Once again, it's been a while since I posted but I've been busy after going back to work as lockdown begins to lift.
Two standalone crime novels to report on this time, both by very talented writers who really get under the skin of their characters and who deliver clever plots with some unexpected twists and turns.
Eva Dolan: This Is How It Ends
Cleverly structured thriller about police trainee turned political activist, Ella Riordan which works backwards through time in one plot strand whilst keeping itself very much in the present in the other after she kills a man 'accidentally' and her pal, Molly helps to cover it up. An absolute scorcher about loyalty and corruption with some complex characters who are fleshed out as secrets are exposed. Great ending which really packed a punch - I loved it and will be on the lookout for more by Dolan.
Jo Spain: Dirty Little Secrets
When Olive Collins is found dead after three months in her own home, Detectives Frank Brazil and Emma Child have to work out whether her somewhat bizarre death is misadventure, suicide or murder and whilst the neighbours in the exclusive gated community are outwardly respectable, they all have their secrets which are revealed by exploring the different perspectives of the characters,including Olive herself who links the narrative together between short chapters focusing on the key players. Another good'un from Jo with a great twist at the end.
Some good summer reads coming up in the next post.
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Saturday, June 6, 2020
As I said in my previous post, crime and thrillers remain my staple diet and as well as continuing to enjoy the work of Jo Spain's DI Tom Reynolds, I've become great friends with DI Rowan Jackman and his Sergeant, Marie Evans, created by the pen of Joy Ellis. Set in the Lincolnshire fens the novels deal with abduction, murder and some devious, cold-hearted villains. Jackman and Evans work well together complementing each other's instincts and skills whilst they are supported well by a dedicated team. Well plotted with a number of twists, they have all been great listens, not least because Richard Armitage is a first class narrator. Their Lost Daughters and The Stolen Boys which I enjoyed earlier this year were both excellent and a review of my most recent follows:
23rd May : Joy Ellis, The Murderer's Son (Audio, read by Richard Armitage)
In the first story featuring the duo of detectives and their team, Jackman and Evans have to decide whether the man who turns himself in following the discovery of a woman's brutally murdered body is a time-waster, is seriously deranged or ... is the killer. With the aid of expert criminal psychologist, Guy Preston, they determine that it is safe to release him but then the body count starts to rise so the two detectives and their team need to find some answers fast if they are to prevent further bloodshed. Rattles along at a great pace to a satisfying conclusion.
My other great love is historical fiction and once again I've read a couple of crackers. Conn Iggulden's novels based on the Wars of the Roses are largely faithful to events and are positively cracking with energy, great characters on both sides and intriguing sub-plots of his own imagining. I'm gradually working my way through them and will share my thoughts in due course. But now, I turn my attention to the work of Kate Mosse and the first part of her Huguenot trilogy which has been my companion every morning for the past couple of weeks, often as I've been out walking across the fields:
6th June 2020: Kate Mosse, The Burning Chambers (Audio, read by Hattie Morahan)
Beautifully written with some evocative prose and entertaining dialogue, Mosse brings the era, events and environment of 16th Century France very much to life. Set largely in Carcassonne and Toulouse, it follows the fortunes of Minou Joubert and her family as they try to preserve a 20 year old secret. Peopled with a wonderful cast of characters including Minou and Piet Reydon, the heroes of the story, two very different villains in Blanche of Puivert and her confessor, Piet's old friend, Valentin as well as the rest of Minou's family and friends, all of whom are drawn in some depth. An exciting plot full of mystery and incident explores love and loyalty, power and ambition, treachery and sacrifice, against a backdrop of the religious battles of the early 1560s. I loved it and can't wait for the second part to be published early next year.
23rd May : Joy Ellis, The Murderer's Son (Audio, read by Richard Armitage)
In the first story featuring the duo of detectives and their team, Jackman and Evans have to decide whether the man who turns himself in following the discovery of a woman's brutally murdered body is a time-waster, is seriously deranged or ... is the killer. With the aid of expert criminal psychologist, Guy Preston, they determine that it is safe to release him but then the body count starts to rise so the two detectives and their team need to find some answers fast if they are to prevent further bloodshed. Rattles along at a great pace to a satisfying conclusion.
