by Michael J Malone
SYNOPSIS
Annie surged forward, but she was too slow, too late.
A hand came over and down, and she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck.
Then all became smoke, and silence.
Hiding from the world in her little white cottage on the shores of a loch, Annie Jackson is fighting to come to terms with the world of the murmurs, a curse that has haunted female members of her family for centuries.
While she is within the ancient, heavy stone of the old dwelling, the voices merely buzz, but the moment she steps outside the door they clamour to torment her all over again, bringing with them shocking visions of imminent deaths.
Into this oasis comes her adoptive mother, Mandy McEvoy, begging for Annie’s help. Mandy’s nephew Damien has gone missing, after dropping off his four-year old son at his mother’s home.
Unable to refuse, but terrified to leave her sanctuary, Annie, with the help of her brother Lewis, is drawn in to a secretive, seductive world that will have her question everything she holds dear, while Lewis’ life may be changed forever…
The second book in the critically acclaimed Annie Jackson Mysteries series, The Torments is both a contemporary gothic thriller and a spellbinding mystery that deeps deep into a past that should, perhaps, remain undisturbed…
REVIEW
All of the females in Annie Jackson's family have suffered with hearing the debilitating 'murmurs' as well as visions of the dead and death to come. Constantly struggling with the desperate want to help those who are in danger, while at the same time simply wanting to hide away - Annie is completely torn.
In this second book in the series, Annie teams up with her brother Lewis to help investigate the disappearance of her cousin Damien. The police are not being particularly helpful as Damien's past as an ex-convict means that they are less interested in finding him. To work out what really happened, Annie and Lewis have to delve into a deep and murky past, in a narrative which goes all the way back to 1958, leading them to a sinister revelation which even has links to the occult and could put them both in serious danger.
This series really ticks all of the boxes for me with it's cross-genre themes covering everything from crime, horror, mystery as well as folklore and the supernatural. In addition there was some brilliant character development, following on from the first book The Murmurs to really focus on Annie and Lewis, as well as introducing some exciting new characters.
With layer upon layer of mystery and a unique exploration of Scottish folklore, The Torments was absolutely mesmerising to read. It's chilling, it's gothic, it's bleak and it's the perfect book to read over the spooky season.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. His psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and the critically acclaimed House of Spines, After He Died, In the Absence of Miracles and A Song of Isolation soon followed suit. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr.
Thanks to Anne Cater - @RandomTTours, Michael J Malone @michaeljmalone1 and Orenda Books - @OrendaBooks for the opportunity to read and review.
Fiction: Contemporary Horror / Gothic Fiction
Publisher: Orenda Books
ISBN: 978-1916788282
Pages: 300pp
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