So what gruesome delights can we expect from this short story anthology?

Pseudonym by Stephen Bacon - A young man is given the opportunity to meet one of his horror idols, a notoriously reclusive author, but what is it that the old man is hiding? I rather like the tone that this sets for the rest of the collection. This is the subtlest of stories and had me reminiscing about my own introduction to the horror genre many years ago. I loved seeing the mention of Fear magazine, I remember reading it back in the day. It's a bit sneaky really. I was successfully lulled into a false sense of security by this only for the next story to start messing with my brain.

The Cannibal Whores of Effingham by Johnny Mains -A megalomaniacal Hollywood star with seriously homicidal tendencies, meets his match when he visits the ladies of the night who ply their trade in Effingham. This is just balls-to-the-wall crazy. Liberally blood soaked with over the top violence and gore, nothing is left to the imagination. Things get weirder and weirder, it's almost like some sort of psychedelic trip. I imagine Herschel Gordon Lewis would love it. I'm always impressed when writing can manage to be both bizarre, funny and shocking all at the same moment.

Out of Fashion by John Llewellyn Probert - Last year I read The Nine Deaths of Dr Valentine and thoroughly enjoyed it. Mr Llewellyn Probert's writing is marvellously evocative stuff. This particular story has a Victorian steampunky/sci-fi feel and ends on a suitably downbeat note, I do so love a good apocalypse. Following the latest fashion has certainly never appeared more dangerous. I felt like I was watching a classic episode of the Hammer House of Horror TV series while reading this.

The Arse-Licker by Stephen Volk - One man's journey from the metaphorical to the literal. I'll say no more than that, for fear of spoiling things. Suffice to say, this story is as provocative as it is darkly funny. In an anthology that promises sleazy highlights Volk's story receives the prize for delivering what may be the sleaziest.

The Glamour Girl Murders by Mark West - The final tale takes the reader right to heart of swinging seventies London at the time of the notorious "Glamour Girl Murders". Who is behind these brutal slayings? Bob Parker is determined to find out. Mark West always manages to very effectively capture any time period that he writes about and he's done it again here. The streets of the city come alive in all their sinister glory. There is a monster on the prowl with a taste for the beautiful. Lovely.

This collection is a wonderful homage to all the horror it pays tribute to. Sometimes violent, often gory and in-your-face, this can be unforgiving stuff. You can rest assured Anatomy of Death is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. I have no doubt that some will consider it politically incorrect or perhaps even potentially offensive. Personally, I think it does quite an impressive job of dancing right up to the boundaries of good taste but never actually crosses the line. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys his or her horror unashamedly raw.

Robert Mitchell is an everyman character; he could quite easily be you or me. I'm sure anyone could empathise with the situation he finds himself in. You get the feeling that he's almost ill-suited to modern life. He has been ground down at every turn and has nearly reached his breaking point. He just wants to be left alone to live his life in peace, but the world wants to intrude and deny him that simple pleasure at every turn. Each time he thinks that things are taking a turn for the better something always manages to come along and ruin that feeling of calm.

Then on the other hand, you have Nathan Corbeau and his animalistic brood. They're an earthy bunch who take what they want, when they want it. Rules and regulations just don't figure in their world-view. For them, this is the land of "do as you please" and this is exactly what they intend to do.

Things build to a tipping point and eventually all the impotent rage that Rob has kept bottled up comes bubbling to the surface. The two families clash in a spectacularly violent fashion.

Gary McMahon continues to impress with each new tale that I read. His raw, often emotive, style is never boring and manages to both entertain but also remain frighteningly insightful at the same time. This particular story is just over a hundred pages long but it's a surprise how much he manages to cram in. I was utterly fascinated by how he has so effectively captured the varying horrors that Rob and his family have to face. We learn a little of their back story and it is evident that they have suffered significantly already before we join them. In many respects, the family is already in a bad way and the incidents with the Corbeaus are just a catalyst.

The writing skilfully plays on that common fear of home invasion, but manages to go much further than that. There is something primal about this kind of fear. Where this story really succeeds is in capturing the horror of being helpless.

If you enjoy short fiction then this could well be the novella for you, I'd heartily recommend it. This is small but perfectly formed dark fiction. Well worth your time.

When out-of-shape IT technician Roen woke up and started hearing voices in his head, he naturally assumed he was losing it.

