Chasing Tale is a regular feature in which I highlight the latest books added to my to-be-read pile. Some are review copies, some are bargains, some are freebies, and some are hidden gems found in the darkest corners of independent bookshops.
It's the first day of spring!
Mosquitoes and mud puddles are welcome annoyances in the wake of a wonky winter. I tried very hard not to complain about winter, considering summer garners the lion's share of my bellyaching. But it's spring right now, which is my second favorite season, second only to autumn. I got my fly swatter. I got my galoshes. I'm ready for spring. Give me a fishing rod and I'm golden.
With spring comes spring cleaning, too. And I lightened the load on my bookshelf a couple weeks back. Yet more have found their way onto my TBR pile thanks to a slew of sales, reams of review copies, and flagrant freebies. Check 'em out.
The Year I Died Seven Times by Eric Beetner -This crime novel coming out through Beat to a Pulp is being released as serial fiction, with seven installments coming out through the year. There are two out so far and I bought 'em both. Got my eye out for the third, too.
The Black Act by Louise Bohmer - I actually read and reviewed this one a few years ago, but it's since Louise Bohmer has re-released as a serial novel and now the omnibus edition is available. If you like darkly-tinged fairy tales, check it out.
Heartsick by Chelsea Cain - This one sounds like a very cool psychological thriller akin to a Robert Harris novel, with an investigator obsessed with the beautiful serial killer who tortured him then let him go. Creepy.
Shadow Ops: Control Point by Myke Cole - I've heard of military sci-fi, but I don't hear much about military fantasy. This novel, the first in a trilogy, should take care of that. Added bonus that it's on sale via the Kindle Store right now, too.
A Rip Through Time: The Dame, the Doctor, & the Device edited by David Cramner - How about some pulpy time-travel short stories from folks like Chris F. Holm and Elliott Garnett? Yes, I thought you might. A freebie on the Kindle Store, no less.
Beat to a Pulp: Hardboiled 3 edited by David Cramner & Elise Wright - I read the first of this series and enjoyed the heck out of it. I bought the second in the series not too long ago, and now the third in the series is on my Kindle after seeing it as a freebie. Gritty, take-no-prisoners crime fiction. F**k yah.
Zombie Kong by James Roy Daley - Honestly, this could be an ironic title for some existential memoir. Either way, it's a cool-ass title from Books of the Dead Press, and I look forward to reading a novella about a giant, undead ape.
Tales of a Suburban Samurai by Milo James Fowler - Two short stories about a guy with a katana he bought off eBay, then commences life as a vigilante. Cool concept.
Tower of Obsidian by L.T. Getty - Looks like I have some more swords and sorcery on my TBR pile with this novel. I really should try to read more of this genre, so maybe I'll take this one for a test drive first.
Adventures of Cash Laramie & Gideon Miles by Edward A. Grainger - Rough and tumble, guns ablazin', western tales. Don't mind if I do.
The Reluctant Reaper by Gina X. Grant - At first glance, this reminded me of the show, Dead Like Me, but it looks like the gal turned reaper in this book has a bit of a different story to tell.
Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen - This is a book I grabbed at a used-book shop on pure impulse. Pop art kind of cover and a quirky plot involving a beautiful women thrown overboard by her villainous marine biologist of a husband, only to seek revenge with the help of an ex-cop whose beach she washed up on.
The Posthumous Man by Jake Hinkson - A guy tries to kill himself only to wind up entranced by a nurse and lured into a million dollar heist. Oh brother, this could be good. This was only 99 cents when I grabbed it, and it might still be priced low, so look it up.
The Last of the Smoking Bartenders by C.J. Howell - A drifter and his motley crew of psycho patriots travel the American highways hunting a terrorist cell. Or are they just plain crazy and killing innocent people. I look forward to finding out.
Flash Move by Andy Kasch - This is the second novel in Kasch's Torian Reclamation space opera. He actually offered up an excerpt here on the blog recently. Click here to check it out.
Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry - The latest Joe Ledger novel hit the shelves a week or two ago, and with that the first in the series, Patient Zero, was put on sale. I enjoyed Maberry's Pine Deep trilogy, so let's see how this technothriller fares.
Reaping the Dark by Gary McMahon - I'm already a fan of Gary McMahon's stories, so what could this one from DarkFuse be about? How about a getaway driver on the run from crime lords and occultists. Yup. That's my wheelhouse.
The Pack: Winter Kill by Mike Oliveri - Werewolf noir? Oh heck, how can I resist a blending of genres like that. It's custom-made for a genre mutt like me. Ahrooo!
Hexes by Tom Piccirilli - I don't need much of a reason to buy an ebook by Piccirilli. It's practically a monthly ritual. But when i can score one for a buck, I can't hit "buy" fast enough.
Kill Me Tomorrow by Richard S. Prather - This old paperback looked so deliciously pulpy, sitting like it was atop a pile of well-worn crime novels in a bookshop's back room. Like a lost puppy, I just had to give it a home.
The Medea Complex by Rachel Florence Roberts - A historical novel involving a married woman locked up in an asylum, condemned as insane and unfit to face trial for terrible crimes. But did she do it? I guess I gotta read to find out.
Merrie Axemas by M.R. Sellars - A young lady has an ax to grind--literally--with Santa Claus. Snagged this one as a freebie on the Kindle Store. Sure, it's a while before Christmas, but it's never too late to get into the spirit of things.
Deathbringer by Bryan Smith - I saw this occult-themed thrillfest on the Kindle Store for a mere 99 cents the other day. Nothing wrong with that.
Sacrifices by Roger Smith -A thriller set in South Africa involving a murder covered up by a rich, white family and a justice system that doesn't seem to give a damn. The one-star reviews compel me to read this as much as the five-star reviews.
The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume 8 edited by Jonathan Strahan - For all the anthologies I've read over the years, this is a series I've yet to try out. Received an eARC from Solaris, so I can see what this acclaimed anthology series has to offer.
Slingers by Matt Wallace - Serial fiction has a new home in digital publishing. I won the first episode of this new series from the fine folks at Adventures in Sci-Fi Publishing. So thanks to them and to Matt Wallace.
Second Chance by Chet Williamson - Hey, here's another book with time-travel featured in it. I got the heads-up on this one from Crossroad Press, when the audiobook was released and I saw the ebook only cost a buck. Kaching.
Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn - I figure if I'm going to read a Star Wars novel, I should read the most popular ones, the first ones for that matter. I have the first book on my TBR pile from Zahn's Thrawn trilogy and I found this second one dirt cheap at a used-book shop.
Small Crimes by Dave Zeltserman - I have a slew of Zeltserman's books on my Kindle, but none on my actual bookshelf. Until now. This is one of his earlier novels, and one that got praise from multiple authors and even NPR. Not too shabby.
From Darkness Comes: The Horror Box Set (8 Book Collection) - I actually have four of the eight books in this collection already, but it was released for 99 cents in its opening days on the Kindle Store. The one I didn't have that caught my eye was Kealan Patrick Burke's Kin. Sold.