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Before the Frost by Henning Mankell. Crime fiction 9/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/29/2007 11:04 AM
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I have actually read Henning Mankell’s Before the Frost [ISBN 1 843 43113 0] some time ago but enjoyed reading it again whilst we wait for his latest and last novel to come out in paper back. This book features Linda Wallender – the daughter of Swedish Inspector Wallender the hard working and stressed policeman of his earlier novels. The plot is nicely set up, with the reader aware, through a double narrative, only slightly more than the Wallenders. The narrative has Mankell’s wonderful bleakness and angst, psychological insights of the most sensitive kind, and a set of characters you can get your teeth into (in a manner of speaking).
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The Savage Garden by Mark Mills. Literary historical/mystery fiction 9/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/24/2007 1:04 PM
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Mark Mills novel The Savage Garden [ISBN 978 0 00 716193 5] is set in Tuscany in the 1950’s and the context of the Italian summer is atmospheric and satisfying. The plot is a nice puzzle and the characters have a significant depth, and the narrative, though never hurried, carries an increasing and building suspense and menace.
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The World According to Bertie Alexander McCall Smith. Light Literary fiction 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/19/2007 1:18 PM
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On the surface Alexander McCall Smith’s 44 Scotland Street Novels, of which this, The World According to Bertie [ISBN 978 1 84697 017 7] is the latest, are lightweight easy reading fiction. Easy and pleasant reading perhaps, but so beautifully observed, so cleverly detailed that the skill of the author is revealed on each page.
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Sleeper by Paul Adam. Murder mystery fiction 10/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/16/2007 1:44 PM
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Paul Adam’s murder mystery novel Sleeper [ISBN0 7515 3407 2] was such an enjoyable read I just had to give it full marks. The book is cleverly plotted, the narrative moves along quickly without feeling skimped or inconsidered or muddled, and the context – violin making – is just so original and fascinating that it leaves the reader feeling much more knowledgeable and richer for it. It has just a flavour of the grail-search novels (unknown papers revealed etc) but this does not detract from the pleasure of the plot.
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To the Hermitage by Malcolm Bradbury. Literary fiction 5/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/15/2007 9:18 AM
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Malcolm Bradbury’s To the Hermitage [ISBN 0 330 37663 2] is a book that just reeks with erudition, in fact it oozes it from every pore. The jacket crits are typically OTT –some words are “playful” “tricky”, “an intellectual fireworks display” “a bold technique” and amazingly enough Auberon Waugh says that this is “The funniest book ever written”. I can only think that an evening in his company could hardly be a barrel of laughs if that’s the case.
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Kill the Messenger by Tami Hoag. American Crime thriller 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/14/2007 2:01 PM
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Tami Hoag’s crime fiction novel Kill the Messenger[ISBN 978 1 8456 1464 5] is, in my opinion, one of her best. The LA context gives that edge of threat and interest: the plot is good, suspenseful and quite tight, and the narrative keeps up a fast pace whilst the characters are believable and have the reader rooting for them from the outset.
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The Dark Clue by James Wilson. Recreation of Victorian suspense novel 6/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/13/2007 8:19 AM
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James Wilson’s novel set in Victorian England The Dark Clue [ISBN 0 571 20276 4] is his first novel and is clever, well researched and well written. However, the story itself, based on what may or may not have been the life of the painter Turner is not particularly gripping. The plot is strung out promising dark and desperate secrets though overall its rather feeble. The narrative is a series of contrived devices – long letters to the wife, memos, diary entries etc. which chop it about. If you are a fan of Victorian novels, this is for you as you’ll appreciate the book’s subtlety and intelligence.
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The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill. Crime thriller 7/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/12/2007 8:27 AM
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Susan Hill’s thriller The Various Haunts of Men [ISBN 0 099 45209 5] has excellent jacket crits, though I didn’t find the book quite as good as they suggested. The psychopathic serial killer plot is fine, and as for many novels of this kind carried on two narratives – the killer and the searchers – which, as usual, doesn’t really tell you who the killer is until the end. However, I did find the “enigmatic detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler” particularly annoying: enigmatic he may be but detect he didn’t for most of this book.
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Digging to America by Anne Tyler. Literary fiction 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/11/2007 8:41 AM
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Anne Tyler’s literary fiction novel Digging to America [ISBN 975 0 099 49939 8] is a delight and rich with believable stories and anecdotes about cross-cultural adoptions. With a mixture of cultural backgrounds (Jewish and Iranian American and Korean) this book illustrates the mass of contradictions present in the American psyche as well as the shared beliefs in nationhood.
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Angels Flight by Michael Connelly. American Crime fiction 9/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/10/2007 8:39 AM
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I thought I had read all of Michael Connelly’s books featuring H. Bosch, but Angels Flight [ISBN 978 1 8456 1464 5], originally published in 1999 was new to me – and if you missed it as well, I suggest you read it – its very good. The plot is pretty convoluted but credible, and the characters (being American and therefore always exotically foreign to me) fit in nicely, but it is the accomplished narrative that drops goodies all the way through the book ,keeping the reader interested.
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