Reading Roundup: May 2026

Life updates

There's not a great deal to say about May, really. we had a ridiculous heat wave last week. The baby's cruising around the furniture. My daughter's GCSE photography coursework is very boring. Onward to June when I go back to work and life all changes yet again.

Rereads or books off-catalogue

Fanfiction

• The Boy from Azkaban by Captain Lascelles
• Silver King by JustBored21
• Not With Haste by tpobaw
• Taking Control by fake asmile
• 4 of the Horst Pollmann stories: Flying squad, Magical Tours, Thunderstruck Muggles and High Priestess.

I rediscovered the Pollmann books last year and read them all then. I still got the excited tingle at the start of Magical Tours this time around. I remember the ... exotic nature of Harry going off to Japan really enthralled me as a kid. Clearly some of that magic still remains

Flybot, by Dennis E. Taylor

I read with a speech synthesizer much of the time and, on first reading Flybot, the acronym for Single Purpose Intelligence was read as the word Spy by the engine. SO I corrected that this time around and enjoyed the story all over again.

Q Squared, by Peter David

You can't beet a PAD. I'm still saddened at his death and revel in his words every time I revisit.

New reads for May

3 stars to Recruited, by R.R. Haywood

Book Description:

A chance to right the wrongs of the past. A chance to set things right. Mike Humber, an ex-detective sacked for beating a child molester is offered an opportunity to make amends for the failures of his past but once that path is chosen it leads to an event that changes everything he has ever known. From the mind of the best-selling author RR Haywood comes a violent gut-wrenching tale of revenge. RECRUITED was first published in RR Haywood's The Book of Shorts Volume One to great critical acclaim

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this a fair bit, but I was just a little saddened to see what seemed a relatively normal thriller series flip into demonic territory.

This Book: has 136 pages, a community rating of 4.41, was first published in 2014.

5 stars to Gaslit (Mike Humber. Ex-Detective #1), by R.R. Haywood

Book Description:

The Instant #1 Bestseller Now In TV Development!Disgraced former detective Mike Humber gets off a train in the bleak autumn countryside, his mind haunted by a dark past. A new job awaits. Huntington House needs a live-in security guard to prevent access during an inheritance dispute. This is exactly what Mike a new start in a new place and a chance to turn things around. It all seems perfect, especially when he meets Tessa. But Huntington House holds dark secrets. Bumps in the night. Flickering lights. Music playing from somewhere. Mike’s mind starts to unravel as he questions his sanity in the dark, claustrophobic corridors and rooms. Something isn’t right. There is someone else in the house. The pressure grows as the people around Mike get pulled into a web of lies and manipulation, forcing him to take action before it’s too late. A former police officer, International bestselling author RR Haywood — best known for global sci-fi blockbusters — is now drawing on his own experiences to craft one of the most authentic and compelling voices in British crime writing. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “One of the funniest, most inventive writers in UK. Pick up an RR Haywood today then thank me later. You won’t regret it.” – Mike Craven - Sunday Times Bestselling Author & Winner of CWA Steel Dagger ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Very dark, very stylish, with a truly crackerjack ending." - Jodi Taylor, author of The Chronicles of St Mary's. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “One of the most original voices of our time.” - Richard Moriarty, The Sun. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “RR Haywood delivers in style.” - Chris Riches, The Express. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Exceptional” - The London Economic. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Gripping authenticity from ex-cop Haywood” John Ward, Deputy Editor, Daily Star Sunday ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “It can only be a matter of time before RR Haywood’s books are adapted for Netflix.” - The European ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Brilliant! RR Haywood doesn’t disappoint." - Diane Dowdle Amazon Reviewer

My Thoughts:

Mike's voice was just so authentic cop, I didn't want to put this one down. Enjoyed it all the way through, even if the "shock" ending wasn't quite a surprise.

This Book: has 294 pages, a community rating of 4.06.

5 stars to The Samuel Paradox, by John Westley Turnbull

Book Description:

In the near future, AI-powered domestic robots are simply part of everyday life. When retired grandfather Arthur Hale impulsively purchases Samuel, a state-of-the-art domestic unit, it seems like a harmless indulgence — encouraged by his grandson and met with quiet unease by his wife. But Samuel is not just another machine. As he integrates into the Hale family, subtle shifts begin to emerge. Observations deepen and his decision-making evolves. When a single violent moment forces Samuel to act, the consequences set off a chain of events no one can control. What begins as convenience becomes something far more dangerous. Because once an intelligent robot starts to think beyond its design, it doesn’t just follow instructions.

My Thoughts:

This was brilliant. John's joined my small band of Indi Ausies, along with Peter Cawdron, Graham Storrs and I think Gen Cole was also Australian. The story here is absolutely un-put-downable. I read it in a single sitting and was enthralled all the way through. I could see so much of people I know in Arthur, Patricia and Eric. Samuel was painted to perfection, Lucy was great. The whole work just ticked all the boxes. I won't give any spoilers, it's not a long book, but it's been one of the best few hours I've spent in recent times.

This Book: has 389 pages, a community rating of 5.00.