My other great love is historical fiction and once again I've read a couple of crackers. Conn Iggulden's novels based on the Wars of the Roses are largely faithful to events and are positively cracking with energy, great characters on both sides and intriguing sub-plots of his own imagining. I'm gradually working my way through them and will share my thoughts in due course. But now, I turn my attention to the work of Kate Mosse and the first part of her Huguenot trilogy which has been my companion every morning for the past couple of weeks, often as I've been out walking across the fields:
6th June 2020: Kate Mosse, The Burning Chambers (Audio, read by Hattie Morahan)
Beautifully written with some evocative prose and entertaining dialogue, Mosse brings the era, events and environment of 16th Century France very much to life. Set largely in Carcassonne and Toulouse, it follows the fortunes of Minou Joubert and her family as they try to preserve a 20 year old secret. Peopled with a wonderful cast of characters including Minou and Piet Reydon, the heroes of the story, two very different villains in Blanche of Puivert and her confessor, Piet's old friend, Valentin as well as the rest of Minou's family and friends, all of whom are drawn in some depth. An exciting plot full of mystery and incident explores love and loyalty, power and ambition, treachery and sacrifice, against a backdrop of the religious battles of the early 1560s. I loved it and can't wait for the second part to be published early next year.
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
So once again, it's been a while since I posted anything here but I'm going to try and write updates on my reading more regularly from now on.
I've read 30 books this year up to now partly because of the enforced lockdown resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic which has disrupted the lives of everyone around the world. I'm currently on furlough from work and have spent a lot more time walking, doing jigsaw puzzles and reading which is why I'm already halfway to my target of 60 books this year.
As always the bulk of my reading is the crime / thriller genre and I have enjoyed a number of good solid reads but I've branched out a bit with two books which explore the life of Greek hero, Achilles, from two quite different angles:
Feb 9th Pat Barker: The Silence of the Girls
Written from the perspective of Briseis, Achilles' prize after the sacking of her city during the siege of Troy, this is a compelling story of how women are treated in war. Despite losing everything including her husband and four brothers at the hands of the Greeks, Briseis accepts her fate, comes to understand her captor and develops an affection for his close friend Patrochlus who is represented as both courageous in battle and kind to the people who come under his protection. Evocative prose and and a well-paced storyline punctuated with significant moments of tension and high drama make this a great read.
March 28th Madeleine Miller: The Song of Achilles
The story of Achilles from boy to man to hero told, from the point of view of his constant companion, Patroclus, with tenderness, with frustration, sometimes with anger but always with love. From the moment of their first meeting the narrator is drawn to charismatic youth and they become inseparable, living together, learning together and finally going off to war together. Whilst there are moments of high drama and the relationship between the two young men is explored in depth, this reworking of the well known legend is a bit disappointing, perhaps because Patroclus is defined almost entirely by this relationship at the expense of other aspects of his life which are touched on but not developed.
I much preferred The Silence of the Girls, not least because of the representation of Patrochlus but mainly because it had richer development of plot and characters - this is up there among the best books I've read (or listened to)
For some other good reads worthy of comment, including the Joy Ellis Jackman and Evans series, watch this space - back soon.
I've read 30 books this year up to now partly because of the enforced lockdown resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic which has disrupted the lives of everyone around the world. I'm currently on furlough from work and have spent a lot more time walking, doing jigsaw puzzles and reading which is why I'm already halfway to my target of 60 books this year.
As always the bulk of my reading is the crime / thriller genre and I have enjoyed a number of good solid reads but I've branched out a bit with two books which explore the life of Greek hero, Achilles, from two quite different angles:
Feb 9th Pat Barker: The Silence of the Girls
Written from the perspective of Briseis, Achilles' prize after the sacking of her city during the siege of Troy, this is a compelling story of how women are treated in war. Despite losing everything including her husband and four brothers at the hands of the Greeks, Briseis accepts her fate, comes to understand her captor and develops an affection for his close friend Patrochlus who is represented as both courageous in battle and kind to the people who come under his protection. Evocative prose and and a well-paced storyline punctuated with significant moments of tension and high drama make this a great read.
