Author: Civilian Reader

Quick Review: ICARUS 17 by Charles Cumming (Hemlock Press/Mysterious Press)

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Lachlan Kite’s latest mission is a little closer to home…

Lachlan Kite should have left fieldwork behind by now.

As director of covert intelligence agency Box 88, he’s at the apex of his espionage career. But when Martha Raine – a woman he hasn’t seen in twenty years – begs for his help, Kite finds himself back in the game, racing to avert disaster.

Kite must find Martha’s son, Max, who vanished in Athens with his girlfriend, Yasmine. But the couple aren’t just missing, they’re running for their lives. Two rival agencies are hunting them, both with orders to kill on sight.

Max and Yasmine are carrying a dizzying secret, one which could pull apart the foundations of the Middle East for a generation. If Kite fails to save them, the costs – both personal and professional – will be catastrophic.

In this, the fourth novel in Charles Cumming’s excellent Box 88 series, Lachlan Kite sets out on the hunt for a couple who have gone missing in Greece. While previous books have connected contemporary missions to Kite’s past actions as a spy, in this book, the stakes are far more personal. As expected, this is another gripping, very well-written novel that hooked me from the start. Continue reading →

Upcoming: RIVALS TURNED IDOLS by Julian Kimble (Simon & Schuster)

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I’ve said it before, and no doubt I’ll say it again: I am very pleased that there appears to be a real, broad appetite for books about the NBA recently. There have been plenty of new books published about active players, but there have also been just as many that examine retired players, or particular periods of the League’s history.

As a life-long basketball player (of dubious skill), but also someone who only really was able to start watching NBA games about 14 years ago (thanks to relocating to Canada), I am particularly interested in reading books that help me fill in the historical gaps. Which brings us to Rivals Turned Idols by Julian Kimble, which examines the 1996 draft class and their incredible impact on the game and League as a whole. It will be released next Spring, and I can’t wait. Here’s the synopsis:

The must-read story of the 1996 NBA Draft class — Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash — that turned the NBA into a global force and changed culture forever.

In Rivals Turned Idols, a legendary class of players — Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, Ray Allen, and Stephon Marbury — emerged not just as stars, but as architects of the modern game and the global phenomenon it would become.

This is the story of how athletes became brands, how style and music merged with sport, and how the NBA expanded from American arenas to a worldwide stage. From Philadelphia playgrounds to Los Angeles spotlights to sold-out gyms in Beijing, the ripple effects of this class are still shaping the game and the culture around it today.

Electric, deeply reported, and rich with cultural insight, Rivals Turned Idols is the story of the draft that turned a league into a global force, and rivals into icons.

Kobe, AI, Nash? Yeah, this is a must-read.

Julian Kimble’s Rivals Turned Idols: How The NBA ’96 Draft Class Changed the Game is due to be published by Simon & Schuster in North America, on April 27th, 2027.

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads

Quick Review: SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SCREAMING AND CRYING by Dan Franklin (Constable)

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An interesting and illuminating biography of an album, albeit one that is also a little unfocused and disjointed…

Slipknot is one of metal’s most iconic and recognisable bands. In late August 2001, Slipknot released their extraordinarily brutal second album, Iowa. With it, nine masked maniacs from the American Midwest captured the zeitgeist and reimagined the genre. The album’s emotional intensity and aggression was matched only by its commercial success, as it topped album charts and defined the nu metal era.

Two weeks after its release, the world changed forever. After the attacks of 9/11, Slipknot collided with history and a generation in upheaval. As the band’s members struggled with their own demons, it wasn’t certain that Slipknot would survive. What followed is a story that’s as tumultuous, gripping, and as real as it gets.

Somewhere Between Screaming And Crying is the story of Iowa‘s difficult birth and its remarkable impact in a world seemingly coming apart at the seams. As nu metal is embraced by a new generation today, Dan Franklin unravels how and why this much-maligned subgenre still connects so strongly and explores the ongoing influence of Slipknot as one of the most recognisable and artistically vital bands in metal today.

