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alwroteabook's review against another edition
5.0
Can we have book three already? Paging Alan Baxter - https://www.alwroteabook.com/2021/04/09/recall-night-by-alan-baxter/
In a fit of whimsy, I hereby announce I will give everyone five stars, but the reviews may not reflect it.
In a fit of whimsy, I hereby announce I will give everyone five stars, but the reviews may not reflect it.
pbanditp's review against another edition
4.0
Eli Carver is a merciless killer if you are on his bad side. He is literally haunted by his past. Eli has five ghosts that are always by his side, they can’t hurt him, but they sure as hell don’t like him. They hang out cheering for his demise and laughing at his mistakes.
Two years after the conclusion of book one, Eli finds himself starting over and it doesn’t take long before he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is force to work for two competing mob bosses in order to steal back money that belongs to the woman he was originally working for. All is not what it seems and someone is conjuring up something special that you know is going to come back and haunt us.
This supernatural thriller has gritty dark characters with light hearted wit that combine to make a fast paced story that you don’t want to put down. Lucky for you GHOST RECALL, book 3 in the series is being released this upcoming Tuesday, December 7th. (I am almost half way through it and it is fantastic)
Two years after the conclusion of book one, Eli finds himself starting over and it doesn’t take long before he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is force to work for two competing mob bosses in order to steal back money that belongs to the woman he was originally working for. All is not what it seems and someone is conjuring up something special that you know is going to come back and haunt us.
This supernatural thriller has gritty dark characters with light hearted wit that combine to make a fast paced story that you don’t want to put down. Lucky for you GHOST RECALL, book 3 in the series is being released this upcoming Tuesday, December 7th. (I am almost half way through it and it is fantastic)
alwroteabook's review
5.0
Can we have book three already? Paging Alan Baxter - https://www.alwroteabook.com/2021/04/09/recall-night-by-alan-baxter/
In a fit of whimsy, I hereby announce I will give everyone five stars, but the reviews may not reflect it.
In a fit of whimsy, I hereby announce I will give everyone five stars, but the reviews may not reflect it.
shambolick's review
4.0
Another rollicking installment in the Eli Carver story. It's fast, fun and gritty. You know you are in for a ride with the opening gunfight. Then there's the supernatural mayhem that follows him like a curse. This is a novella that has you itching to know more about the world and the mystery following Eli. It's deserving of being a novel it's a rich world with an interesting character. Can't wait for the next one.
thomaswjoyce's review
4.0
The story opens with protagonist Eli Carver briefly recounting the events of Manifest Recall (Grey Matter Press, 2018), the first novella in his series. Without giving too much away, he doesn’t consider himself a good man. He lost his wife and child because of his role as an enforcer in an organised crime gang, and has the blood of many, many people on his hands. Some he would consider undeserving, while others he has come to the conclusion had it coming. As such, following the explosive finale to book one, he has been laying low in Canada, following the news reports about his former gang’s tussles with the law in the U.S. But he isn’t alone; he has his constant posse of spectral followers, ghosts of those he has dispatched in the course of his role. It’s a great way to open the book, meaning readers don’t need to be familiar with Manifest Recall, or just if it has been a while since they read the first book.
In many ways it is a great continuation of the character from the first book. He is just as pragmatic as ever, never more evident than when he finds himself in confrontation with a man or group of men. When he is cornered and has no other way out, he will kill without hesitation. It is easy to like Eli as a character, with his newly discovered moral code and his dedication to protecting the innocent and only harming those who he deems deserve it. But he is very much a cold-bloodied killer, something his ghostly entourage never fail to remind him about. They offer a modicum of levity that provides a balance with the dark moments of violence to great effect. But, more than that, they prove to be useful when Carver is in a tight spot, giving him a warning when an unseen attacker is ready to strike, seemingly disproving one of the theories regarding their appearance, that they are a manifestation of his guilt and pain over the loss of his family.
Upon Carver’s return to the U.S., he quickly becomes embroiled in a dispute between two New York crime organisations, thanks to a chance encounter with a female passenger on the train. Bridget Carlson is a professional gambler, eager to get away from the clutches of her criminal boss. But first she must pay a large gambling debt, and she needs some back-up. This is where Carver, in his new role as rōnin, comes in. Indeed, with the two warring crime gangs in a small part of New York and the entrance of Carver as an unknown gun-for-hire, and with him adopting this new persona, it is possible that classic Japanese samurai movie Yojimbo was an inspiration, if only slightly. And Baxter’s background as both competitor and teacher of martial arts comes into play when Carver is forced to fight unarmed. The choreography of the action sequences is described with just the right amount of detail, where we are never bogged down with needless descriptions of where Carver’s fist connects with his enemy, or overly descriptive macho language about injuries.