March 28th Madeleine Miller: The Song of Achilles
The story of Achilles from boy to man to hero told, from the point of view of his constant companion, Patroclus, with tenderness, with frustration, sometimes with anger but always with love. From the moment of their first meeting the narrator is drawn to charismatic youth and they become inseparable, living together, learning together and finally going off to war together. Whilst there are moments of high drama and the relationship between the two young men is explored in depth, this reworking of the well known legend is a bit disappointing, perhaps because Patroclus is defined almost entirely by this relationship at the expense of other aspects of his life which are touched on but not developed.
I much preferred The Silence of the Girls, not least because of the representation of Patrochlus but mainly because it had richer development of plot and characters - this is up there among the best books I've read (or listened to)
For some other good reads worthy of comment, including the Joy Ellis Jackman and Evans series, watch this space - back soon.
November 2019 (written but not published at the time - doh!)
Hello again - it's been a while and a lot has happened this year.
Two notable events worth a mention here:
First, I had a great trip to the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival in July with my friends from Book Group
And second, I've made the acquaintance of a new team of detectives led by Inspector Tom Reynolds of the Irish Garda, as written by Jo Spain. Polished off the first two books in fairly quick time and am looking forward to reading more - reviews below.
With Our Blessing: Review from Good Reads 9 Oct 19
When the Mother Superior of a rural convent is found dead and crucified in a Dublin park, Tom Reynolds and his team are dispatched to find out who could be responsible for such a brutal crime: is it one of the other nuns who bears a grudge of is it perhaps a former inmate of the Magdalene laundry which was once on the site? As the detectives discover more about the past they realise that the killer might strike again. Can they solve the mystery before the body count grows?
Beneath the Surface: Review from Good Reads 30 Oct 19
When Ryan Finnegan is shot dead in the Irish Parliament building, Tom Reynolds and his team are called in to investigate. What transpires is a tale of politics, sex and corruption making but is there more to the story than that? Is Ryan's death connected to the new Bill on off-shore rights or is the motivation something much more personal? As the secrets of the high and mighty are revealed Tom has to rethink his approach to unmask the killer. A good pacey read - really enjoying the action and the interplay between characters..
Hello again - it's been a while and a lot has happened this year.
Two notable events worth a mention here:
First, I had a great trip to the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival in July with my friends from Book Group
And second, I've made the acquaintance of a new team of detectives led by Inspector Tom Reynolds of the Irish Garda, as written by Jo Spain. Polished off the first two books in fairly quick time and am looking forward to reading more - reviews below.
With Our Blessing: Review from Good Reads 9 Oct 19
When the Mother Superior of a rural convent is found dead and crucified in a Dublin park, Tom Reynolds and his team are dispatched to find out who could be responsible for such a brutal crime: is it one of the other nuns who bears a grudge of is it perhaps a former inmate of the Magdalene laundry which was once on the site? As the detectives discover more about the past they realise that the killer might strike again. Can they solve the mystery before the body count grows?
Beneath the Surface: Review from Good Reads 30 Oct 19
When Ryan Finnegan is shot dead in the Irish Parliament building, Tom Reynolds and his team are called in to investigate. What transpires is a tale of politics, sex and corruption making but is there more to the story than that? Is Ryan's death connected to the new Bill on off-shore rights or is the motivation something much more personal? As the secrets of the high and mighty are revealed Tom has to rethink his approach to unmask the killer. A good pacey read - really enjoying the action and the interplay between characters..
Friday, May 10, 2019
Well, time seems to have flown by since I wrote my first entry back in January - since then, I've read another 17 books and listened to 5 on Audible and had a fabulous holiday visiting southern Africa: a helicopter flight over Victoria Falls in Zambia, wildlife safari in Chobe National Park, Botswana and a number of day trips from Cape Town in South Africa.
I'm really loving the Audible experience especially when I'm still in bed first thing in the morning - I just pop the headphones in and lie back to enjoy being read to by an expert. Call me lazy if you like but it's a really mellow way to start the day and I'm quickly becoming a bit of an addict! And it's the audio books that have been the highlight of the year so far in terms of pace and narrative:
The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar
A beautifully crafted story of Noor, who is uprooted from her New York home after the death of her father to go and live in Homs, Syria just as the Civil War begins. Each chapter is interwoven with the story of Rawiya who disguises herself as a boy and joins renowned mapmaker, El Adrissi on his journey through the Middle East and North Africa in the Middle Ages. Noor's journey mirrors that of Rawiya as the family leaves Syria to find a place of safety after their home is destroyed by the bombs. Written in the voices of the two girls at the heart of the story this is both a tale of adventure and a moving account of the life of a refugee.