He wasn't

He now has a passenger in his brain - an ancient alien life-form called Tao, whose race crash-landed on Earth before the first fish crawled out of the oceans. Now split into two opposing factions - the peace-loving, but under-represented Prophus, and the savage, powerful Genjix - the aliens have been in a state of civil war for centuries. Both sides are searching for a way off-planet, and the Genjix will sacrifice the entire human race, if that's what it takes.

Meanwhile, Roen is having to train to be the ultimate secret agent. Like that's going to end up well...

Any book that begins with a tense rooftop standoff swiftly followed by an unexpectedly dramatic escape has got to be worth a shot as far as I'm concerned. Spy type thrills and escapades are always a great deal of fun. The trickiest question though is how exactly do you make spies more exciting? Let's be honest, they are quite exciting already. The answer, which The Lives of Tao successfully confirms, is to add two groups of ancient feuding aliens into the mix.

I like Roen Tan. He's spent his life letting things just happen to him; reacting, but never being proactive. I think it's fair to say I found it pretty easy to relate. Meeting Tao has a profound effect on his life and anything suddenly seems possible. To paraphrase a very wise man* "The world you think you know is not real". Just imagine, you're living your life. Going about your business. You might even be a bit bored of the constant grind. Suddenly, your entire world-view is wrong and everything you thought you knew is fundamentally different. Working with Tao Roen is given the opportunity to become the best version of himself that he can be, sounds pretty damn tempting to me.

Tao has spent many generations working with his different human hosts. Over the years, these symbiotic relationships have left their mark and he has developed a fondness for humanity. There is a real bittersweet note to his character. He has outlived so many hosts, yet he remembers everything about every single one. Each chapter begins with a short flashback that features some of Tao's previous hosts. It's a nice little touch that helps better round out his character.

Wesley Chu has written a fun debut that acts as a perfect introduction to the struggle between the Prophus and the Genjix. We get to learn how these two groups have had a hand in human development from the very beginning. What excites me most about the premise of The Lives of Tao is the almost unending potential to develop into an on-going series. If the aliens have been around since before the dawn of man, then any time period imaginable is fair game to be included in future books, any historical figure for that matter as well. Just think, any event from the whole of human history could be included.

It would have been nice to learn a bit more about the Genjix, there are only a couple of chapters that deal exclusively with their viewpoint, but I suspect that this is something that will the explored in the next book. The Genjix relationship with their human hosts has an entirely different air, they are worshipped by their followers and hosts. The way their organisation works is more like a religion than the mutually beneficial agreement that the Prophus have with their hosts. To the Genejix, humanity is just a convenience to be exploited to their advantage.

As I mentioned before The Lives of Tao is bucket loads of fun, it's pure undiluted escapism. C'mon, who hasn't ever day-dreamed of escaping the rat race and becoming an international man/woman of mystery? The addition of an alien race guiding human development is just the icing on the cake. I really enjoyed this novel, it's top notch entertainment.

The Lives of Tao is published by Angry Robot Books and is available now. I suspect that it might just be the perfect summer read. The sequel, The Deaths of Tao, will be out later in the year. I will most definitely be checking that out as well when it arrives.

* It was Morpheus from The Matrix, but you get my point.

If you haven't read High Moor book one, this review may contain spoilers.

The last book ended with a showdown between our hero, John Simpson, and his long-time nemesis Malcolm. It took me a while to get back into the story, as it has been well over a year since I read the first one. I would have liked a few more reminders of events in the first one, as once or twice I struggled to even remember who characters where by their names alone or what their part was in the story. Much like in the first book, the story in Moonstruck flickers back and forth between several timelines, so as the story unfolds, the characters stories and motivations are filled in.

The opening chapter hits the ground running, full of action and thrills that really sets the tone for the rest of the book. The pace never really subsides as Reynolds' puts his characters through various emotional and physical mills. The action is explosive and relentless, the violence is gory and ferocious, yet it is far from mindless as it is underpinned by a superb and fascinating story.

The story centres around two types of werewolves, ones that have some control over their bestial side, and those that don't - the moonstruck. These are considered dangerous even by their own kind, as their crazed bloodlust only serves to endanger the rest of the werewolf community by potentially revealing their existence to the world. The werewolf community considers them vermin to be exterminated. John is moonstruck. He was infected by a moonstruck werewolf when he was a child. Over the years, he has learned to manage his condition, and taken the necessary precautions. In book one, he investigates a series of murders strikingly similar to those that were undertaken by the beast responsible for infecting him many years earlier, bringing John to the attention of the werewolf community.

