Into the Sounds – Lee Murray

 

*I received a free copy of this novel, with thanks to the author.  The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

 

Blurb:   On leave, and out of his head with boredom, NZDF Sergeant Taine McKenna joins biologist Jules Asher, on a Conservation Department deer culling expedition to New Zealand’s southernmost national park, where soaring peaks give way to valleys gouged from clay and rock, and icy rivers bleed into watery canyons too deep to fathom.

Despite covering an area the size of the Serengeti, only eighteen people live in the isolated region, so it’s a surprise when the hunters stumble on the nation’s Tūrehu tribe, becoming some of only a handful to ever encounter the elusive ghost people. But a band of mercenaries saw them first, and, hell-bent on exploiting the tribes’ survivors, they’re prepared to kill anyone who gets in their way.

As a soldier, McKenna is duty-bound to protect all New Zealanders, but after centuries of persecution will the Tūrehu allow him to help them? Besides, there is something else lurking in the sounds, and it has its own agenda. When the waters clear, will anyone be allowed to leave?

 

Into the Sounds is the second book in Lee Murray’s Taine McKenna series, but you don’t need to read the first to appreciate the second (although I would advise you do, as the hints dropped in this one are intriguing!).

Set in New Zealand, this is an exciting thriller/horror, packed with explosive action and edge-of-the-seat danger.  Murray has mixed military action, creature-feature horror and Maori mythology here to great effect; creating a story that touches on our deepest fears from the modern to the primal.

There are quite a few characters to get to grips with in the plot, and the story moves along very quickly, so at first I felt a bit like I was jogging to keep up with who is who, but once you’ve grasped the main characters (Taine McKenna, Jules, Rocky, Ka, Meredith, Trigger), the others fall into place and then the action becomes much easier to follow.

It’s hard to dive into how nerve-wracking this book is without giving too much away, so I will just say that I spent a bit of time on Google and YouTube after I finished the book shuddering at the monstrous inspiration lurking beneath the trafficking/poaching plotline.  There’s many a reason why I stay away from deep waters and this is one of the biggest!

Throughout reading this novel I couldn’t help thinking what a great action-horror film it would make and I hope that someone picks up on that and runs with it… fans of Michael Crichon, Peter Benchley and Predator (to name but a few) would love it.

Definitely one for fans of the above, plus anyone who likes a well-written, fast-paced, adrenaline rush of a read!

 

 

   The other men, still dragging Wallace, had entered a cave.  David’s pulse pounded as they followed them inside.
Not a cave, but a tunnel.  Does this go anywhere?   Running out of air.
Broadnose moved them swiftly through the silence.  A horizontal fissure as big as a truck gaped to their right.  Through the murky gloom, David spied movement.
Something was in there.  Something huge.  Oh my God, it was coming out.  David wanted to scream, to tell Broadnose to get them the hell out of Dodge, but the pale man just tightened his grip on David and continued on.  Helpless, David could only watch in horror, his lungs bursting, as slowly, slowly, a monster emerged.

– Lee Murray, Into the Sounds

 

Find more from Lee Murray at her website here, or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Into the Sounds is available on Amazon right now!

 

Advertisement