The appearance of mysterious and menacing voodoo practitioner Papa Night and sinister Cora Lombardi, wife of one of the crime bosses and more than just a gangster’s moll, add an extra dimension to the story. While book one and much of book two focus predominantly on the noir and action aspects of the story, these characters open the door to a supernatural, even cosmic, level of horror that adds more depth to the world of Eli Carver and his story. The true nature of his ghosts has been open to debate to this point, serving as both a reminder of the terrible crimes he has committed in the past, and foils for witty banter. But now we begin to wonder to the magnitude of the supernatural in the Eli Carver series, something that will hopefully be explored in future instalments, providing we are fortunate enough to see those books come to fruition.
In Grey Matter Press, Baxter seems to have found the perfect fit for this particular brand of his work. With authors such as John Foster, John F.D. Taff and Karen Runge also on their roster, they excel when publishing books with a thriller, supernatural or horror flavour. Or, indeed, a great mix of all of the above. And they have certainly scored another hit with Recall Night. Baxter and Grey Matter Press continue to prove a potent combination. Would an Eli Carver story work in a longer format? Possibly, but there is something to be said for presenting this storytelling style in a fast-paced, action-packed novella, especially with the promise of further Eli Carver adventures. Yet again, Baxter has delivered an exciting story with his enigmatic protagonist at the centre, and has succeeded in whetting our appetite for more supernatural thrills in the company of Eli Carver.
In many ways it is a great continuation of the character from the first book. He is just as pragmatic as ever, never more evident than when he finds himself in confrontation with a man or group of men. When he is cornered and has no other way out, he will kill without hesitation. It is easy to like Eli as a character, with his newly discovered moral code and his dedication to protecting the innocent and only harming those who he deems deserve it. But he is very much a cold-bloodied killer, something his ghostly entourage never fail to remind him about. They offer a modicum of levity that provides a balance with the dark moments of violence to great effect. But, more than that, they prove to be useful when Carver is in a tight spot, giving him a warning when an unseen attacker is ready to strike, seemingly disproving one of the theories regarding their appearance, that they are a manifestation of his guilt and pain over the loss of his family.
Upon Carver’s return to the U.S., he quickly becomes embroiled in a dispute between two New York crime organisations, thanks to a chance encounter with a female passenger on the train. Bridget Carlson is a professional gambler, eager to get away from the clutches of her criminal boss. But first she must pay a large gambling debt, and she needs some back-up. This is where Carver, in his new role as rōnin, comes in. Indeed, with the two warring crime gangs in a small part of New York and the entrance of Carver as an unknown gun-for-hire, and with him adopting this new persona, it is possible that classic Japanese samurai movie Yojimbo was an inspiration, if only slightly. And Baxter’s background as both competitor and teacher of martial arts comes into play when Carver is forced to fight unarmed. The choreography of the action sequences is described with just the right amount of detail, where we are never bogged down with needless descriptions of where Carver’s fist connects with his enemy, or overly descriptive macho language about injuries.
The appearance of mysterious and menacing voodoo practitioner Papa Night and sinister Cora Lombardi, wife of one of the crime bosses and more than just a gangster’s moll, add an extra dimension to the story. While book one and much of book two focus predominantly on the noir and action aspects of the story, these characters open the door to a supernatural, even cosmic, level of horror that adds more depth to the world of Eli Carver and his story. The true nature of his ghosts has been open to debate to this point, serving as both a reminder of the terrible crimes he has committed in the past, and foils for witty banter. But now we begin to wonder to the magnitude of the supernatural in the Eli Carver series, something that will hopefully be explored in future instalments, providing we are fortunate enough to see those books come to fruition.