A Darker Domain by Val McDermid
When Di Karen Pirie is asked to investigate a 20 year old missing person case alongside a kidnap gone wrong from the same time in her role as Chief of the Cold Case Unit, she has to balance the demands of each. But what is the connection between Missing miner, Mick Prentice and Cat Grant, killed during the a shoot-out at the handover of the ransom payment? A cleverly worked plot with fully developed and believable characters - a cracking good read with a satisfying conclusion.
Entry Island by Peter May
Sime McKenzie is sent to Entry Island in the St Lawrence River to investigate the murder of a prominent businessman and has the strong feeling that he's met widow and prime suspect, Kirsty Callow before but this is not possible. Memories from his family's past, recorded in a series of diaries begin to resurface in Sime's dreams providing an intriguing historical backdrop to the story and gradually they help to shed light on the mystery. Engaging characters and a plot skillfully woven with the story of the highland clearances in the 19th Century, this novel combines two of my favourite genres: crime and historical fiction making it a great read (or in this case, listen).
I have read a couple of pretty good books, too - more of that next time but I'm off to continue reading The Thirst (Harry Hole #11), by celebrated writer and seriously sexy Norwegian, Jo Nesbo - 100 and odd pages in and shaping up very nicely.
I'm really loving the Audible experience especially when I'm still in bed first thing in the morning - I just pop the headphones in and lie back to enjoy being read to by an expert. Call me lazy if you like but it's a really mellow way to start the day and I'm quickly becoming a bit of an addict! And it's the audio books that have been the highlight of the year so far in terms of pace and narrative:
The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar
A beautifully crafted story of Noor, who is uprooted from her New York home after the death of her father to go and live in Homs, Syria just as the Civil War begins. Each chapter is interwoven with the story of Rawiya who disguises herself as a boy and joins renowned mapmaker, El Adrissi on his journey through the Middle East and North Africa in the Middle Ages. Noor's journey mirrors that of Rawiya as the family leaves Syria to find a place of safety after their home is destroyed by the bombs. Written in the voices of the two girls at the heart of the story this is both a tale of adventure and a moving account of the life of a refugee.
A Darker Domain by Val McDermid
When Di Karen Pirie is asked to investigate a 20 year old missing person case alongside a kidnap gone wrong from the same time in her role as Chief of the Cold Case Unit, she has to balance the demands of each. But what is the connection between Missing miner, Mick Prentice and Cat Grant, killed during the a shoot-out at the handover of the ransom payment? A cleverly worked plot with fully developed and believable characters - a cracking good read with a satisfying conclusion.
Entry Island by Peter May
Sime McKenzie is sent to Entry Island in the St Lawrence River to investigate the murder of a prominent businessman and has the strong feeling that he's met widow and prime suspect, Kirsty Callow before but this is not possible. Memories from his family's past, recorded in a series of diaries begin to resurface in Sime's dreams providing an intriguing historical backdrop to the story and gradually they help to shed light on the mystery. Engaging characters and a plot skillfully woven with the story of the highland clearances in the 19th Century, this novel combines two of my favourite genres: crime and historical fiction making it a great read (or in this case, listen).
I have read a couple of pretty good books, too - more of that next time but I'm off to continue reading The Thirst (Harry Hole #11), by celebrated writer and seriously sexy Norwegian, Jo Nesbo - 100 and odd pages in and shaping up very nicely.
Friday, January 18, 2019
Hello all you book lovers out there - this blog has been set up for me to keep me out of mischief now that I'm semi-retired. My aim this year is to read (or listen to) 60 books. Sound ambitious? Well I managed 54 last year so feel the need to up my game - I like a challenge! 3 weeks into 2019 and 3 books done - reviews to come. Microwave pinging and dinner calling so back later when all the chores are done.
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