The Torments: The chilling sequel to the bestselling gothic thriller: THE MURMURS (Volume 2) (The Annie Jackson Mysteries) Paperback – 12 Sept. 2024

I do love this series. There. got it out of the way early. The Murmurs was one of my top reads of last year and I have been so looking forward to this second book, knowing that the concept of the books, of Annie Jackson's particular talent, left the field wide open as to where Michael J Malone could take us. Blending the author's beautifully lyrical writing, with a gothic theme, a touch of the other worldly and a foe who is very much to be feared, The Torments, is a book which enchanted me from the very start and kept me on edge right until the very final pages. It's one of those books. The opening chapter is mythically pitch perfect and explains so much of what will follow, although you won't necessarily understand how straight off the bat. Where would be the fun in that?This book really played to my ideal kind of reads. A mixture of mystery and a touch of the occult, but packed with interesting and unusual characters and a whole heap of tension that had me stabbing at my kindle screen at speed, wanting to know what would come next. Any one who has read book one will be well aware of Annie Jackson's particular talents, the eponymous 'murmurs' that occur whenever she is near someone who is soon to meet their end. Knowing that whether she speaks out or not, the end has already been determined, it makes no odds to the local community who hold her responsible for the death of a young rescue worker, believing that Annie could well have saved his life. It's almost a welcome relief to be asked by her adoptive Aunt to try and find her missing son, Damien, as it gives her reason to leave her home for a while, at least until the dust settles. Of course, leaning in to her talent does not come without risk, but it's safe to say that no-one could have foreseen how dangerous this particular quest would become. Not even Annie.What I liked about this book is that it is not just a simple missing person investigation. MIchael J Malone has skilfully woven in a secondary thread, one that initially throws up more questions than it answers but that I knew had to tie back to Annie in some way. We are introduced to two school children who, struggling with their own acceptance amongst their peers, become the perfect victims for grooming, although the nature of it may take some by surprise. Now this element of the story has dark undertones, but plays heavily into the sense of the occult which is a huge part of what is to come to pass. I liked how the author plays with the characters in these scenes, setting them, and up, perfectly for what is to become their future, or perhaps their destiny.The search for Damien introduces Annie and her brother Lewis to the village of Kirkronald, which proves to be home to a few strange residents of its own. Firstly there is a strange woman who lives up at a grand house just outside of the village, someone who Annie seems to have become infatuated with. Then there is Ina, a strange old woman who appears to know many of the villages secrets but reveals them only cryptically, making it hard to the siblings to follow, but making me all the more intrigued by the story. I had my theories as to how this would play out, but would they prove to be correct. And, more importantly, would finding the truth end up costing one of our beloved characters their life? Michael J Malone is not beyond pushing his characters to the limits and this is no exception.With adversaries who will stop at nothing to get what they believe to be their right, strange rituals spanning decades which have proven more than occasionally deadly, and the kind of sway with the local constabulary and other people of rank and merit that can only serve to work against justice, you could really feel the tension building the further into the story we travel. The scene setting is perfect, so many atmospheric moments and creepy locations designed to unsettle but not completely disturb the reader, and that constant sense of impending danger that flows through the pages like wine to a chalice. It's mystery upon mystique, with brilliant pacing that goes through peaks and troughs as the story dictates. I was hooked from the start and more than delighted by the end. A perfect second book in what I hope will be a much (Much) longer series. Definitely recommended.

I really enjoyed this book. I haven’t read book one in the Annie Jackson series but I don’t feel that it mattered that I hadn’t read it. (I’m absolutely going back to read it though as it sounds very interesting and if this one is anything to go by it’ll be fabulous too!)I really like Annie from the start, and you know that she has this ‘gift’ / curse and I just really felt for her as she knows that something is going to happen but can’t say anything and you can tell that she feels absolutely awful about it. She has been hiding away at her home as much as possible as her gift is very loud when she’s around other people which must be very hard for her.Annie is very caring though and I loved her relationship with her twin Lewis. I love how they understand each other and really know when to not pressure the other for information. I loved the storyline and thought it was very unique, it had me intrigued pretty quickly and I loved how it was pieced together.The book was written part scenes in past years and the rest in today’s time, I thought it was very interesting and really well done as it all added pieces to the puzzle. I loved the build up to the ending and I honestly wasn’t sure what was going to happen, I definitely didn’t expect what did!!I loved the writing style and seemed to fly through the chapters as it was so intriguing.

Michael J Malone has written another creepy, tense novel in his brilliant Annie Jackson series. I loved the first book, so I was desperate to get to The Torments as soon as I got my hands on my copy. In the last book, Annie Jackson was just coming to terms with the “gift” she has, which some members of her family see as a curse. She has the ability to predict how a person will be killed, and this makes her a fascinating character. In this book, Annie is asked by her adoptive mother, Mandy, to help find her missing nephew, Damien, and Annie knows she can’t refuse. But there are locals who want to drive Annie out of town and they will go to any length possible to make sure she leaves.There are some really intense scenes in this book, particularly the ones close to the beginning, when there are people who have real intent on driving Annie out of town. They feel she could’ve used her gift to help prevent the death of a young man. I really felt for Annie in these scenes, particularly as it feels as though she is being targeted for something that wasn’t her fault. Annie throws herself into trying to find out what happened to Damien which helps to provide her with a distraction, along with her brother, Lewis. Michael J Malone increases the intrigue, particularly with past scenes told from the point of view of a woman called Sylvia.I found the chapters told from Sylvia’s point of view really interesting and mysterious, and they add to the chilling atmosphere of the book. I wasn’t sure how they would connect to events in the present, but Michael J Malone does an absolutely brilliant job of bringing the different strands together. As it becomes clear what this part of the novel means, the darkness in the story intensifies, and I really felt fearful for Annie, as she gets closer to understanding what is really going on. Michael J Malone builds everything into an intense and satisfying finale that kept my eyes glued to the page.If you’re looking for an addictive thriller, particularly with Halloween just around the corner, you need to read this series. I’ve no doubt that The Torments is going to be in my top ten reads of this year. I really enjoyed it.

The Torments by the talented Michael J Malone is a thrilling and dramatic read that i couldn't put down and read in a week . I loved this book which mixed murder and mystery and different characters from the murmurs. I hope that there are many more Annie Jackson books .

Beginning to sound like a broken record when it comes to Michael's books, but this was truly, yet another winning thriller, with an occult twist. Who knew such a combination, building on The Murmurs, would be so 'not-put-downable'? Already waiting patiently on his next one!