Hi everyone,
How are you?
Today’s post is my review of Irex by Carl Rackman. Thank you to the author and publisher for my copy of the book and of course Dave!
Synopsis;
In the harsh winter of December 1889, the sailing vessel Irex leaves Scotland bound for Rio de Janeiro. She carries three thousand tons of pig iron and just three passengers for what should be a routine voyage. But Captain Will Hutton discovers that one of his passengers hides a horrifying secret.
When the Irex is wrecked off the Isle of Wight six weeks later, it falls to the county coroner, Frederick Blake, to begin to unravel the events that overtook the doomed ship — but he soon finds that powerful forces within the British Establishment are working to thwart him. Locked in a race against time and the sinister agents sent to impede him, he gradually discovers that nothing aboard the Irex is what it first seemed…
Irex is an atmospheric mystery, set in a rich Victorian world, packed with intrigue, twists and colourful characters — the spellbinding first novel by Carl Rackman.
My thoughts;
Who doesn’t love a good story set on or around the high seas? I know I do! Add to that the fact that there is a mystery and you have a combination that made me sign up for this tour extremely quickly!
We follow two timelines, one on the ship and the other of the investigation into what happened on the Irex that lead to the crash. I really liked this duel timeline, it made the story even more gripping and hard to put down.
There are so many great twists in this book that I didn’t see coming. Once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down. The atmosphere transports you into the story and the writing keeps you hooked until the end. I can’t believe this is the authors first novel and I’m not surprised that it has won an award.
I recommend this book to anyone, even if it is not something you usually read, it is such a great read an will keep you hooked from beginning to end!
Author bio;
Hi! I’m Carl Rackman, a British former airline pilot turned author. I spent my working life travelling the world and this has given me a keen interest in other people and cultures. I’ve drawn on my many experiences for my writing.
I write suspense thrillers with a grounded science-fiction theme. I like reading novels that feature atmospheric locales and I enjoy complex, absorbing storylines combined with rich, believable characters, so that’s the sort of fiction I write. I try to create immersive worlds for the reader to explore, and characters who are more than just vehicles for the story.
I come from a naval military background and have held a lifelong interest in military history and seafaring – all my books usually contain some of these elements!
I hope you’ll enjoy my books and leave reviews. I try to personally thank reviewers if they’ve particularly enjoyed my books.
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Don’t forget to check out the other blogs and reviews on the tour!
Holly reads a lot 