Post Script: Bad Blood – Gary Kemble

Bad Blood

Gary Kemble

Echo Publishing

ISBN: 9781760402938

 

Description:

Freelance journalist Harry Hendrick is beginning to realise that you’re only as good as your last exclusive, and buzz doesn’t pay the bills, when he’s blackmailed by the police into investigating a series of bizarre suicides.

 

Those investigations lead him into the web of Mistress Hel, who plies her dark arts from her luxurious suburban lair. With continuing challenges in his personal and professional life, can Harry resist her seductive power? Or the thrill of danger itself?

 

The latest genre-bending thriller from an exciting Australian author, Gary Kemble.

 

Praise for Skin Deep

 

Kemble’s other life as a journalist is evident in his writing and his convincingly realistic characters … Skin Deep is a fine debut for both Kemble and Echo Publishing, which offers more than a passing nod to John Birmingham and Stephen King – BOOKS+PUBLISHING

 

Equally, not many ghost stories have this kind of immediacy, or tactility. No strange frissons or fleeting shadows here! It’s all blood, drained batteries and murderous rage, stinking of bourbon in the subtropical humidity – TABULA RASA

 

It keeps you guessing until the end – WEEKLY TIMES

 

My View:

Gary Kemble has his own brand of speculative fiction; it is the perfect mash up of horror, crime, gothic darkness, eroticism and paranormal narratives with a tiny bit of love and optimism thrown in for good measure.

 

The first prologue is dynamite! “NIGHTMARE. YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT A NIGTHMARE IS!” p.3 (until you read this book).

 

Harry Hendrick is a great character; on the surface an average guy, just trying to live his life, earn a living and find love but scratch away at the epidermis, peel back the layers and discover the real Harry.  Harry is complex, likeable, at times self-destructive, full of good intentions, a great investigative reporter and is a little under the influence of a tattoo that mysteriously appeared on the back of his neck( see the first book in the series Skin Deep).  You can’t but help liking Harry.  I would like to know more about Sandy – the clairvoyant, I hope she features strongly in the next book.

 

This book has great characters, a suburban Australian setting, is a great example of the speculative read, and yet manages to seamlessly weave into this engaging narrative some serious social issues.  Historical abuse against children, misuse of Union funds…corruption…there is plenty of meat on this bone, give it a good chew.

 

Gary introduces Bad Blood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-ZU6GwXjU4