|
Alex Kava – At the Stroke of Madness. Crime thriller 7/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
7/30/2006 9:10 AM
|
|
|
|
At the Stroke of Madness by Alex Kava [ISBN 077832055 3] is a tightly plotted and well written tension-holding book, somewhat gruesome in the mould of forensic-detail psychological thrillers. The book begins with two strands of the story – a woman meeting a man late at night in scary circumstances – and disappearing
|
 |
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Hard Landing by Lynne Heitman. Crime fiction 7/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
7/29/2006 2:37 PM
|
|
|
|
Lynne Heitman’s Hard Landing [ISBN0708809529] is a very good read. Not only is the plot excellent with some subtle twists, but also the context (an airline at Boston’s Logan Airport) is quite fascinating (if horrifying – thinking such things are happening behind the scenes at an airport is scary). The narrative grips the reader and hooks one into the plot, and the characterisations are very well drawn through the narrative without scads of descriptive prose
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Due Diligence by Grant Sutherland. Crime fiction 8/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
7/28/2006 3:02 PM
|
|
|
|
Grant Sutherland’s Due Diligence [ISBN 0 7472 5693 4] is a gripping and engrossing story. The plot is clever and sustains interest throughout the book –overtly, the main subject – financial shenanigans at high level in a bank – is not riveting, but, this author really makes it a page-turner.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
|
Bleedout by Joan Brady. Crime thriller 8/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
7/25/2006 2:57 PM
|
|
|
|
Bleedout by Joan Brady [ISBN 0 7432 6841 5] is a nicely written, fast paced thriller, with an excellent plot, that keeps you guessing right up to the end. There are two narratives – a historical past record and a current happenings – and though this device can be bitty, it is planned very well for information to be dripped into the plot at the right time.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
The Traveller by John Twelve Hawks. Sci Fi thriller 4/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
7/23/2006 2:32 PM
|
|
|
|
The Traveller by John Twelve Hawks [ISBN 0552 15269 2] is not a bad read – in fact is compelling, paranoiac and scary for most of the book –another reader might like the ending more than I did. It’s an updated view from Orwell’s Big Brother in 1984, with other worlds stuff welded on
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Vodka by Boris Starling. Crime Thriller 9/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
7/22/2006 1:48 PM
|
|
|
|
Boris Starling’s Vodka [ISBN 0 00 717227 3] is a crime thriller set in Moscow in 1991 just at the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the departure of Gorbachov. The contextual feel is reminiscent of Gorky Park, though the several-string plot is particularly cleverly woven around the political manoeuvrings in the new power vacuums,
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova . Literary thriller 7/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
7/20/2006 1:12 PM
|
|
|
|
Elizabeth Kostova’s literary thriller The Historian [ISBN0 7515 3728 4] is a long and quite intense book about the pursuit of vampires, with a exceptionally well detailed historical background about vampires and medieval Europe (whether this is real or imagined I don’t know) and context of the history and splendours of the Ottoman Empire and has an ingenious plot.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Hard Rain by Janwillem Van de Wetering. Vintage Eurocrime 9/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
7/18/2006 10:54 AM
|
|
|
|
Janwillem Van de Wetering’s Hard Rain [ISBN 0 345 33964 9] is yet another example of his brilliant mystery crime fiction that features the wonderful Sergeant de Gier and Detective-Adjutant Grijpstra of the Amsterdam murder Squad. The quirky characterisation of both the police and criminals together with seriously clever plots AS WELL AS authentic interesting and often exotic settings make these books a delight to read as examples of the peak of crime fiction writing.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Devil’s Corner by Lisa Scottoline. Crime fiction 5/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
7/17/2006 11:07 AM
|
|
|
|
Lisa Scottoline’s Devil’s Corner [ISBN-13: 978 0 06 074289 8] is yet another book from this prolific crime fiction write, though I found this book quite tedious. One of the crits says it has “plenty of twists and turns” and this is the core of the weakness, there are SO MANY plot twists and turns the book becomes beyond complex for bedtime pleasure reading and more an exercise for a memory marvel.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Rough Cider by Peter Lovesey. Crime fiction 6/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
7/15/2006 10:19 AM
|
|
|
|
