The Torments - Michael J Malone | Book Review | #TheTorments @michaelJmalone1 @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours

Annie surged forward, but she was too slow, too late.
A hand came over and down, and she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck.
Then all became smoke, and silence.

Hiding from the world in her little white cottage on the shores of a loch, Annie Jackson is fighting to come to terms with the world of the murmurs, a curse that has haunted female members of her family for centuries.

While she is within the ancient, heavy stone of the old dwelling, the voices merely buzz, but the moment she steps outside the door they clamour to torment her all over again, bringing with them shocking visions of imminent deaths.

Into this oasis comes her adoptive mother, Mandy McEvoy, begging for Annie’s help. Mandy’s nephew Damien has gone missing, after dropping off his four-year old son at his mother’s home.

Unable to refuse, but terrified to leave her sanctuary, Annie, with the help of her brother Lewis, is drawn in to a secretive, seductive world that will have her question everything she holds dear, while Lewis’ life may be changed forever…

The second book in the critically acclaimed Annie Jackson Mysteries series, The Torments is both a contemporary gothic thriller and a spellbinding mystery that deeps deep into a past that should, perhaps, remain undisturbed…

MY THOUGHTS

”Be careful what you wish for, my little one. The price you pay is never the one you agree to”

My thanks to Anne of Random Things Tours for the invite and to the publisher for the paperback copy to review. I reviewed the first book in the series, The Murmurs here last year, having already featured several of Michael’s books on the blog (just type his name into the search bar). The Torments is the second book in the Annie Jackson mystery series and is just as tense and disturbing, if not more so, than the Murmurs. Published by Orenda Books in ebook, audiobook and paperback formats (12 September 2024).

Set in the highlands of Scotland, this story begins with Annie Jackson living in a remote cottage following previous events. It is here she feels safest; the murmurs settling down. It’s when she leaves her sanctuary that she has the awful visions and the murmurs and voices are at their worst. An encounter with a young lad leads to tragedy and Annie is the target of angry locals. When she is asked to help find a missing relative, despite her misgivings, the chance to get away forces her decision.

This second outing for Annie and her twin brother Lewis is a chilling and atmospheric story told over changing timelines from various perspectives. Both the historical and the present feature some exceptionally disturbed individuals with events coming to a dramatic and suspenseful conclusion which had me holding my breath.

You can enjoy this story without having read the first book as some of the backstory is included but you would be missing out big time by not reading in order. I couldn’t help feeling for Annie and her distress as her ‘curse’ controls her life and she struggles to deal with the notoriety and public attention. Her brother Lewis is her protector and the relationship between them has grown into one of support and understanding. Malone’s writing is excellent, even though I had my suspicions I was still caught out by the unexpected. The plot is chilling with great characterisation that shows the evil that people are capable of. The prologue featuring the cloven hoofed legend of Baobhan Sith gave me the shivers.

I found this a dark and at times a challenging read – more so because I feared what the consequences would be for the Jacksons. Some people would stop at nothing in their quest for power and the history of witchcraft and legends are very much at the forefront of this psychological thriller. Highly recommended and another great read from an author who never disappoints.

Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the heart of Burns’ country. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. His dark psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and is currently in production for the screen, and five powerful standalone thrillers followed suit. The Murmurs, first in the Annie Jackson Mysteries series, was published to critical acclaim in 2023. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr, where he also works as a hypnotherapist.