The prose is interesting, as much like in book one, the author uses dialect specific to the north-east of England which is where a lot of the action takes place. I am unsure how this translates to a European or US audience, but for us Brits, it should pose no problem.

There are several characters that I found myself warming to. Strangely, I never really warmed that much to John in the last book, nor in this one. I realise he is the main protagonist, but much like Harry Potter, he is not half as interesting as the characters around him.

The female characters particularly stand out. I applaud Reynolds for writing his woman well. They are strong, fierce, protective and intelligent, and a few are notably more sinister than their male counterparts. While written for movies, this book passes the Bechdel test with flying colours.

This book is definitely for fans of the horror werewolf. If your preference is for shirtless native boys, or muscle-bound broody types with a hairstyle, then this is not for you. The werewolves in Reynolds' imagination are a welcome return to the horrific roots of the werewolf legend, a creature that is neither man nor beast, but something that lives in the terrible space between the two.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, probably more so than the last one, and the stage has been set for the third book which I await eagerly.

My favourite crime novels are ones that mange to take what appears to be a relatively simple scenario, then throw you the literary equivalent of a curve ball. Penance does just that. On the face of it, this is just a single maniac with a gun killing random targets, but when you delve deeper you'll find so much more. This novel is chock full of conspiracies, political in-fighting, power plays and back room deals.

Detective Lynch is a solid lead character, but I have to admit that I was more interested in two shady government operatives who show up later on. Ferguson and Chen are part of Intergov, a blacker-than-black ops group who operate outside normal channels. Their partnership is one of the novels many highlights. Chen is described as a gun toting sociopath at one point, needless to say I warmed to her immediately.

Where Penance excels is the plot development. What starts as a traditional crime novel, morphs into a thriller with a much larger scope than I expected. From the reader's perspective it's great stuff, you're essentially getting two books for the price of one. You don't just get Lynch's police investigation, there is also a razor sharp political thriller in there as well.

The other good thing is that all this clandestine cloak-and-dagger feels frighteningly believable. O'Shea's writing never feels over the top or outlandish, he keeps things very grounded. There is a realistic approach to the action scenes that works well.

There are also a series of flashbacks that tie the new crimes with events that occurred in the nineteen seventies. John Lynch's father, Declan, was on the force at that time, and these additional interludes help to further establish what drives Lynch now.

My only criticism, and it is a relatively minor one, I would have liked a bit more insight into the sniper. Perhaps a few more chapters from the killer's perspective? It would have been nice to learn a bit more about what was going through their head, more detail about their frame of mind and what was motivating them. When I'm reading a story, especially one that I'm enjoying, I want to discover as much about events as I possibly can.

The novel ends with a satisfyingly action-packed climax, where all bets are off and it's kill or be killed. There is a cinematic quality to O'Shea's writing, Penance bears all the hallmarks of a well scripted Hollywood thriller or taut police procedural. I do hope that this is the beginning of a series? I'd certainly not be averse to visiting Detective John Lynch's Chicago again. Dan O'Shea instinctively knows the crime genre, the evidence shows on every page.

Kirby Mazrachi is truly fascinating lead character, filled with raw emotion and angst. She never holds anything back and you get a sense that this is the way she has always been. Kirby has a jagged almost brittle personality that you swiftly realise is mostly for show. This is an individual who has been violated and can't find any closure on the events she experienced. She can't do anything but keep looking for answers. Her sense of resolve and grim determination grows more and more palpable as you uncover her story. Kirby is angry about what happened to her but refuses to let it get the better of her. It would be a cold-hearted reader that doesn't find themselves hoping, with each passing chapter, that Kirby succeeds in doing just that.

Meanwhile Harper Curtis is the very antithesis of Kirby. He's an enigma, a mystery that only Harper knows the answer to. A good fifty percent of the novel follows his actions and you slowly get to learn exactly why he's doing what he is doing. I don't think anyone could ever condone his actions but after a while I did at least feel that I could appreciate the forces that were driving him on. There is real insight into what motivates him to keep killing. It's a testament to the author's skill that I felt pity for someone so evil. In some respects, Harper is as much a victim as anyone else. While Kirby is driven toward justice and closure, Harper is just as driven toward his own violent desires.

