Who is brutally murdering the male residents of the Hourglass Heights apartment complex? At first glance, it would appear that their spouses are the killers, but Detective Marcia Tanaka believes that a serial killer is responsible.
Through the course of her investigation, Detective Tanaka is pulled into a world of Japanese folklore and the supernatural as she explores the darker side of relationships, sex and psyche. She must learn to defeat her own personal demons before she can defeat one that is far more sinister.
I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Wow, I feel like sometimes my brain has ran away from me. I read this book back in November and swore that I had done a review, but alas I had not. Since this book was so good, and deserved a review, it has found its place in our month of reviews :). It just so happens that Mr. Noakes is also doing a month along book blitz for Hourglass Heights. Two birds, one stone :). So before I get into my review, I have a interview with the man himself, Ian David Noakes :D.
Author Interview
- What are your ambitions for your writing career?
I sat in my local Starbucks writing my book one morning when somebody asked me if I wanted to be a famous author. I told them that I didn’t, just a successful one. If I’m successful, then it means I did my job, I have a degree of talent, I have the money to support my family, and a future doing something that will make me happy.
- What are your expectations for this book?
I’ve played my part in the process and written Hourglass Heights. Austin Macauley have taken a chance on me and published it. I will work hard with the marketing department to make sure people are aware of it, but all I can do now is hope people enjoy the story as much as I have enjoyed creating it.
- Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Don’t waste any more time with this interview. Walk (no, run!) down to your nearest bookstore and buy my book. Even better, jump online, download it, and put the kettle on! Oh, once you’ve read it make sure you leave 5 gold stars and a glowing review!
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So before I get into my review, I wanted to say that there is some overt sexual and graphic violence portrayed in this book. It happens pretty soon after you open the first page, and honestly I was not expecting it. This violence and sexual material is necessary for the story line though so this is just a warning.
~~~ Andi’s Review~~~
Wow, that is all I can really say as I put this book down after only two days of reading. Yes, this 277 page book was read in less than 2 full days. There was a number of reasons why Hourglass Heights was read so fast. But first let me tell you a little about the story.
Hourglass Heights is the name of an apartment building that is the scene for some gruesome crimes against male occupants. Obviously the building is important to the story line, but equally important is the relationship that the main character has with herself. I know that may sound cliche, but the book not only revolves around the initial and subsequent crimes that take place, but about how the main detective is connected in more ways than I think she would like. Ian David Noakes is able to connect the reader to this brash, masochistic detective in such a way that you want to jump in there and tell her that everything is going to be alright, even though you have a sneaking suspension it is not going to be.
The writing style really surprised me, I will be honest I read the back and it sounded interesting but when I opened the first page I was blown away. For a relatively new author, Mr. Noakes as skills. As I said before there is some graphic violence and graphic sex. The sex isn’t romantic, roses and wine sex, but graphic, no emotion sex. Well.. that isn’t entirely true, but if I said anything else I would be spoiling some of the book.
When you get to the nitty gritty of the book and not my personal impressions, this book is strong grammatically, plot wise, and is the perfect length. You know how some books drag on and you start skimming. Don’t look at me like that, you know you do it. Well this book walks up to that line, flips it off, and continues on with its story. For me there were no slow spots, even when it was the mundane talking because almost every conversation was essentially to the story line. While not a deep thinking novel, it definitely makes you read every page to find out what in the hell just happened.
So while not actively considered a horror book, but more of a thriller, I give this a solid 4.5 fangs.
About Ian David Noakes
Ian David Noakes is a former projectionist who now loves writing stuff: funny stuff like Partners In Crime; Scary stuff like Hourglass Heights. And even serious stuff like Tables Turned.
As Ian had too much time on his hands with only his wife, five children, screenwriting, novel writing and Mocha drinking trips to Starbucks, he decided to train to become a behavorial therapist too.
Ian started writing his debut novel, Hourglass Heights, during the of summer of 2012 after producers were complimenting his ‘dynamic writing style’ year after year, writing that would never be read more than a handful of times in a window-less office.
He completed it a year later, but during the publishing process he completed two novellas (Partners In Crime, Tables Turned), as well as his second novel, The Ancient Lawman.
Hourglass Heights has been nominated for the People’s Book PrizeTM in the U.K., and it is also a contender for the National Book Awards.
Oh, Ian also loved this review: “Noakes knows his way around words and paints a brilliant, dark world where creatures of the night become all too real.”
--MIKE J. HULTQUIST - Author/Screenwriter (Victim, Squeal: Blood Harvest and Arena - starring Samuel L. Jackson and Kellan Lutz)