Peter Lovesey’s book Rough Cider [No ISBN in the edition I’m reading) is a nicely plotted, pacy, read it all at once kind of crime book you wish there were more of, though this is quite elderly now. The narrative has a great deal of contextual and authentic detail about the war period
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Blood of Angels by Michael Marshall. Crime fiction 8/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
7/14/2006 10:07 AM
|
|
|
|
Michael Marshall’s crime thriller Blood of Angels [ISBN 0 00 716397 5] is, for those who remember it, a sequel to his excellent The Straw Men. The plot is tight and suspenseful, the various narratives just zoom along with a taut pace, and its hard to keep up to the action and its implications, and the characterisations are authentic and suitably menacing. It is really a top-class thriller.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
|
Carol Shields – Collected Stories. Literary Fiction 10/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
7/11/2006 3:04 PM
|
|
|
|
This volume of Collected Stories by Carol Shields [ISBN 0 00 719206 1] is a wonderful cornucopia of delights. I cannot say I endorsed the hype over her Pulitzer Prize winning The Stone Diaries or even the Orange Prize Winner’s Larry’s Party, which I found a little self absorbed and precious, but these stories are dazzling –
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
|
|
The Killing Hour by Lisa Gardner. Crime Thriller 6/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
7/7/2006 12:43 PM
|
|
|
|
Lisa Gardner’s The Killing Hour [ISBN 0 75285 226 4] is a substantial (in length) serial murder crime thriller with all the suspense and plot complications that come with the genre. Typically there are two narratives (the chasers and the victims/killer) and good characterisations that add particular interest.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
The Lucifer Code by Michael Cordy. Techno/Sci Fi Thriller 5/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
7/6/2006 11:31 AM
|
|
|
|
Whether you enjoy Michael Cordy’s The Lucifer Code [ISBN 0-552-15447-4} or not will depend on how much you like the all-action boys own adventure stuff linked to a sci-fi doomsday scenario. The plot, on the surface, appears interesting and indeed the books starts very well, the narrative moves along well and the first few chapters are gripping and even addictive
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
|
|
David Hewson – The Lizard’s Bite. Crime Fiction 10/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
7/2/2006 2:01 PM
|
|
|
|
The Lizard’s Bite by David Hewson [ISBN 1-4050-5017-9] is just excellent. Not only has this may favourite setting in Italy, but the whole book is beautifully structured and the narrative addictive – its reminiscent of the old Ed MacBain cops and robbers style
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
The Ivy Chronicles – Karen Quinn. Chick Lit 7/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
6/30/2006 2:02 PM
|
|
|
|
Karen Quinn’s The Ivy Chronicles [ISBN 0 74343 9216 1] is a slickly written, amusing chick lit novel, which seems to be based on the author’s own experiences. It has a pretty straightforward plot – rich indulgent high powered NY couple with two children lose jobs, split up and hit bottom
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Jodi Piccoult – Vanishing Acts - Literary Fiction 7/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
6/29/2006 2:41 PM
|
|
|
|
Vanishing Acts, a novel by the prolific Jodi Piccoult [ISBN 0 340 83549 4] has a overtly simple but also clearly tortuous plot and a gripping and emotionally powerful narrative full of moral dilemmas that draw you in – at least in the first chapters
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Henry Porter’s Empire State. Spy thriller 9/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
6/28/2006 1:37 PM
|
|
|
|
Empire State by Henry Porter [ISBN 0 75285 892 0] is a compulsive read. I’m not a fan of spy stories (or at least I haven’t been in the past) but a friend recommended this, so I found out how very readable it was
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
|
Meg Gardiner – Jericho Point Crime fiction/Thriller 7/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
6/23/2006 10:26 AM
|
|
|
|
Jericho Point, [ISBN 0 340 82935 4] is Meg Gardiner’s third novel featuring Evan Delaney. The plot is not great, though there are quirks written into it that keep you guessing, they are not always effective, but the writing is lively and pacy, and the characterisations are well draw
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
|
Michael Palmer – Natural Causes. Medical Thriller 6/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
6/20/2006 12:12 PM
|
|
|
|
Natural Causes by Michael Palmer [ISBN 0 –09-972711-0] is a medical thriller with a complex and not wholly believable plot where conspiracy figures large. The narrative moves along quite well and suspenseful scenarios are set up again and again.
