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Book Review: Relics by Tim Lebbon

Relics by Tim Lebbon
Titan Books,  March 2017
ISBN-13: 978-1785650307
Available: Pre-order, paperback and Kindle edition

Tim Lebbon is no stranger to penning genre-twisting tales. He has written the apocalyptic novels Silence, Coldbrook, and The Nature of Balance, and the more fantastic Fallen and Echo City. Now he has hit 2017 hard, with the first book of what promises to be a breathtaking trilogy. Equal parts thriller, horror, and fantasy, Relics showcases Lebbon’s skill at world building. A dark market exists in this world, a place where items that harken back to “The Time”, can be bought and sold.  The market is hidden from most of humanity, but those who do know of it seek to collect these artifacts, at all costs.

Angela Gough lives a quiet existence, a happy one, with her lover, Vince. When he disappears, she fears the mundane: a new lover, an accident, or even murder. What she discovers is almost beyond her comprehension; another world exists, and she needs to become a part of it to have any chance of retrieving him alive.  On her journey, she discovers unlikely allies: some are human, others are not. Figuring out who is deadly and who she can trust is a challenge, with everyone promising to be a savior to her lover, even while pursuing their own dark agendas. With her partners in adventuring, she begins a journey into the darkness. There, she discovers creatures hidden both in the shadows and right under our noses; some wish for peace, while others seek our destruction.  What Angela finds shatters her view of reality; in her quest to find her lover,  a new world that might spell disaster for humankind, is converging with ours.

In Relics, Tim Lebbon has created yet another wonderful world for readers to lose themselves in, one that will likely remind of both Gaiman and Barker, yet speeds along with the thriller pace of a James Rollins or John Connelly novel.  Lebbon’s writing, as always, seduces his readers, inviting them into his imagination, where they find themselves immersed in a fantastic, horrific roller coaster ride that ends too soon. Luckily, there will be two additional books to allow us back into this world, and complete the journey begun here.

Highly recommended. If you weren’t a fan of Tim Lebbon before, this will likely be the novel to change your mind.

Reviewed by David Simms


Posted on March 4, 2017 by , Reply

Book Review: The Family Man by Tim Lebbon (writing as T.J. Lebbon)

The Family Man by Tim Lebbon (writing as T.J. Lebbon)

HarperCollins, 2016

ISBN-13: 978-0008122911

Available: Used paperback, audio download.
Note: Also available in the UK as new paperback, Kindle edition, and audio download.

 

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” Eleanor Roosevelt’s words pull the pin on this explosive, rapid fire thriller by a master of horror and thrillers. The Family Man begs to be read in a single sitting, yet readers will wish to take their time with the fine writing and fascinating characters.

Last year, Lebbon, well known for his superb horror novels (which includeThe Nature of Balance, The Silence, and Face) decided to dive into the waters of the thriller genre with The Hunt (reviewed here) and emerged with a winner that combined the best of both genres. His newest offering, The Family Man, has an even tighter story that pits friends Dom and Andy against a ruthless gang– and each other. Bland Dom accepts Andy’s challenge to step up the excitement in their lives by robbing the local post office– no weapons, no one hurt, quick and easy– the thrill of a lifetime.

It doesn’t turn out to be that simple. After Dom and Andy get away with a sweet score, a second set of robbers arrives, and exacts a gore-filled revenge on the postmaster and her granddaughter. The friends’ plan to return to their staid lives quickly unravels, and Dom’s family is targeted and forced to run, as they begin to realize there is much more to fear from the evil gang.

Rose and Holt, key figures from Lebbon’s previous novel, The Hunt, return in this story, each with a stake in stopping the villains. It will be tough to slow down the reading, as the style is gripping and deceptively simple, yet filled with finely tuned nuance and subtext. Prepare to lose several hours to a thrillingly wild ride. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by David Simms

Posted on September 19, 2016 by , Reply

Book Review: The Hunt by Tim Lebbon

 

 

 

 

 

The Hunt by T.J. Lebbon (Tim Lebbon)
Avon Books, 2015
ISBN-13: 978-0008122904
Available: New and used paperback, Kindle edition

 

The transition from writing horror to thrillers sounds like it should be an easy move, yet very few authors have mastered the art of actually “thrilling” the reader from the first to the last without letting up.  Tim Lebbon has pretty much pulled it off in his first attempt. The Hunt is a definite departure form horror and fantasy. This is a different animal than the creature horror of last year’s The Silence, but in any genre, Lebbon proves he knows how to sustain pace and suspense.

The Hunt is run by the shadow group “Trail”. The members have many names, live invisibly from society, and are free from persecution as they provide the ultimate game for the super-rich, famous, and thrill-seeking.

The story begins when Chris Sheen returns home from a great run, breaking his own record, to find his wife and two daughters missing. A man warns him not to call the police; if he does, they’ll be butchered.

Meanwhile, Rose has been training to avenge the murders of her husband and children, as she is the lone survivor of the hunt.  Her mission options: escape the hunters and live while her family dies, or sacrifice herself to keep them alive.

Rose attempts to track down and eliminate the group, while Chris fights to avoid the hunters and stay alive long enough to save his family. Both work with separate motivations as they run, hike, and climb through Snowdonia.

To say The Hunt is fast-paced is like saying a Ferrari can break the speed limit. Lebbon’s writing has always been lean and tight; here, it moves and twists through a violent, exciting story with rarely a wasted word.

Avon has already signed him for a second thriller. Here’s to hoping there’s many more. Highly recommended.

 
 

Reviewed by David Simms

Posted on December 2, 2015 by , Reply
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