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Trial by Blood by John Macken. British crime fiction 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
10/30/2008 3:53 PM
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John Macken’s second novel Trial by Blood [ISBN 978 0 552 15462 8] is nicely put together – plot based on technical genetic mystery holds much opportunity for crime mixed with science, and add that to a tense narrative of the struggling disgraced scientist trying to find out what happened makes a recipe for a gripping novel.
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Trial by Blood by John Macken. British crime fiction 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
10/30/2008 3:53 PM
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John Macken’s second novel Trial by Blood [ISBN 978 0 552 15462 8] is nicely put together – plot based on technical genetic mystery holds much opportunity for crime mixed with science, and add that to a tense narrative of the struggling disgraced scientist trying to find out what happened makes a recipe for a gripping novel.
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The Fiddler and the Ferret by Douglas Boyd. British mystery/thriller 7/10 |
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By bookworm on
10/29/2008 9:46 AM
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Douglas Boyd’s novel The Fiddler and the Ferret [ISBN 0 7515 2186 8] is not a bad read, even though the plot is rather contrived and the action messy – things are all over the place, and though one can’t expect plots, like life, to be logical, a dog-leg novel is irritating at times. Having said that it does move along keeping the reader guessing, so not too much to complain about.
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Fear by Jeff Abbott. American crime thriller 9/10 |
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By bookworm on
10/28/2008 9:48 AM
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Jeff Abbott’s novel Fear [ISBN 978 0 7515 3832 8] kept me on the edge of my seat. Not that the parts of it were particularly notable – a pretty complex and often clunky plot (based on the old amnesia ploy), and some weirdish characters (though nowadays American characterisations can seem more and more foreign when compared to European novelists) but the narrative is well planned and pacy,
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The Accident Man by Tom Cain. British spy/adventure/thriller 9/10 |
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By bookworm on
10/23/2008 8:25 AM
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Tom Cain’s novel The Accident Man [ISBN 978 0 552 15535 9] is one of those quite-can’t-believe-it spy/adventure thrillers that are such a good read that you are willing to suspend your disbelief. The plot is probably not entirely believable, but is yet technically OK – many twists and turns and not a bad ending – but it is the fast-paced narrative that really makes this a winner. Its certainly not the linking to a famous royal death which is rightly downplayed.
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Little Face by Sophie Hannah. British thriller 7/10 |
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By bookworm on
10/21/2008 2:47 PM
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Sophie Hannah’s first novel Little Face [ISBN 978 0 340 84032 0] is a pretty accomplished thriller – scary and suspenseful with psychological tautness and hostility that builds and builds. However, I did feel a tad cheated when grew to realise what the ending would be.
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Behind the Wall by Colin Thubron. Literary Travel writing 10/10 |
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By bookworm on
10/20/2008 1:51 PM
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Written about a journey across China in about 1983 Behind the Wall by Colin Thubron [ISBN 978 0 099 45932 3] gives a bleak picture of China in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. Thubron is such a gifted writer that he takes the reader with him and lifts the cover off Chinese life in a not-yet-recovering China. For those not conversant with the aftermath of the works of Mao Zedong this is a must-read.
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Dead on Arrival by Mike Lawson. American crime fiction 7/10 |
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By bookworm on
10/13/2008 12:00 PM
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Mike Lawson’s terrorist/crime/political thriller Dead on Arrival [978 0 00 725629 7] is a good solid read; its not that the plot is particularly brilliant – though you don’t know that at the outset, but the way he strings out the narrative to keep the reader hooked is very skilful. It has a very current lively feel and raises interesting issues about the war on terror and its advantages for politicians.
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The Forgotten Man by Robert Crais. American crime fiction 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
10/10/2008 9:13 AM
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Robert Crais always writes a pretty good book and The Forgotten Man [ISBN 978 1 4072 1094 0] is just that – our hero Elvis Cole has a patchy kind of life throughout the novels and this book is no exception. The plot is excellent, and narrative moves along revealing snippets at the right time.
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Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks by Christopher Brookmyre 7/10 |
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By bookworm on
10/9/2008 2:41 PM
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I’m a great fan of Christopher Brookmyre, though this book, Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks appears less edgy and less irreverent than his other books (and less rude language) all of which is a pity though the book is clever and amusing, but not outright-laugh-a-minute as some of his others. The central mystery is really captivating and keeps the reader guessing.
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