In Grey Matter Press, Baxter seems to have found the perfect fit for this particular brand of his work. With authors such as John Foster, John F.D. Taff and Karen Runge also on their roster, they excel when publishing books with a thriller, supernatural or horror flavour. Or, indeed, a great mix of all of the above. And they have certainly scored another hit with Recall Night. Baxter and Grey Matter Press continue to prove a potent combination. Would an Eli Carver story work in a longer format? Possibly, but there is something to be said for presenting this storytelling style in a fast-paced, action-packed novella, especially with the promise of further Eli Carver adventures. Yet again, Baxter has delivered an exciting story with his enigmatic protagonist at the centre, and has succeeded in whetting our appetite for more supernatural thrills in the company of Eli Carver.
motherhorror's review
4.0
A few years ago I read MANIFEST RECALL by Alan Baxter and I absolutely loved it. Alan left the ending wide open for more stories in this “urban-horror” universe and finally, we have another one!
.
RECALL NIGHT is another Eli Carver “supernatural thriller” that picks up where MANIFEST left off. I’ve already read this one and hoping to send in my review to SCREAM Mag soon, so keep your peepers open for that.
Thank you Grey Matter Press for keeping me hooked up with quality horror and dark thrillers for review consideration
.
RECALL NIGHT is another Eli Carver “supernatural thriller” that picks up where MANIFEST left off. I’ve already read this one and hoping to send in my review to SCREAM Mag soon, so keep your peepers open for that.
Thank you Grey Matter Press for keeping me hooked up with quality horror and dark thrillers for review consideration
errantdreams's review
5.0
In Alan Baxter’s Recall Night: An Eli Carver Supernatural Thriller – Book 2, Eli Carver has spent the past two years laying low in Canada. When his ghosts come back to haunt him–all five of them–he gets a message from Carly that she’s cleaned up the situation back home and therefore he’s safe to come back. He sets out by train, and ends up meeting Bridget Carlson, a professional gambler who’s trying to escape the man who taught her–with all the money she stole from him. When she goes to pay off a mobster she owes money to–paying Eli to be her “bodyguard”–they get caught up in a mob war. After they save Mr. Lombardi’s life, and Bridget loses her money to one of the attackers, the mob boss manipulates them into going after his enemies, who have apparently kidnapped his wife, Cora.
I love Eli’s troupe of ghosts of some of the people he’s killed. There’s Michael Privedi, his childhood best friend, his first kill and the least antagonistic of the ghosts. There’s Dwight Ramsey, a racist weed grower. There’s Sly Barclay, a Jamaican gang member and drug dealer. (As you might imagine, Dwight and Sly do not get along.) There’s Alvin Crake, auto mechanic. And then there’s Officer Graney, a police officer who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m pretty sure thanks to the ending of the last book that they’re all “real,” but Eli Carver still worries he’s just psychotic and they’re all in his head. Most of them seem to want to see him dead, but he still gets hints and warnings from them sometimes. I particularly appreciate, given the way things are going in the world right now, that Officer Graney isn’t an angel or even necessarily a good guy just because he wasn’t doing anything bad at the time of his death.
One amusing through-line is that Eli’s been reading some Japanese books and has decided he is a “ronin” and he should live by some sort of “code.” His ghostly entourage thinks this is hilarious, and love pointing out how he manages to rationalize so much killing as being within this code. He does go through some serious mental contortions to keep himself on Bridget’s side. Also, Eli is having to try to be subtle and inconspicuous in order to find out what he wants to know, and it’s pretty damn hilarious given how non-subtle he is.
This isn’t an incredibly long book, but it’s packed full of action, some confusion, and a heavy dash of the probably paranormal (between the ghosts and a character called “Papa Night”). I think the previous book was a little better just because I loved so much the experience of watching Eli try to remember who he was, with bits and pieces coming back as she went along. But this is an excellent read.
Content note for lots of killin’.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/09/review-recall-night-alan-baxter/
I love Eli’s troupe of ghosts of some of the people he’s killed. There’s Michael Privedi, his childhood best friend, his first kill and the least antagonistic of the ghosts. There’s Dwight Ramsey, a racist weed grower. There’s Sly Barclay, a Jamaican gang member and drug dealer. (As you might imagine, Dwight and Sly do not get along.) There’s Alvin Crake, auto mechanic. And then there’s Officer Graney, a police officer who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m pretty sure thanks to the ending of the last book that they’re all “real,” but Eli Carver still worries he’s just psychotic and they’re all in his head. Most of them seem to want to see him dead, but he still gets hints and warnings from them sometimes. I particularly appreciate, given the way things are going in the world right now, that Officer Graney isn’t an angel or even necessarily a good guy just because he wasn’t doing anything bad at the time of his death.
