Today I’m taking part in the blog tour for Cries Of Joy. My review is written with thanks to Zoe O’Farrell for inviting me on the blog tour and Red Dragon Books for my copy of the book.

Blurb:

Anna is married with two children. Ten-year-old Mikey, and six-month-old Joy. Since the first lockdown struck, forcing everyone to stay indoors, her husband Graham has been declining mentally. He focuses on the horrors of what the virus has done to people, and what the conspiracy theorists predict for the future. Despite her tiring efforts to save her marriage, when Graham starts to grow violent, she knows she cannot stay. For her safety, as well as the children. Anna takes her chance and begins to pack some essentials to leave but her husband bursts through the door, covered in blood and tells her the virus is here and it’s making people crazy…
Axl Malton has written a gripping debut that is tense, taut and violent. You don’t want to miss this incredible thriller…

Review:

Cries Of Joy is a debut novel and it’s clear that Malton is a very accomplished author. His writing creates a really tense atmosphere and it’s impossible not to be sucked in to the story. I found it difficult to read owing to themes of lockdown and domestic abuse which are personal for me but it is testament to the writing how uncomfortable it made me feel. 

The novel has a very limited number of characters, but they are all very well developed and I was able to sympathise with them all on some level. Even the less likeable characters had a well developed back story and a strong rationale for their actions, so although I didn’t like what they were doing, I could see the reasons for their behaviour. 

I did not have any idea how the novel would end, but I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through. 

I look forward to reading more by this author in future. 

Cries Of Joy is available from Amazon.

You can follow the rest of the blog tour here: