T F Lince

For my holiday in Saltburn-by-the-Sea I just had to buy Funicular by T.F. Lince, the water based cliff lift of the title being on the front cover. It's a really clever, well-plotted book and whilst I read it in situ, I think anyone who likes a mystery combined with a hint of the paranormal will enjoy it.

DI Bob Dixon has relocated from London to Saltburn with an eye on retirement in the not too distant future. I really liked the early chapters where he gets used to a slower pace of life and new colleagues. Wanting a bit more to do, he looks into the case of Lizzy Scraggs who went missing a few years earlier, never to be heard of again. The more he digs the more bizarre it all gets - it all began with two passengers on the funicular who got in at the top and were gone when the doors opened again at the bottom!

This is a story that is full of intrigue with a plotline I would never have guessed at. There's a touch of fantasy about it but not overwhelmingly so and is actually just the level of the unexpected that I enjoy. I liked Bob, a very down to earth copper, and I also really enjoyed his working relationship with the man who becomes a bit of a sidekick for him. His interactions with people around the town made me smile too.

I found Funicular to be an engaging read, witty at times, suspenseful and a little bit mind-boggling.… (lisätietoja)

Funicular has to be one of my most eagerly awaited books of 2018 after reading T.F. Lince's outstanding 2017 debut, Room 119. I am completely honoured to be one of the first readers of Funicular, and I couldn't wait to see if it lived up to it's predecessor.

I loved the introduction to the North East that DI Bob Dixon encounters on the London to Edinburgh train. Bob is relocating from London to the quaintly named North Eastern town of Saltburn-by-the-Sea in an effort to wind down towards retirement. He meets a rowdy, but friendly, bunch of Middlesbrough supporters on the train and Fate waves her magic wand to start Bob off on the path she has in store for him. A path that sees Bob investigating the missing children of Saltburn, which appears to be linked to record breaking high tides and the mystery of the Victorian cliff lift, the funicular.

There is an amazing sense of place in Funicular, with the funicular and the beach described exquisitely. Through the perfectly descriptive writing of T.F. Lince, I actually felt as if I was there and I'm definitely putting Saltburn on my list of places to visit, especially as it's only around 50 miles from where I live. I also felt that our North East spirit had been woven into the pages; everyone is shown to be so warm and friendly, and calling people by hilarious nicknames actually shows affection and respect here in the North East.

As with Room 119, I was reminded of Back to the Future a little and not just by the lightning pace of the book. You can forget Doc Brown's 88mph when T.F. Lince is around; this pacing is supersonic! Like a fine wine, T.F. Lince's writing has matured and I found the whole reading experience to be of the highest standard, which is remarkable for such a new author. I think you can tell from the cover that Funicular is definitely not a run-of-the-mill police procedural but you do need to expect the unexpected in a T.F. Lince book; so put on your sunglasses and prepare to be dazzled by Funicular.

Unusual and completely unique, Funicular is a thoroughly entertaining read filled with mystery, magic and inimitable North East spirit. Yet again, T.F. Lince has firmly guaranteed his well-deserved place in my top books of the year.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.… (lisätietoja)

Thank goodness I am passionate about supporting local North East authors, or I might have missed this amazing book. I was expecting a novel about a stock trader who maybe takes one risk too many and loses his job, his family, and himself. What I did not expect was the direction that the story went in and my wholehearted enjoyment of it. Leave your expectations at the door for this one and just buckle up and enjoy the ride it takes you on.

For some readers, the beginning of the book might be a little off-putting, with all that testosterone flying around the trading floor. I work in finance so I loved the buzz of the stocks and shares, the bulls and the bears and the backstabbing as the new guy tries to make a name for himself. Whatever you do, don't give up if you don't like the first chapter or two; it is a necessary part of the story which comes full circle at the end, but the real story is about to begin and what an outstanding story it is!

I loved Dean's character. He may be a city big shot but he hasn't forgotten his roots in the North East. He is a classic case of a 'live to work' person: his life revolves around his job, often at the expense of his family. A family he really does care about, after all, he's working so hard to give them everything they want but the only thing they really want is him. He just doesn't realise it...yet. A visit to creepy Welnetham Hall is about to change all of that.

Strange things happen to Dean when he stays in Room 119. He wakes up to a fairground outside his window where he is rescued by a clown after being pursued by a tall man dressed in black with a silver topped stick. I had just started to think that it felt like he'd fallen down the rabbit hole when Dean announced that they're "all mad here". T.F. Lince then added some Back to the Future vibes and even a bit of Homer's Odyssey to the Alice in Wonderland pot and created a thoroughly entertaining rip-roaring story.

What I loved most of all, although it sounds quite lighthearted and a bit wacky, it has a pretty serious message running through it. Getting that work/life balance just right is a tricky skill to master and Dean didn't even realise he'd got it wrong until it was almost too late. It's also quite thought-provoking and I struggled to hold back my tears when reading the chapters about the care home for Alzheimer's and dementia patients. I've often thought with such conditions that you've lost your loved one whilst they are right infront of your eyes; perhaps they are living in a between-world, I'd like to think so.

What an outstanding debut: hugely entertaining, thought-provoking and extremely emotional; I really would have kicked myself if I had missed it. FIVE HUGE STARS, it is without doubt one of my top books of the year. I highly recommend Room 119 - 'The Whitby Trader' and I can say with the utmost certainty that you won't have ever read anything like it!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.… (lisätietoja)