MoMoBookDiary

Guy Hale

My Review

The Croaking Raven is a darkly humorous gem that masterfully blends murder, wit, and Shakespearean intrigue. Set in 1970s Stratford-upon-Avon, this fast-paced tale brilliantly captures the spirit of the era with its crisp, engaging narrative, punchy chapters, and well-drawn, realistic characters.

From the outset, we’re privy to the killer’s identity and motive, creating a compelling layer of tension as the story alternates between their chilling—perhaps even justified—perspective and the detectives’ dogged efforts to unravel the case. The killer’s eerie mimicry of Hamlet keeps the stakes high and the reader utterly hooked.

Though the ending left me hanging, it only amplified my excitement for the next installment in this promising trilogy, set to release next year—I can hardly wait! Notably, no prior knowledge of Shakespeare is required to enjoy this book; in fact, those well-versed in the Bard’s work may even find themselves guessing where the story is headed, potentially spoiling some of its clever twists.

The Croaking Raven is an entertaining, gripping, and thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended for fans of dark humor, clever plotting, and a touch of Shakespearean flair.

The Author

Guy Hale was born in Worcestershire, England. His first job was as a Professional Golfer. He also played Rugby and raced motorcycles until his mid-twenties. When this failed to kill him he started writing plays, mostly two handers which he performed in pubs and assorted venues with his mate, Andy. When no call from Hollywood came, he went back into golf until his mid-thirties. Having met and married the love of his life, Lou, he was encouraged to get a proper job … by the boss. This led to him getting into construction and the design and supply of light gauge steel, really exciting stuff!

Surprisingly, this surf bum, ex-rugby player, ex-golfer, keen motorcyclist and cyclist turned out to be pretty good at business and he and his partner, Matt, built a hugely successful company which they sold in 2018. Instead of doing the sensible thing and retiring he started Gulf Coast Records with Mike Zito and then started song writing. One night in a bar in LA, Mike told him a story about a dream he’d had. That story turned into the Jimmy Wayne saga and Guy was off and running. 

Strange how you can drift into some things. Now the Jimmy Wayne Comeback Trail Trilogy is complete, it’s had great reviews and Mike and Guy have done a soundtrack, with the great Kid Andersen, to go along with the books.

The above is taken from Guy Hale’s website at guyhale.com where you can visit and find out more information and up to date details of ongoing projects. There is also a shop where you can buy books direct.

Guy can also be found on facebook and instagram

The Book

• Title: The Croaking Raven
• Author: Guy Hale
• Direct Buy Link: guyhale.com

The Review

I’m excited to share my review of this cleverly crafted novel as part of the Love Books Tours Virtual Book Tour, running from 25 November through to 11 December. Thank you Love Books Tours and Guy Hale for providing both digital and paperback editions of this book and for the opportunity to be part of the Virtual Book Tour. This was a new author to me, and since reading The Croaking Raven I have purchased copies of the author’s The Comeback Trail Series!

All views expressed are my own. This review, or parts thereof, may also be published on my social medial channels – find me everywhere as momobookdiary – and book websites such as Goodreads, StoryGraph, Google Play, Apple Books, Kobo, and of course Amazon and Waterstones. All links are correct at the time of publication.

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