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Wednesday 27 March 2024

Do yourself a favour.....go and count sheep! - 1 star

This was one of the worst police procedurals I have had the misfortune to read! Detective Mathew Venn must surely be one of the most boring individuals in the Devon and Cornwall police. He returns to Barnstaple from a posting in Bristol, going back to his roots....why bother? to return to this strict evangelical community who showed nothing but contempt for him and his husband Jonathan....So whats the story.....you say...yawn....zzzzzz...there is a murder..yikes you say.....yes a murder!...and a child with special needs has gone missing.! Enter the super boring detective and his classy side kicks Jen and the ever so enthusiastic Ross......who plunges headlong at 100mph into every situation .....like a dog chasing a ball........without a brain cell in his head....

I stuck with this drivel, although I did speed read the last 10% (I would not have made it otherwise :) and fortified with numerous cups of tea to fight the constant tiredness that engulfed me everytime I started to read....I shall never read another Ann Cleeves, I suspect they don't get any better (I use that word loosely) Avoid at all costs, go and count sheep...it's much more exciting :)

Wednesday 13 March 2024

Wonderful, insightful, full of tenderness and regret - 5 star

The writing of Claire Keegan is sublime. With such a light touch she expertly highlights the nuances of life, the subtle distinction and complexities that is often the human condition. Cathal leaves the office on Friday taking the bus home nothing to look forward to but memories expecially those pertaining to a woman named Sabine. As the evening advances the significance of the date becomes apparent, how things might have been different if Cathal had acted in a more positive way. If you are not familar with the writing of this author then this short story is a great introduction.

Tuesday 12 March 2024

The old detective still has the magic :) - 5 star

Harry is pushing 70 now and from his exposure to radiation in "The Overlook" he has developed leukemia and so it is no wonder that at the start of Desert Star Harry is comtemplating his own swift demise, he has all the pills he might need lined up in a row, in front of him.....but a ringing doorbell and an offer from Renee Ballard sees Harry (at least temporarily) out chasing the historical bad guys.....the ones that got away. Every detective will have a list of the unsolved, cases that will always haunt them, cases that they were never able to solve and bring some form of peace to the families. The Gallagher family mum, dad and two children were brutally murdered and buried somewhere in the desert, Harry tells Renee that if he comes back to work the unsolved cases then he must have some personal time to find the killer of this family.....bringing some lasting peace not only to them but to one old tired ex detective.. In return Harry agrees to help Renee find a serial killer who operates years apart, and is much closer than either realize

I have always loved the writing of Michael Connelly and in particular the wonderful character that is Harry Bosch. His precarious house overlooking the city of angels, his love of jazz (always has me searching spotify :) and the relationship he enjoys with daughter Maddie. I enjoy the way Connelly stops and makes me think when he periodically reveals the philosopher in Harry....."He knew that almost everybody believed in something, holding a hope that there wasn't just an empty void at the end"......"Bosch turned off the screen and sat there thinking about how the truth was always manipulated by those in power"...... 

A wonderful story with a great antihero, he may be old but he still has the heart of a lion and hopefully his health will improve to bring a few remaining adventures to his adoring fans!

Thursday 29 February 2024

Beautifully written a joy to read - 5 star

During and after the 2nd ww, children were evacuated from England to countries of the commonwealth namely Australia, Canada and New Zealand. This was done in order to safeguard the children and find a safe refuge for them in a loving family. Alone on a wide wide sea is a fictional story of the young life of one Arthur Hobhouse despatched on a boat to Australia and hopefully safety. Unfortunately it was not uncommon for these young people to be mistreated, beaten and used as a form of slave labour.