One amusing through-line is that Eli’s been reading some Japanese books and has decided he is a “ronin” and he should live by some sort of “code.” His ghostly entourage thinks this is hilarious, and love pointing out how he manages to rationalize so much killing as being within this code. He does go through some serious mental contortions to keep himself on Bridget’s side. Also, Eli is having to try to be subtle and inconspicuous in order to find out what he wants to know, and it’s pretty damn hilarious given how non-subtle he is.
This isn’t an incredibly long book, but it’s packed full of action, some confusion, and a heavy dash of the probably paranormal (between the ghosts and a character called “Papa Night”). I think the previous book was a little better just because I loved so much the experience of watching Eli try to remember who he was, with bits and pieces coming back as she went along. But this is an excellent read.
Content note for lots of killin’.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/09/review-recall-night-alan-baxter/
brennanlafaro's review
4.0
I read Manifest Recall as part of my campaign to squish as many novellas as possible into the month of November last year. Important? Not really, but the potential downside of reading so many different stories in such a short period of time is having elements blend together. The point is despite being one of the first books I read that month, it stuck with me.
The pacing, the fun, the dark humor, and Baxter's brilliant ability to write action scenes are all on display again in Recall Night. Eli Carver is in exile after the events of the first story, but has the opportunity to return to America scott-free to start over. Before he can even settle in, he's falling ass-backwards into trouble again.
Baxter kicks things off with quick flashbacks interspersed with trips to the present to show how Carver got into his current predicament. Once the two stories catch up, it's all action and another dead sprint to the finish line.
What I love about this series is the way the author flips tropes in a unique way. Eli Carver could very easily fit into the role of a Jack Reacher or Lucas Davenport type - a real man's man who's practically invincible. Instead Baxter uses this platform to speak up about issues like subtle (and also not-so-subtle) racism and toxic masculinity. More than once, we get to see Carver ridicule men that fit (despite their bulked up arms) into this category.
Of course we can't talk about this series without touching on Eli's ghosts. I generally don't like the term 'supernatural thriller' because it's usually horror trying to get itself noticed, but that's what this book is. We don't see Eli's ghosts quite as much this time around, but their use as comic relief and allowing the reader to draw conclusions about whether we're seeing a haunting or symptoms of a psychological break continues. Clues are offered to support either decision, though I know which direction I lean in.
This is an easy recommend to fans of the first book, bringing back the storytelling elements I loved, but adding a new and unexpected supernatural element that I hope we haven't seen the last of. Assuming, of course, we haven't seen the last of Eli Carver. I believe this could be read as a stand-alone, but there might be elements, such as Eli's ghosts, that aren't overpaid owing to this being the second in a series.
I've said it before, but no one writes a fight scene quite like Alan Baxter and Recall Night has no shortage of the good stuff.
I received a copy from the publisher for review consideration.
The pacing, the fun, the dark humor, and Baxter's brilliant ability to write action scenes are all on display again in Recall Night. Eli Carver is in exile after the events of the first story, but has the opportunity to return to America scott-free to start over. Before he can even settle in, he's falling ass-backwards into trouble again.
Baxter kicks things off with quick flashbacks interspersed with trips to the present to show how Carver got into his current predicament. Once the two stories catch up, it's all action and another dead sprint to the finish line.
What I love about this series is the way the author flips tropes in a unique way. Eli Carver could very easily fit into the role of a Jack Reacher or Lucas Davenport type - a real man's man who's practically invincible. Instead Baxter uses this platform to speak up about issues like subtle (and also not-so-subtle) racism and toxic masculinity. More than once, we get to see Carver ridicule men that fit (despite their bulked up arms) into this category.
Of course we can't talk about this series without touching on Eli's ghosts. I generally don't like the term 'supernatural thriller' because it's usually horror trying to get itself noticed, but that's what this book is. We don't see Eli's ghosts quite as much this time around, but their use as comic relief and allowing the reader to draw conclusions about whether we're seeing a haunting or symptoms of a psychological break continues. Clues are offered to support either decision, though I know which direction I lean in.
This is an easy recommend to fans of the first book, bringing back the storytelling elements I loved, but adding a new and unexpected supernatural element that I hope we haven't seen the last of. Assuming, of course, we haven't seen the last of Eli Carver. I believe this could be read as a stand-alone, but there might be elements, such as Eli's ghosts, that aren't overpaid owing to this being the second in a series.
I've said it before, but no one writes a fight scene quite like Alan Baxter and Recall Night has no shortage of the good stuff.
I received a copy from the publisher for review consideration.
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