My only real worry, prior to reading the book, was the use of time travel as a plot device. I've read other novels in the past and the reasons for time travel feel outlandish or over exaggerated. I always have the same thought - is a reader going to be able to buy into this premise? I'm glad to say that in this case the answer is a resounding YES. The time travel elements are delivered with the subtlest of touches and never feel like they have been crowbarred into the plot.

Overall, The Shining Girls showcases some truly exceptional writing, there were a couple of moments where I realised I was holding my breath in anticipation of what would happen next. The chapter that covers Kirby's attack is particularly worthy of note. It manages to be breathtakingly brutal in one moment, and then heartbreakingly sad the next.

Beukes manages to effortlessly weave so much detail into the tapestry of her story. This is far more than just your bog-standard by the numbers serial killer tale. There are elements of social commentary as the story manages to touch upon everything from racism, to abortion and gang culture. The jumps in the timeline read like live-action history lessons laying bare America, displaying often-turbulent tableaus of the nation's recent history. These short vignettes always manage to perfectly capture the period in which they occur, the writing is just that damn good.

The Shining Girls is published by Harper Collins and is available right now. Seek it out, irrespective of the time period you live in. I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed. This is first rate fiction that demands to be read!

I rather like the way that this book is split into a number of sections, each one focusing on a different level of society. The story begins at the very bottom with those poor souls who can descend no further. They barely survive in the ancient ruined sewers, living in the darkness and filth. Next the action moves to the ranks of the Immortal's armies. Finally we get to learn what is going on with the walls of the City itself. In each location we find numerous people who want to see an end to the current regime.

Often when I'm reading epic fantasy fiction, there tends to be a standout character, not so in the case of The City. This novel really works because it's an ensemble piece. There are a plethora of well-defined, superbly-executed characters that inhabit this novel. From Bartellus, the grizzled old man, who finds himself responsible for a child he never wanted, to Fell Aron Lee, the highly decorated soldier who has to face a growing realisation that the war he is fighting isn't the just cause he thought it was. The author breathes real life into these individuals making it impossible not to get caught up in their lives.

My only real criticism is that I don't think that I could recommend this to anyone with a short attention span, there is so much going on here. This novel demands you pay attention to everything that is going on in every single scene. For example there are a couple of characters who, for plot related reasons which I'll not divulge here, change their names. If you're going to get put off by things like that then you would be wise to give this a miss. Personally though, I loved it. Like the City itself, there are a myriad of layers in this story to discover.

The individual journeys that each of the various characters take all turn out to be important. The author takes the opportunity to play around with the novel's timeline. Things aren't always linear and there are a couple of occasions when scenes are repeated but from a differing perspectives. These multiple viewpoints help to very effectively establish the whole story rather than just one character's take on it.

I'll be honest, it did take me a while to get into The City, but once I did I really found that I enjoyed it. Things start at quite a slow pace but gradually they build and the solid writing drew me in. There was a wonderful moment about half way through where everything just suddenly clicked and I found myself absolutely hooked. By following the various factions attempting to realise their plans, there is an ever-growing sense of tension. Even before the final, inevitable, showdown you get the feeling that things are going to get bloody and not everyone is going to make it out of this alive.

Gemmell manages to pull off a rather impressive sleight of hand. She keeps the reader focused on one strand of the story while scattering the plot with subtle clues about what is actually going on elsewhere. It's only in the final chapters that all the individual story elements are brought together and you realise the true depth of excellent fiction you've just read. This is engrossing stuff that's expertly executed.

For a long time now the name Gemmell has been associated with first-rate fantasy that truly resonates, fantasy that quickly falls into the category of classic. Based on the evidence on display here I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Like a lot of adults, I don't usually read fairy tales. However, due to the popularity of shows like Grimm and Once Upon A Time, fairy tales are now once again in vogue and are being read not only by children.

In the first of what is a trilogy of adult fairy tales, Sarah Pinborough has written a version of Snow White that has enough elements in it to appear familiar to those of you who read this as a child, but is retold in a way that will open your eyes to questions that your younger self never knew it had.

The story is set in a timeless fantasy world of multiple kingdoms that we expect to see in a fairy tale. The king goes to war, leaving behind his beautiful young queen alone with her step-daughter. The queen decides the key to making her new life bearable is to get rid of the beloved Snow White.

