a lifeline. A former CIA operative, he is now an agent for hire by foreign powers on the hunt for dangerous fugitives. It’s a lethal world at the best of times, and Dan knows his number is almost up. His next job could be his last—and his next job is his biggest yet.

The target sounds trackable enough: Jacques Fillon, who gave up his life trying to save a fellow passenger following a bus crash in northern Sweden. But the man was something of an enigma in this rural community, and his death exposes his greatest secret: Jacques Fillon never existed at all.

Dan is tasked with uncovering Fillon’s true identity—but can he do so before his own past catches up with him?

This is another standalone (so strange that I have listed two that I am excited for when I normally stick to series) that I am really looking forward to reading. It is currently generating quite a bit of buzz on the internets, as amazon seem to be really pushing the publicity. I’m not complaining, all that buzz has brought to my eye another book that I’m sure I will enjoy. I will most likely buy this one on kindle when I forget to take my book to work, and cannot stand the thought of a break without glorious words!