Arthurs story is aimed at a reading audience of 10+ and told with elegance and a certain aplong. In short it is beautifully written with many stand out moments. From the horror that was everyday life with " The Piggys"......" you're a slave they don't just take away your freedom, they take away everything else as well because they own you" The young man's journey has many unexpected moments and a beautifully orchestrated conclusion showcasing the author's love of the ocean and his utlimate belief in human nature....."Death, I discovered that day, is not frightening, because it is utterly still. And it is still because death, when it comes, is always over"....." Someties, though, the fog does clear, and you see the icebergs all around. You can hear them groaning, and grinding and you just want to sail through the field of iceberg and out the other side, or just long for the fog again".....
Highly recommended for young and old alike :)

Tuesday 6 February 2024

A work of some brilliance - 5 star

I find reading a Stuart Neville book both exciting, exhilarating, exasperating and frightening. His characters don’t appear to have an easy life, and this agony is laid bare on the printed page and I felt every word. I must also mention, at this stage, the dazzling DCI Serena Flanagan books, and Neville’s portrayal of life on the edge with Serena balancing home and work and not always successfully. However I hear you say, and quite rightly so, we are here to discuss and review the author’s  latest work of angst: Blood like Mine. My goodness this is a 400 page work of some brilliance, as Stuart aptly and expertly balances a police thriller with horror undertones that becomes evident after a number of chapters.

Rebecca Carter and her daughter Monica, known as Moonflower, are on the run throughout the United States from what or whom gradually becomes clear. We learn that Rebecca will do anything to keep Moonflower safe including killing or sacrificing herself. Meanwhile special agent Marc Donner has spent the last 2 years trying to identify and apprehend a serial killer who strikes with regularity and leaves no trace or clues at the scene of the crime. Donner is a troubled soul, he has become obsessed with the apprehension of this individual to the detriment of the love of his wife and children. 

This novel was never going to have a happy ending, as the two sets of players attempt to achieve their individual goals, the tension and the pain is written across every page. I truly found it hard to put this book down, Stuart Neville had me hooked from page one. I hoped that mother and daughter would be safe but as the chapters flew by I began to doubt. Donner, a cop with a mission, was on a self-destruct course and only he had the power to turn this around for surely the love of his wife and young children would prove more important…or would it?

If you are going to read one thriller spiced with horror this year I heartily recommend Blood Like Mine, It is a brilliant, addictive read from one of Northern Ireland’s finest authors.


Wednesday 31 January 2024

A highly addictive satisfying read - 5 star

A most unusual but equally really enjoyable read. The writing is fast and furious and it is impossible at times to put the book down :) Lila Gulliver is the Madam of a brothel on the tropical island of Verona. She is a bright business woman not only managing her staff but also looking after their welfare, and this in return creates a sense of loyalty. A young attractive lady impresses Lila, and even though Carita is blind she is employed, and very quickly proves  her worth to the business. However life soon gets very complex when Carita falls in love with Ian Brohan son of judge Michael Brolan…….” a dashing, fine figure of a man, confident in the power of his physical presence”......

It would be wrong to believe that clients visiting Madam Gullivers are dictating, and demanding, being wealthy does not mean that they have a right to humiliate, use, and discard the young ladies on offer. What makes this such a brilliant book is the way the author shows the reader that in reality it is the women working for, and with, and including, Lila Gulliver who dictate the shape and direction of their lives….”Men are expected to succeed, women to fail. Every woman knows the deck is stacked. In practical terms this makes it more difficult for women to succeed, but it’s more damning for men to fail. Win or lose, defying expectations is heavy going”........

This is storytelling at its best, set in the early 1950’s it brings to life the sights and sounds of a tropical island. Lila Gulliver holds the reader in awe with her beauty, and smart business acumen looking after and guiding those girls who she feels have entrusted their lives to her. Highly recommended.


Sunday 28 January 2024

Delights and horrifies in equal measure - 5 star

If you think of the bad in Stephen King you think of Randall Flagg and if you think of the good only one name can truly inspire loyalty in the reader and that is Holly Gibney. Holly came to the notice of Bill Hodges, who gave her belief in herself, and she soon became an intricate part of the Finders Keepers detective agency......."Holly has come a long way from the shy introvert Bill Hodges met lurking outside a funeral home all those years ago, but that woman still lives inside her and always will".......

Now as sole proprieter of the agency she is investigating a number of seemingly unconnected disappearances, years apart.......what devilish little piece of storytelling has Mr King got in store to delight and horrify us. It becomes apparent very quickly who the perpetrators are and the reasoning behind their murderous acts is what makes "Holly" a brilliant novel. It seems that as the author ages his writing just gets better and better and this is a brilliant tale to delight and horrify in equal measure.