For me, the most interesting aspect of this story was the queen. Pinborough successfully gives this often flat character some much needed dimension, and her motivation to destroy Snow White is more profound than pure vanity. The queen does not hate Snow White, not initially anyway. Snow White represents the freedom that the queen never had growing up in a strict court environment, before being forced to marry a man twice her age. Jealousy and resentment blossom in the queen's heart.

The queen's nemesis is not the Snow White you've seen before. Put aside the twee images of a pretty maid frolicking with rabbits, fauns and bluebirds. Instead, you have a raw earthy heroine, who prefers breeches to dresses, rides like a man and likes nothing more than drinking and singing bawdy tavern songs with dwarfs.

I actually found myself empathising with the queen far more than with Snow White. Her evolution from an insecure new wife to a cold and malevolent antagonist is completely plausible. The story elegantly tracks the transformation of the queen, even illustrating moments of potential redemption, but ultimately reveals the path leading to her eventual corruption

There is a danger when writing something set in a faux medieval fantasy world that the speech could appear formal or overly archaic. It is a demonstration of Pinborough's superlative control of the English language that she comes right up to the line, but does not cross it.

This re-telling is definitely adult in nature. There are a few swear words scattered about but, speaking as someone who has followed Ms Pinborough on twitter and Facebook for some time now, not as many as you would expect. There are some sex scenes, and while they are not quite PG13 `cut away to billowing curtains', the portrayal is by no means overly explicit. I guess if I was pushed to find a criticism with the book, a more explicit description of the sex scenes is the only thing I would ask for, but that is just because I'm an old perv. It does not detract from my enjoyment of the book in the slightest.

Not wanting to give anything away, I would also add that the ending caught me completely by surprise. It didn't feel like the end of the book. Pinborough has very deftly woven in elements of other fairy tales, so I can't help wondering if this is not the last we will see of Snow White.

It's a short novel (just over 40'000 words), and I whizzed through it in two readings. I was delighted to find beautiful little illustrations from the cover artist, Les Edwards, scattered between the chapters. Poison proves that fairy tales are no longer just for children. This is an intelligent, dark and enthralling read. I am absolutely left wanting more, so it is fortuitous that there are two further re-tellings due from Pinborough and Gollancz called Charm and Beauty.

When it comes to darker fiction there is something wonderfully evocative about Victorian London isn't there? Foggy streets and dark lonely alleyways feel like the ideal habitat for a sadistic killer. At the tail end of the nineteenth century, the Empire's capital is a city where life is often cheap and any maniac can go about his dreadful business relatively unmolested by the law.

There are those however, that will stop at nothing to try and stop a murderer. Rather than concentrate on the investigations of the police, whose attentions are focused on Jack the Ripper anyway, the main narrative of Mayhem follows Dr Thomas Bond. The good doctor has become fixated on a series of crimes that are just as cruel as Jack's gory work, but seem to bear a different signature.

Bond's growing obsession is at the core of Mayhem. He pushes himself to the limit of sanity while trying to uncover the truth. He is a haunted character, traumatic events in his past have left him all but broken. The only thing that keeps him going is this burning need to know what is going on and why. Barely sleeping, hardly eating he allows the killer to be become his entire world.

Bond is not alone however, there are other poor souls who are just as desperate for answers. A timid Russian immigrant, Aaron Kosminski, walks the city streets trying to avoid what he feels is an inevitable confrontation with evil. Meanwhile, a shadowy figure watches every move that Bond makes. What force has drawn both a religious zealot and a troubled barber into this dark world?

A word of warning, those of a nervous disposition may wish to consider something a little less graphic. This is a story that features a killer whose targets are exclusively female and Pinborough certainly doesn't pull any punches. These were dark times, and there are plenty of violent deaths to emphasize that fact. In one memorable scene, a victim sits waiting for her impending death. She has accepted her fate and almost longs for the release from her life. This manages to be both horrific and at the same moment heartbreakingly sad. The blurb from the back of the book gets it bang on. We're talking torsos, dismemberment and beheadings here people. This is grisly stuff that's not for the faint of heart.

"There is so much wickedness at work in the city I feel as if I can almost touch it. We are surrounded by it."

Side by side with the violence, addictions are also commonplace. Dr Bond's drug of choice is opium and the Chinese opium dens of the London docks play a pivotal role in proceedings. There are moments where the reader gets to follow Bond while he is under the influence, and there is a suitably hazy quality to his actions. Are the things he is seeing real, or the effects of his drug habit? I like that ambiguity, it's almost as though Bond has reached a point where he can no longer trust his own senses.