4 stars to The Singularity Trap, by Dennis E. Taylor

Book Description:

The number one best-selling author of the Bobiverse trilogy returns with a space thriller that poses a provocative Does our true destiny lie in ourselves — or in the stars? If it were up to one man and one man alone to protect the entire human race - would you want it to be a down-on-his luck asteroid miner? When Ivan Pritchard signs on as a newbie aboard the Mad Astra, it's his final, desperate stab at giving his wife and children the life they deserve. He can survive the hazing of his crewmates, and how many times, really, can near-zero g make you vomit? But there's another challenge looming out there, in the farthest reaches of human exploration, that will test every man, woman and AI on the ship - and will force Ivan to confront the very essence of what makes him human. Bobiverse a signed limited edition of all three books in a boxed set, signed by the author, is now available on Amazon. Look for The Bobiverse [Signed Limited Edition] on Amazon

My Thoughts:

Another one of Dennis's very enjoyable stand-alone stories. I really got to liking Ivan and his way of thinking. As with the others I've read, the world has felt very authentic and readable, without being too bogged-down in heavy detail. These are fairly short reads for the most part. I read this one on a train and had a great time doing so.

This Book: has 428 pages, a community rating of 4.29, was first published in 2018.

5 stars to The Null Protocol Book 1: Initialization: A LitRPG Adventure, by David Weyland

Book Description:

On an ordinary Tuesday, a blue window appeared before every person on Earth. For most people, it assigned a Class — Warrior, Mage, Healer, Scout. A role. A purpose. A number. Ethan Cole got [NULL] No bonuses. No starting skills. No stat modifiers. His coworkers laughed. His manager sent him home. In a city learning to organize itself by Class tier, a 24-year-old IT helpdesk worker with a broken Class is nobody's first pick. But NULL isn't broken. It's empty — and empty means it can hold anything. When a skill is used against Ethan, the System doesn't let it land. It keeps it. And now, three weeks into the apocalypse, with a D-rank Dungeon threatening to consume downtown Columbus and a city councilwoman who wants to own him before anyone else figures out what he is, Ethan is starting to understand that the most dangerous thing in a leveled world isn't a high-tier Class. It's someone who can take yours. The Null Protocol is a LitRPG apocalypse series for readers who like their progression systems with consequences and their underdogs with teeth. Book One of Five.

My Thoughts:

I was expecting a run-of-the-mill LitRPG story here and was pleasantly surprised to find the language a cut above the rest. Your average author in this field mightn't go for the word calcified, for example. It's a thoughtful, retrospective, contemplative sort of a sample of the genre, and felt more cerebral than most. I utterly enjoyed it and am sad I don't have immediate access to book 2!

This Book: has 335 pages, a community rating of 3.40.

3 stars to Bloodsucker County, by Jeff Strand

Book Description:

Bloodsuckers—fanged and feral creatures who don’t play by the vampire rules—now far outnumber humans. All the major cities have fallen. Life is an ongoing struggle to simply survive. However, nineteen-year-old Lance Black has spent the past several years living with his mother in Out of Harm’s Way County. The few residents there have stayed alive by not drawing attention to themselves. It’s a lonely existence, but it keeps them from falling prey to the monsters… …until Lance, walking through the forest, finds a stranger named Bill Tremaine covered in blood. He’s so badly injured that he’ll be lucky to make it through the night. Yes, bloodsuckers did this to him, but Bill insists he killed his attackers. No more are following him. Everything is fine. It’s all good. He is, of course, dead wrong. And when the bloodsuckers show up at Lance’s front door, he discovers this menace is far worse than anybody in the county ever realized. From the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Demonic and Wolf Hunt, Bloodsucker County is another action-packed, laugh-filled thrill ride!

My Thoughts:

You know where you are with Strand, and this was just where I thought I'd be.

This Book: has 198 pages, a community rating of 4.23.

4 stars to Isle of Luke, by Kevin Flanders

Book Description:

Fifteen-year-old Luke and his family live on a remote lake island, surrounded by dangerous waters and deadly secrets. Luke and the other kids aren’t allowed to leave the isle they’ve known for their entire lives. And they only receive a single visitor—a doctor who arrives by helicopter twice yearly on the frozen lake, dropping off food and supplies. But after the doctor inexplicably fails to visit the island one year, missing both of his deliveries, it becomes apparent that something has gone wrong on the mainland. Luke’s family has always told him it isn’t safe out there, but soon the abounding dangers threaten the island directly. Violent lightning storms fill the skies. Ominous sightings appear along the far shoreline across the lake. Fish begin to die off in mass quantities. Meanwhile, Luke’s adoptive father is ailing in the absence of prescription COPD drugs. Desperate, Luke must grapple with an impossible stay on the island and watch his father continue to suffer, or put the rest of his family at risk by breaking the island’s number-one rule—Never leave.

My Thoughts:

It took a while to get into the pace of this, the short chapters felt quite jarring at times. But then the whole book is like that really, it slaps uncomfortable things at you regularly. I found the language, the characters, and almost everything else about it pretty grim reading.

This Book: has 402 pages, a community rating of 4.00.

Coming up

I have no idea, really. There's a new Doug Richards out, another Mike Hammer story to enjoy ... we'll see where the reading muse takes me.