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Screams in the Woods
One rainy Monday morning, private detective Christine Lynch is presented with an untitled lever arch file to review. It contains the detailed research of a 19th century local mining accident. The authors have been missing for over a year. Two unrelated facts, surely? Then she reads the file...
360 pages, Paperback
First published July 8, 2011
2 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Michael R. Martin
5 books7 followersMike has a degree in mechanical engineering and a HND in multimedia.
He has worked as a design engineer, a volunteer IT tutor, a medical records officer and is currently a freelance computer animator.
The aim of his writing is to create imaginative, supernatural thrillers populated by believable characters and realistic settings.
His influences are many, but he draws particular inspiration from the works of Nigel Kneale, H P Lovecraft, R Chetwynd-Hayes, Stephen King, Alan Garner and M R James.
He lives in the UK.
He has worked as a design engineer, a volunteer IT tutor, a medical records officer and is currently a freelance computer animator.
The aim of his writing is to create imaginative, supernatural thrillers populated by believable characters and realistic settings.
His influences are many, but he draws particular inspiration from the works of Nigel Kneale, H P Lovecraft, R Chetwynd-Hayes, Stephen King, Alan Garner and M R James.
He lives in the UK.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 9, 2016
When P. I. Christine Lynch is asked by her boss to investigate the disappearance of 2 local missing men it seems like it could be just a straight forward case. It is anything but and what begins as a routine inquiry ends up with a mounting body count. Someone wants to hide something from the past and they are prepared to do anything to make sure it is kept buried.
I really liked this story that began with a little intrigue and just continually kept building and getting bigger. Christine is quite a gutsy lady that makes a promise to the son of one of missing blokes that she will find out what really happened to his dad. Only thing is it opens up even more questions like what was his dad investigating? She is about to waken this sleepy go about your business village, to a car chasing, gun shooting, where is a Bobby when you need one, Hell of a ride!
You really do get a bit of everything with Mike Martin, a mystery thriller with a pinch of the past and a decent helping of Scfi. and he brings it all together very smoothly. So its like 'I saw that coming' to 'what the Hell just happened?' It all kept me thoroughly entertained. I will definitely be reading more of this author's books.
I wish to thank Michael R Martin for an Arc of this book which I have chosen to review
I really liked this story that began with a little intrigue and just continually kept building and getting bigger. Christine is quite a gutsy lady that makes a promise to the son of one of missing blokes that she will find out what really happened to his dad. Only thing is it opens up even more questions like what was his dad investigating? She is about to waken this sleepy go about your business village, to a car chasing, gun shooting, where is a Bobby when you need one, Hell of a ride!
You really do get a bit of everything with Mike Martin, a mystery thriller with a pinch of the past and a decent helping of Scfi. and he brings it all together very smoothly. So its like 'I saw that coming' to 'what the Hell just happened?' It all kept me thoroughly entertained. I will definitely be reading more of this author's books.
I wish to thank Michael R Martin for an Arc of this book which I have chosen to review
August 6, 2017
I really wish I could give this even more stars as I LOVED this book! Right from the first page I was hooked and I could not turn the pages fast enough I enjoyed it so much. I loved the plot with its many twists that had me guessing along the way. I love thrillers that combine a bit of everything, history to sci fi, and this novel certainly met that brief. I would go as far as to say this is worthy of being turned into a film - along the lines of Dan Browns films!
March 22, 2017
This started off with two missing men, an old mining disaster and the goings on at a country house. Unfortunately, the book then degenerates into farce. Did not enjoy the experience.
November 4, 2016
Middle Ground For Me
I loved the way it started. I don't mind a good, long build as long as it's interesting, which this was. To me at least. Some purple might find it to start a little slowly for them if they like quicker paced novels.
The main character, Christine, is very likeable. So is Jim, about the only other major character. The mystery was very intriguing. A mining disaster (that had possibly been more than an accident), hints of a cover-up at the time and two people missing who were investigating it.
As the story goes on Christine is pulled into a deeper conspiracy than she thought at first and it's here, unfortunately, that the story starts to drag, characters get introduced quickly during huge exposition chunks. I had to do a quick search here and there to be sure which character went where exactly.
It also didn't end up being quite the book I thought it was going in. I won't give away spoilers but it took a sharp left in the plot that didn't really feel satisfying to me. Others may like it better, though. Just be warned that it's not ghosts, demons or any other kind of supernatural entities.
