It gives me great pleasure to host another review from
writer, blogger, musician and all round bloody good guy, Kit Power on
Confessions of a Reviewer. This is what he thought of Joe Coffin: Season One.
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Ken Preston
Publication Date: 31st Oct 2014
Pages: 470
KIT’S REVIEW:
I guess we should start with ‘Season 1’, because it’s a concept that can mean different things.
In this case, it signifies two things - the first is that you're getting four
sequential novel length works in a single package, making this one of the more
value for money indie bundles I’ve seen in some time. The second is that, in
addition to presenting an overall story arc, this also represents the first
part of what is clearly set to be a longer running narrative.
It’s an intriguing concept, and one that Ken Preston goes
a long way to selling me on, purely on the strength of this offering. The
titular Joe Coffin is a great choice for lead. On the surface, he’s an absolute
staple of noir fiction - the huge, hulking muscle, mob enforcer, at home with
violence and none too imaginative. What I found clever about this book was that
Mr. Preston took the decision to put this character - normally a bit part at
best, often played on screen by Henry Rollins - front and centre. In the
process, we’re invited behind the eyes of this guy. Preston has a fine line to
walk here - after all, Coffin isn’t super bright, nor is he an especially deep
thinker - but he does have considerable street smarts and a surprising amount
of emotional depth. For me, this was one of the great achievements of this
book, and I was quickly taken in by the interiority of the character. To have
rendered such a brutal character human enough to care about, without
sacrificing any of his propensity for violence or darkness, is a far from easy
trick, and I have to commend Mr. Preston for the skill with which he achieves
this.
The plot I don’t want to get into too much. For one thing, it’s fairly involved, as you might expect from the running time, and for another, I went in pretty much blind, and for me one of the pleasures was following the twists and turns, which come thick and fast, especially in the final part. Suffice it to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it, and again for my money the right balance was struck between finding a dramatically satisfying conclusion, and setting up plenty of drama and possible intrigue for Season 2.
The plot I don’t want to get into too much. For one thing, it’s fairly involved, as you might expect from the running time, and for another, I went in pretty much blind, and for me one of the pleasures was following the twists and turns, which come thick and fast, especially in the final part. Suffice it to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it, and again for my money the right balance was struck between finding a dramatically satisfying conclusion, and setting up plenty of drama and possible intrigue for Season 2.
There is strong sustained violence in parts, and also
moments of bloody horror. Preston handles such sequences well for the most
part, showing a particular skill for fight scenes, with a cinematic prose style
that is unfussy and pacy, keeping the action clear and zipping along. Again,
this is far, far harder to pull off than this book might make it seem, so kudos
there.
My only real criticism overall is one of pacing: there’s
a reasonably large cast, and there were a few moments, especially in the first
couple of books, where I found the need to ‘check
in’ with one of the POV characters slowed things down a touch.
Looking back, I do wonder how much that was a result of my decision to ‘binge
read’ the season as a single mammoth volume, rather than taking a short break
between the books. In any case, the issue certainly lessened for me as the
collection proceeded, so maybe it was just an unavoidable by-product of having
to introduce an ensemble cast.
Overall then, an enjoyable romp through a UK-noir tinged
supernatural horror tale, featuring some stock characters given fresh breath
and life by some genuinely skilful and assured writing. I really enjoyed my
trip through Joe Coffin Season 1, and
I’m excited to see what Season 2 will
bring…
If you would like to help support Confessions of a
Reviewer then please consider using the links below to buy Joe Coffin or any other books from Ken or indeed anything at all
from Amazon. This not only supports me but also lets me know how many
people actually like to buy books after reading my reviews.
Thanks.
Book Synopsis:
Get ready. Joe Coffin is on his way. And he's mad as
hell.
Joe Coffin is fresh out of jail, but going straight is
the last thing on his mind. The sickos who murdered his wife and child are
still out there, and he’s going to get revenge.
The problem is, Joe Coffin is in much deeper than he
realizes, and his wife might not be as dead as he believes.
Violent, gory, profane and explicit, Joe Coffin is for
mature readers only.
Written in serial form, there are four episodes in Season
One, each available individually or as a complete set at a significant price
saving.
Growing up, Ken
Preston never wanted a proper job, and now he sits in his converted cellar,
telling lies for a living, whilst being distracted by his two cats, Lily and
Luther.
He is the author of
a wide range of genre novels, from zombie/cowboy mash-up Population: DEAD! to
his YA pirate adventure, The Devil and Edward Teach, and contemporary horror
serial, Joe Coffin.
He also writes a
series of romantic thrillers, but don't tell anyone.
Pop
over to his website to check out more books and for news on the latest
releases, or just to say "Hi!", and find out how you could be getting
free short stories delivered to your inbox every month.
And
for more about Ken, visit his site or find him on social media:
Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads - Amazon Page
Kit Power lives in the UK and writes fiction that lurks
at the boundaries of the horror, fantasy, and thriller genres, trying to bum a
smoke or hitch a ride from the unwary.
In his secret alter ego of Kit Gonzo, he also performs as
front man (and occasionally blogs) for death cult and popular beat combo The
Disciples Of Gonzo,
And
for more about Kit, visit his site or find him on social media:
Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads - Amazon Page
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