Hard Cases by Gareth Mitton

Engaged from the very first line, this fast-paced ride of adventure, intrigue and mystifying crime held my attention. While there were some gaps, some of which hit on the head a little too much, the action and characters were tight, gruesome and spell-binding.

Mixed in with mystery and rich scenic moments that brought me back to my trips to Newfoundland, particularly Signal Hill, was a plot with historic value.

When a group of friends discover an abandoned briefcase on a city bus, they had no idea how quickly their lives would erupt and be tied together.

I found this impossible to put down.

Reminding me of the Netflix series Outer Banks, this tale highlights the setting of Newfoundland, the value of friendship and trust, along with the allure of something greater.

I did find the characters a bit naïve in some ways, though skilled and ready for anything at other times. I certainly love the attention to detail with the Flanker Press cover design and Mitton’s writing style.

I found this impossible to put down.

Gareth Mitton is a writer originally hailing from Rochdale, northern England, who has been living in Atlantic Canada since moving across the pond as an adventurous twenty-something in the early 2000s. His 2020 debut novel, Pedestal (Engen Books)—a science fiction story—was lauded by the Miramichi Reader as “. . . an admirable first novel, an innovative leap from the genre’s first-gen.”

Gareth is a published essayist, blogger, and author, whose short story “Watcher”—a 2017 ScreenCraft Cinematic Short Story semifinalist—was featured in Engen’s 2019 anthology, Dystopia from the Rock.

His “day job,” Gareth is an advertising creative director and copywriter with over two decades of local and national campaigns to his credit.

Hard Cases sees a return to his first love of fiction writing, with more novels set for publication in the near future.

Gareth lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland, with his partner, Krista; stepchildren, Piper and Tommi; and beloved beagle, Duke.

Publisher: Flanker Press (October 4, 2024)
Paperback 8″ x 6″ | 323 pages
ISBN: 9781774572177

Sarah Butland

Website

I am a struggling artist, a challenging and challenged mother who always thinks she is failing, an emerging freelance writer and reporter, an author with my name on several books crossing genres and always hoping to find more readers who enjoy them.

I am also a successful artist, a wonderful and thriving mother of one, a reacher towards both people and dreams despite all of the turned backs and obstacles in my way. I am a thriving freelance writer and reporter, an author loved by enough readers to make it worthwhile and a discombobulated conundrum who loves to hear new music, tell new tales and meet new authors. And I’m doing something I always dreamed of doing – reviewing books to support others as well as myself and my family.