Also, the first half builds up the mystery of the two missing men so much that when you do finally find out their fate, it's, well, a bit anti-climactic.
There's also a lot of telling, not showing. It works well for about the first half of the book when she begins her investigation and I have to say the author did a great job in giving the history but not making it read like a dry history tome. I was as fascinated with the mysterious history of the mines and mining disasters as if they were real.
The second half of the book, however, I was a bit less engaged with. As I said, the plot takes a huge left turn I didn't see coming (and to be honest was a tad disappointed in).
It's also given in large, expository chunks where I got too much info. So much, in fact, that I felt I should have been taking notes and as I said, a lot of pretty minor characters get introduced do quickly that it was a little difficult remembering who was who.
The end was neatly wrapped up with a fairly satisfying ending.
If I could give half stars I would round it up to three and a half stars. It's a decent first novel. The writing is very good and the couple of action scenes there are, are written well and are not confusing, which I find a big plus. The cover is very nice and personal looking and the book itself was formatted excellently.
All in all, a pretty decent read and I would recommend it.
Received from http://www.scifiandscary.com in exchange for an honest review.
Also, check out my review at www.areyouscaredyetblog.wordpress.com
I loved the way it started. I don't mind a good, long build as long as it's interesting, which this was. To me at least. Some purple might find it to start a little slowly for them if they like quicker paced novels.
The main character, Christine, is very likeable. So is Jim, about the only other major character. The mystery was very intriguing. A mining disaster (that had possibly been more than an accident), hints of a cover-up at the time and two people missing who were investigating it.
As the story goes on Christine is pulled into a deeper conspiracy than she thought at first and it's here, unfortunately, that the story starts to drag, characters get introduced quickly during huge exposition chunks. I had to do a quick search here and there to be sure which character went where exactly.
It also didn't end up being quite the book I thought it was going in. I won't give away spoilers but it took a sharp left in the plot that didn't really feel satisfying to me. Others may like it better, though. Just be warned that it's not ghosts, demons or any other kind of supernatural entities.
Also, the first half builds up the mystery of the two missing men so much that when you do finally find out their fate, it's, well, a bit anti-climactic.
There's also a lot of telling, not showing. It works well for about the first half of the book when she begins her investigation and I have to say the author did a great job in giving the history but not making it read like a dry history tome. I was as fascinated with the mysterious history of the mines and mining disasters as if they were real.
The second half of the book, however, I was a bit less engaged with. As I said, the plot takes a huge left turn I didn't see coming (and to be honest was a tad disappointed in).
It's also given in large, expository chunks where I got too much info. So much, in fact, that I felt I should have been taking notes and as I said, a lot of pretty minor characters get introduced do quickly that it was a little difficult remembering who was who.
The end was neatly wrapped up with a fairly satisfying ending.
If I could give half stars I would round it up to three and a half stars. It's a decent first novel. The writing is very good and the couple of action scenes there are, are written well and are not confusing, which I find a big plus. The cover is very nice and personal looking and the book itself was formatted excellently.
All in all, a pretty decent read and I would recommend it.
Received from http://www.scifiandscary.com in exchange for an honest review.
Also, check out my review at www.areyouscaredyetblog.wordpress.com
February 15, 2017
I’m not sure what initially attracted me to purchase this book, but I am certainly glad that I did. It drew me in from the very start and gathered pace just when you thought it was already at full throttle. The characters of Christine and Jim were so real it was as if you had known them all of your life. The same can also be said about many of the places.
The chapter length was perfectly measured to create that, “I’ll just read to the end of this chapter” thought. Then, having reached the end of the chapter, “I’ll just read one more” and so on until the whole book is devoured.
It’s impossible to pigeon-hole the genre of this novel as it twists and turns between murder/mystery, occult thriller and even sci-fi. The book also employs a lot of dialogue to develop every aspect of understanding, making the text somewhere between a novel and a screenplay. Speaking of which, this would make a spectacular film, which was a recurring thought during my reading.
More please Mr. Martin!
The chapter length was perfectly measured to create that, “I’ll just read to the end of this chapter” thought. Then, having reached the end of the chapter, “I’ll just read one more” and so on until the whole book is devoured.
It’s impossible to pigeon-hole the genre of this novel as it twists and turns between murder/mystery, occult thriller and even sci-fi. The book also employs a lot of dialogue to develop every aspect of understanding, making the text somewhere between a novel and a screenplay. Speaking of which, this would make a spectacular film, which was a recurring thought during my reading.
More please Mr. Martin!
November 16, 2016
Christine, who works at some sort of investigational bureau, receives a ‘cold case’ file on two missing people who’ve been gone for some time. She sets out to find out where and how they vanished. She ends up examining old mining accidents in which a great many people were killed. Her boss seems over-eager for her to keep the details to herself, even though her colleague and friend Jim very much wants in on the case. (I never felt that her boss’s place in all this was adequately explained.)
The details of the house in the middle of all this–and the old families involved–held my interest despite the fact that most of the book was dialogue. I also wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the end (I won’t say anything more than that; I don’t want to spoil it for you.) The one place where I could have used a little extra explanation, and it wasn’t there. There’s a lot going on in a long book here, so grab yourself some caffeine of your choice to help you dive in and remember the details.
I like the characters–Christine and Jim’s friendship is an interesting one. I wish I’d seen more of the boss, as I said; he was a weak point. Again, this is almost entirely dialogue-exposition, so if that isn’t your thing, read something else. But if you like mysterious, slow, otherworldly plots, then have at it!
Book provided for free for review
Original review on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2016/11/r...
The details of the house in the middle of all this–and the old families involved–held my interest despite the fact that most of the book was dialogue. I also wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the end (I won’t say anything more than that; I don’t want to spoil it for you.) The one place where I could have used a little extra explanation, and it wasn’t there. There’s a lot going on in a long book here, so grab yourself some caffeine of your choice to help you dive in and remember the details.
I like the characters–Christine and Jim’s friendship is an interesting one. I wish I’d seen more of the boss, as I said; he was a weak point. Again, this is almost entirely dialogue-exposition, so if that isn’t your thing, read something else. But if you like mysterious, slow, otherworldly plots, then have at it!
Book provided for free for review
Original review on my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2016/11/r...
February 5, 2017
Private detective Christine Lynch finds herself immersed in history when she takes on the case of two missing men. Beginning her investigation into a 19th-century mine explosion, she must discover what links the disaster with the men's disappearance. However, she soon realises that unearthing the truth could put her own life in danger.
This is a bit of a mix of styles, with mystery, thriller and sci-fi coming together in a quirky and interestingly-told tale. The story begins slowly, taking a little while to get going, and I found the narrative occasionally felt like it needed a boost, but it soon picks up the pace. The author has a nice way of revealing the clues as we go along, creating one of those stories that keeps the reader wondering what the heck's happening. With plenty of twists and surprises, this is a good first novel that bodes well for the future.
This is a bit of a mix of styles, with mystery, thriller and sci-fi coming together in a quirky and interestingly-told tale. The story begins slowly, taking a little while to get going, and I found the narrative occasionally felt like it needed a boost, but it soon picks up the pace. The author has a nice way of revealing the clues as we go along, creating one of those stories that keeps the reader wondering what the heck's happening. With plenty of twists and surprises, this is a good first novel that bodes well for the future.
December 28, 2016
This story started strongly. I really enjoyed the intrigue and mystery that was built up through the story. There was a real feeling of tension which was built up through the narrative, and a sense of uncertainty about who could be trusted which was nurtured and expanded as the story progressed.
For me, the story got a bit wobbly and convenient at the end. All in all though, it was a decent mystery/suspense novel.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
For me, the story got a bit wobbly and convenient at the end. All in all though, it was a decent mystery/suspense novel.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
August 6, 2016
what a read! this book was a roller coaster it climbed steadily for a couple of chapters lulling the reader into a story, then Bam all the twists an turns what a book. if you like Micheal Crichton you will love this Author. Can't wait to start his second book x
February 1, 2017
Good but gets weird and becomes ludicrous at the end
The book started really well and had me interested and wanting to know about the mystery , mud way through it started to get weird , and got more and more strange until the absolutely ludicrous ending .... Disappointed
The book started really well and had me interested and wanting to know about the mystery , mud way through it started to get weird , and got more and more strange until the absolutely ludicrous ending .... Disappointed
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews