The Bootlegger’s Dance: An Arkham Horror Novel
£8.70£9.50 (-8%)
Ruby Malone Gutierrez is running away, although she won’t admit that to herself. Suffering from hearing loss after an illness, the former music teacher wants to find a way to retain her independence, but only a wealthy relative offers any hope of that. Put to work in her aunt Nova’s Kingsport dance hall, Ruby stumbles upon a mystery when her new hearing aids begin picking up conversations that no one else can hear. As Christmas draws closer, Ruby realises the voice comes from a hunted man lost in time. Now she must do everything she can to free him before the monsters chasing him can catch up and break through.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Aconyte, Paperback Original edition (18 Jan. 2024) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 352 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1839082518 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1839082511 |
| Dimensions | 13 x 2.54 x 19.71 cm |
by JC
I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for this.
I was really intrigued by an Arkham Horror novel set at Christmas! I have read a few books from the Arkham Horror world and played the board game. I was looking for Christmas themed novels that weren’t romance or crime so I was really pleased to see an Arkham Horror Christmas book.
This book follows Raquel in the 1920s who has lost much of her hearing following a serious illness. She has moved in with her Aunt Nova who runs a club and radio station. Her aunt has bought her a hearing device and she starts to hear a voice through it. She discovers someone trapped and wants to help them.
This didn’t feel like typical Arkham Horror, it was less monsters, ancient horrors and cults and more speculative. It is exploring time and space. This certainly wasn’t a bad thing as it was an enjoyable and thoughtful read, it just might not be what you expect if you’ve read other books in this series.
I liked Raquel and the way her hearing device almost gives her a power. It’s was good to see her portrayed so positively. There’s a strong sense of community in this novel with the musicians and staff who work for Nova. There’s also themes of bootlegging, prohibition and conspiracy.
I thought this was a fun read and a good addition to Arkham Horror and a good Christmas read!
by Siobhain (What You Tolkien About)
I am a huge fan of Arkham Horror (the games and the tie in fiction) and Lovecraftian fiction (hopefully with less racism and problems) so these novels are amazing. The Bootlegger’s Dance is slightly different from some novels in the series focusing a bit more on the mystic aspects of Arkham and Lovecraftian fiction, namely time (and time travel) and space. It is a perfect blend of speculative, mystic and Christmas horror though so if you enjoy those things or the previous Arkham books I think you will enjoy this one.
I really enjoyed the introduction of Raquel who has lost much of her hearing and I adored how Jones used that element of her character to create the connection. Thanks to her Aunt Nova she has the latest technology for earring aids and through this device she begins to hear voices and conversation no one else seems to hear. She slowly pieces together the voice belongs to someone trapped in time and wants to save him before it is too late.
I really liked the mixture of timelines and time in general in this one and it was nice to see refences and character’s from Jones’ other novels make appearances as well. It’s hard to pick a favourite out of Jones’ work and characters but I do think Raquel is right up there now. I loved her so much and the cover art is a brilliant way to put a face to a character. I honestly loved this one and the fact it ties in to Christmas is a total bonus. If you love the previous novels by Jones or if this is your first one you are sure to get hooked!
by Peter
I enjoyed this Arkham horror story, though it is not as action packed as previous reads. More a slow burn story set in the bootlegging era. A time travelling story of being stuck in the horror of the in between, neither here nor there. A story of being lost, searching to be found. A story of family secrets, which will explain a lot. A story of a romance that might not have happened except someone listened very carefully indeed. Thank you to Aconyte Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.