Dan Franklin’s latest book examines a defining era of (nu-)metal and one of the bands that felt ubiquitous, divisive, and essential. It is an engaging, illuminating, and interesting read; but also one that has some flaws. Essential reading for fans of Slipknot, but also anyone who wants to take a walk down memory lane. Continue reading →

CR20: Chuck Klosterman’s FARGO ROCK CITY and Steven Hyden’s TWILIGHT OF THE GODS…

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Eight years ago, I published a rather long piece, a dual-review of two very good books about rock/metal fandom: Chuck Klosterman’s Fargo Rock City (2001) and Steven Hyden’s Twilight of the Gods (2018). I’m pretty happy with how the article turned out, so thought I’d post a link to it here, in case it is of any interest.

Review(ish): FARGO ROCK CITY by Chuck Klosterman and TWILIGHT OF THE GODS by Steven Hyden

Excerpt: THE TOWER OF BEGGARS by Torsten Weitze (Absurd Ventures)

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Today, we have a short excerpt from The Tower of Beggars, the first novel in Torsten Weitze‘s Stormfell Academy series. Weitze is a prolific German fantasy author, and this marks his first publication in North America and in the UK. Due to be published tomorrow, by Absurd Ventures, here’s the synopsis:

When tragedy strikes her family, Niri finds herself penniless and alone in a city determined to turn their back on ‘her kind’.

Her only possession is also her only hope – a copper coin that grants her admission to the prestigious Stormfell Academy, renowned for its magical and combative training.

But the coin only offers her a place to sleep, and Niri must learn to adapt and fight if she is to survive the Academy – and its occupants.

The Tower of Beggars is the first enthralling instalment in the bestselling Stormfell Academy series that has captivated millions of readers in Europe, now available in the US and UK for the first time.

Welcome to the Academy…

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Upcoming: IRRESISTIBLE MONSTERS by Natalie Haynes (Picador)

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Like many people, after watching Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, I found my interest and love for Greek Mythology reignited this summer. This led me, earlier this month, to read Natalie Haynes‘s Divine Might and Pandora’s Jar — two superb, engaging books about Greek Mythology. After finishing them, and buying a few of her novels, I started to look about for any other books the author might be working on. That’s what led me to find Irresistible Monsters, another book about mythology; this time, Haynes takes a look at the “creatures in Greek Mythology”. Here’s the synopsis:

From snaky Echidna – mother of monsters – to the fearsome Minotaur, the strange and terrible creatures of Greek myths have been grabbing our attention for thousands of years. In Irresistible Monsters, bestselling author, broadcaster and passionate classicist Natalie Haynes turns her inimitable gaze on the inhuman, and reveals that even the things we thought we knew aren’t necessarily so: a Cyclops doesn’t always have one eye, and Cerberus doesn’t start out with three heads.

Along the way, she examines how we think about monsters: what makes a monster, and why do we need them? Do they subvert the world as we know it, or subtly reinforce our expectations? Is a monster human or animal, mortal or divine? And how do you defeat a multi-headed snake when it has a giant crab as its henchman?

This is now one of my most-anticipated books of early 2027. Really looking forward to reading it.

Irresistible Monsters is due to be published in the UK by Picador, on March 4th, 2027. At the time of writing, I couldn’t find a North American publisher — Haynes’s aforementioned Divine Might and Pandora’s Jar (and novels) are published in North America by Harper Perennial, so maybe they will pick this one up as well.

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Instagram, BlueSky

Excerpt: THE GREAT CATSBY BY HILTON by Rod Carley & Juliette Miron (Smart House Books)

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The Great Catsby by Hilton, the latest book by award-winning and acclaimed author Rod Carley will be published shortly by Smart House Books. Illustrated by Juliette Miron, it is a “catification” of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, “a playful parody poking fun at love foiled and ambitions foisted” within an uncertain 1920s world of cats. Here’s the synopsis:

Jay Catsby, the feral son of impoverished barn cats, has built his kibble fortune selling illegal catnip. When Nick Cattaway moves in next cat-door, Catsby’s only a whisker away from winning back his beloved Daisy, the beautiful Persian he lost to the arrogant Tom Cat Burmese two lives earlier.

Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby as an indictment of the reckless wealth of post-World War I America. The selfish and careless fat cats of The Great Catsby by Hilton similarly ring true.

Part of the charm of the book is that Hilton, a seven-year-old rescue tabby adopted by Rod, “writes” it. He is the voice of Nick Cattaway, the first-person narrator. Reimagining the story through the eyes of a domestic housecat has allowed Hilton to be frisky with the text. Hilton also writes the Preface.

The Great Catsby by Hilton also features twenty full-page colour illustrations in addition to an assortment of black and white drawings.

The Great Catsby by Hilton adds some much-needed whimsy to the world. In these uncertain times, we could all use a few more cats and a little more catnip in our nine lives.

Continue reading →

Excerpt: LET ME DOWN by Callie Rae O’Reilly (ECW Press)

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Let Me Down, the new memoir by Callie Rae O’Reilly is out today, published by ECW Press. It is the “vivid and vulnerable account of an abusive relationship”, by the co-founder of the Apostrophe Podcast Company; the home of some of Canada’s most popular podcasts, including Under the Influence and We Regret To Inform You.

To mark the release, the publisher has provided CR with an excerpt to share with our readers. First, though, here’s the synopsis:

At 18, Callie’s encounter with Reed, a brooding and arty student four years her senior, begins a youthful infatuation, a casual “thing.” But as their relationship deepens, what once seemed like innocent passion soon morphs into a cycle of manipulation, control, and violence.

Callie shares the complexity of falling in love with someone who also hurt her — emotionally, physically, and sexually. Through her clear-eyed storytelling, she grapples with the blurred lines of consent, shame, and trauma and explores how these toxic dynamics seeped into every corner of her life. Her process of extracting herself from Reed’s universe reveals the psychological toll of abuse that doesn’t always leave visible scars but is no less damaging.

Let Me Down provides a candid reflection on the realities of modern relationships, highlighting issues like gaslighting, revenge porn, and the impact of social media on survivors. With delicate intimacy and literary sensibility, O’Reilly’s memoir charts the complex and nonlinear path of self-acceptance, healing, and reclaiming one’s life from the lingering effects of trauma.

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Excerpt: SEETHING LANE by Jack Jewers (Moonflower)

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Today, we have an excerpt from Seething Lane, the latest novel by London historian Jack Jewers, and the second book in the author’s Samuel Pepys mysteries. (The acclaimed first book, The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys, is out now.) Samuel Pepys was famous for his diaries, which offer an unfiltered look into his life and times, not to mention his unvarnished thoughts of people he met and events of the day. Jewers has drawn inspiration from this when conceiving of and writing his historical crime series, casting Pepys in the role of detective.

Due to be published by Moonflower Books next week, September 3rd, here’s the synopsis:

January 1670. London is enduring its worst winter in decades.

But for Samuel Pepys, the darkest days are yet to come.

When a strange young man turns up at his office on Seething Lane asking for help, Samuel Pepys is too distracted to take him seriously. Nell Gwyn is about to make her scandalous return to the stage and he wouldn’t miss it for all the world.

But in the cold of a winter’s dawn, tragedy strikes. Called upon to investigate the brutal murder of a libertine aristocrat, Pepys discovers that the dead man is connected to his mysterious visitor in the most shocking way possible.

A trail of secrets leads Pepys from the backstreets of London to the glamorous world of the theatre, where nothing is quite as it seems. But whatever the dangers, he may find that the deadliest threat lies closer to home…

Reimagining one of Britain’s greatest historical figures through a 21st century lens, Seething Lane sees the return of infamous diarist Samuel Pepys, complete with his trademark audacious wit, keen eye for observation and gripping historical adventure.

Continue reading →