The supernatural elements in Mayhem are slowly drip fed to the reader as the plot unfolds. Things start small but build, keeping pace with the rest of the narrative, so at a certain point everything fits together seamlessly. Borrowing liberally from Russian folklore, I'll offer no further spoilers other than to say I rather enjoyed the nature of this evil.

In a bold move, the identity of the killer is revealed to the reader about half way through the novel. I have to admit I was initially a little unsure about this, but I needn't have worried. Rather than spoiling anything, this has given the author the opportunity to explore the killer's back story in more detail. The reader gets the opportunity to learn what makes this particular monster tick.

The writing expertly treads that fine line between good crime and good horror. Don't be fooled, Mayhem isn't some sanitized costume drama. Characters are destined to suffer in all manner of gruesome ways. This is a novel filled with demons of every variety. From the psychological to the physical, some imagined while others are real. As events build to a conclusion, everyone is forced to confront their own nightmares. Dr Bond is plagued by habitual insomnia and his addiction to narcotics. The zealot is racked by guilt and religious fervour, while Kosminski is hounded by bloody visions. No one is left unscathed by the malevolent presence that haunts London.

Highlighting the importance of good research, there are a plethora of smaller details that help to give things an air of authenticity. There are newspaper reports that feature throughout the text and they are all genuine. Pinborough has taken these horrible events as the jumping off point for her tale, weaving the elements of her fiction expertly with the threads of truth. Some of the best fiction has its basis in fact, and that is definitely true here.

Dark and engrossing, I was hooked from page one. I just had to know what happened next. Mayhem really will mess with your brain in the most delightful of ways. This is a superb read and I look forward to more with the publication of Murder in 2014.

The first thing that struck me about Communion Town was the premise. It's an interesting idea, bringing together a collection of ten short stories that attempt to capture the heart and soul of an entire city. Each story focuses on different people at different times in the city's history, but all trying to offer some insight into the place that they inhabit.

The big question though, is does it actually work? Well, for the most part yes, it does. I'll come back to that later. First off, a quick look at some of my favourite stories.

Gallathea - A down at heel private eye searches the endless city streets for a missing person. This may be the standout tale for me. I suspect the book blurb writer may agree as it's directly mentioned on the back cover. Thompson gets the detective noir flavour of this spot on. Add to that a surreal layer of what may be mind-bending time travel and you'll find one of the some of the collection's most intriguing moments right here.

Good Slaughter - Reminiscent of Joseph D'Lacey and his rather wonderful horror novel Meat, this story follows an employee of a slaughter house as he comes to a shocking revelation about the work that he does and the city as a whole. Possibly the darkest episode in the novel, and all the better for it. There is a raw quality to this story that makes it suitably shocking.

The Significant City of Lazarus Glass - Meet detective Peregrine Fetch, Communion Town's very own Sherlock Holmes. He is endowed with the keenest of analytical minds and uses it to unravel the sinister crimes of the city's criminal fraternity. Fetch's latest case finds him tasked with uncovering the individual responsible for the deaths of the great detective's own contemporaries. This story made the collection for me. I think I could happily read an entire novel that focuses just on Fetch and his investigations.

The Rose Tree - Walking the streets of Communion Town after the sun his gone down is not the brightest of ideas. Ask Dilks, the owner of The Rose Tree Café, and his various clientele. Another story that veers towards the darker side of city living.

From my perspective, this collection improved the further I got into it. I wasn't really sure about the first few stories but Gallathea had me hooked. Good Slaughter is a horrific little gem and The Significant City of Lazarus Glass was pitch perfect. Those three stories are worth picking up the collection for alone.

It feels like some of the tales dance around the periphery of genre fiction while others are more fully committed. Perhaps I'm just not good at picking up on the subtler aspects of storytelling. The ones that worked for me were the stories that revelled in their genre roots. Others felt too ambiguous, like the author couldn't decide if they were genre fiction or not. My concern is that this ambiguity has the potential to be a little divisive when it comes to readers. If you're going to write a genre novel then embrace it in its entirety.

Overall the collection is a bit of a mixed bag. The stories that I enjoyed I really enjoyed while the others left me a little cold. That said, if Sam Thompson decides to right an entire novel featuring the characters in The Significant City of Lazarus Glass I'll be first in line to read it.