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert Goddard – Sight Unseen. Crime fiction 9/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
5/30/2006 2:55 PM
|
|
|
|
Sight Unseen by Robert Goddard [ISBN 0 552 15210 2] is a immensely satisfying crime fiction novel that shows his usual mastery of plot, of suspense and tension sustaining and of action. The narrative is nice and pacy with good use of flashback (not my favourite literary device) and is full of drama and tragedy that is well captured in the characterisations and descriptions
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
The Daydreamer by Ian McEwan. Children’s/adults imaginative fiction 5/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
5/29/2006 2:11 PM
|
|
|
|
Ian McEwan’s The Daydreamer [ISBN 0 009 959061 1] is a strange little book of stories, ostensibly for children, though I do feel that it would be a precocious child who you would read the stories to, and by the time they would read books of this complexity they may feel the content a little patronising
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
|
Trail of the Dead by Jon Evans. Crime chiller 8/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
5/27/2006 12:57 PM
|
|
|
|
Jon Evans crime thriller Trail of the Dead [ISBN 0 340 83145 6] is a first novel – and really very good indeed. The plot is nicely logical but quite twisty, too. The narrative grips from the very beginning – the original premise opened up at the outset drives the need to know exactly what is happening
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Blinded by Stephen White. Psychological thriller 7/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
5/24/2006 4:59 PM
|
|
|
|
Stephen White’s crime fiction novel Blinded [ISBN 0 316 72501 3] has a plot that creaks a little at times with action almost entirely blocked by client confidentiality (which may well be true in real life, but why bore a story with it?) and , though the narrative is quite engaging and sticky –some of the action may seem
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
Death in Springtime by Magdalen Nabb. Crime fiction 9/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
5/23/2006 11:32 AM
|
|
|
|
Magdalen Nabb’s book Death in Springtime [ISBN 1 56947 415 X] is an early member of the series of Marshal Guarnaccia crime fiction stories set in Florence. I am afraid that I so enjoy the wonderful writing creating the sights, smells and tastes of Florence that it’s almost as good as a visit (well, perhaps not).
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frances Fyfield – Looking Down. Crime Fiction 5/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
5/16/2006 1:16 PM
|
|
|
|
Looking Down, this psychological whodunit/crime thriller [ISBN 0 7515 3340 8] by Frances Fyfield, is a twisty and sometimes annoying kind of book. The plot is obfuscated by the dream-like ramblings of one of the main characters
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
|
Denial by Peter James. Psychological thriller 7/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
5/14/2006 3:18 PM
|
|
|
|
Peter James’ book Denial [ISBN 0 75286 223 5] has a fairly straightforward plot – it is pretty clear from the outset what the central psychopath is going to try to do – and this is the type of narrative where the reader knows more
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|
|
|
|
The Safe House by Nicci French. Psychological thriller 8/10 |
|
Books
|
By bookworm on
5/11/2006 1:52 PM
|
|
|
|
Nicci French’s book The Safe House [ISBN 0 14 027036 1] has a very intricate plot – with so many layers the reader is cleverly misled several times – and the narrative very cleverly creates intense suspense with glimpses of the underlying actions of psychopath .....
|
|
|
|
|
More...
|
|