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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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Borkmann’s Point by Hakan Nesser. Swedish crime mystery 10/10 |
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By bookworm on
10/7/2008 9:18 AM
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This novel by Hakan Nesser, Borkmann’s Point [ISBN 0 333 98984 8] is translated from Swedish and the morose Scandinavian context is reminiscent of Hennig Mankell’s – but so unfair to compare it as it is good in its own right. The plot is good – and the narrative straightforward, nicely moving and quite gripping. I hope his other books are translated soon. The alternative of me learning Swedish is less likely.
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The Rose of Sebastopol by Katherine McMahon. Historical fiction 5/10 |
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By bookworm on
10/3/2008 3:01 PM
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Katherine McMahon’s novel The Rose of Sebastopol [ISBN 978 0 7538 2374 3] is not without its historical interest, but it is rather turgid – and the double flashback narratives get very tedious and don’t really add to the story. I found the characters to be less than absorbing – middle class and spoilt women can come over as really annoying in retrospect.
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Dead Irish by John Lescroart. American crime fiction 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
10/2/2008 8:25 AM
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Dead Irish is John Lescroart’s first novel in the Dismas Hardy series [ISBN 0 451 21427 7] and it is stylish and professionally written, a murder mystery with skilful turns, dry dialogue and a nice quickly-moving narrative. Dismas Hardy is also a pretty unusual and unwilling detective too.
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The Medici Secret by Michael White. Another grail-type adventure 6/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/30/2008 6:41 PM
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You know how these grail-type search books are. Scientists, lost papers found (but only scraps) clues to treasure hidden all over the place and encrypted, crypts, churches, baddies on the trail, murders, goodies only just ahead etc etc. The Medici Secret by Michael White [ISBN 978 0 099 52018 4] is a mixture of all of these and is mostly very contrived.
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Death’s Door by Quintin Jardine. Scottish crime fiction 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/19/2008 9:13 AM
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Death’s Door by Quintin Jardine [ISBN 978 0 7553 2911 3] does not really deserve a 8/10, but it is a pretty good read. I’m afraid that I cannot bear the overweening character of Bob Skinner – its lucky that he was on leave for most of the book. He is so nauseatingly macho and arrogant I’m sure the Scottish police force would manage so much better without him. Goodish plot, good narrative except where Bob takes over with little effect …..
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Absolute Power by David Baldacci. American thriller 9/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/17/2008 9:09 AM
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David Baldacci’s novel Absolute Power [ISBN 978 0 330 41964 2] kept me pinned to my seat for the duration (not that I made it at one session as it’s quite a weighty tome). The plot is brilliant, though much is revealed to the reader with its pacy double narrative (I like this, you can know so much more than the cops for ages) it doesn’t help you to necessarily work out what will happen.
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Triptych by Karin Slaughter. American thriller 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/12/2008 12:12 PM
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Karin Slaughter’s novel Triptych [ISBN 978 0 09 948183 6] is well-constructed with a good plot a nicely structured and paced complex double narrative and a collection of psychologically flawed characters – both goodies and baddies – it’s a miracle how the former ever get near to the latter.
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The Secret Friend by Chris Mooney. American Crime fiction 6/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/9/2008 10:00 AM
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The Secret Friend by Chris Mooney [ISBN 978 0 141 03087 6] is not a bad read altogether, but I did feel the plot was reminiscent of more than one serial killer novels. The dual narratives (especially that of the killer) gave a growing disturbing creepy feel to the novel, which had a strange twist of having a renegade FBI bloke-turned killer beating her to find all the clues.
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Pursuit by Brian Gallagher. Thriller 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/8/2008 1:31 PM
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The title says it all – Pursuit by Brian Gallagher [ISBN 1 84223 136 7] is just that – a chase. It’s a well-thought out plot though a little far fetched at times, though it’s the well-written narrative that creates a page-turner. The characters are fairly drawn, but not good enough to lose sleep over
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The Art of Dying by Vena Cork. British thriller 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/5/2008 9:16 AM
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Newish author (2nd novel) Vena Cork has written a very readable novel, The Art of dying [ISBN 0 7553 2397 1]The plot is set up quite well with enough red herrings to keep you guessing –and the narrative is nicely structured to keep the reader turning the page (though readers like me who tend to skip the odd paragraph that clearly doesn’t move the plot forward much will turn them much faster at times). The ending is not of the most brilliant but at least she manages to keep you guessing for most of the book.
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The Neon Rain by James Lee Burke. American Crime fiction 10/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/4/2008 8:13 AM
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This was the first novel of James Lee Burke’s to feature Dave Robicheaux then a New Orleans cop. The Neon Rain[ISBN 0 09 941563 1] was first published in 1987 and I must have missed it. The plots are always good, and the characters fascinating, and altogether the New Orleans/Bayou swamps atmosphere pervades the book.
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Coastliners by Joanne Harris. Literary fiction 6/10 |
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By bookworm on
9/3/2008 2:21 PM
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Joanne Harris really gets about with her novels – there doesn’t seem to be anywhere she can’t write about as though she knows all its secrets. This has its upside and downside – some strange and patchy novels with a rag bag of issues versus some interesting stuff you didn’t know about some obscure set of folks living – as in this novel Coastliners [ISBN 0 552 99885 0] on a small tidal island off the French coast eroding into the sea.
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The Unbearable Lightness of Scones by Alexander McCall Smith. Light literary humour 7/10 |
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By bookworm on
8/29/2008 8:56 AM
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This is the fifth 44 Scotland street story and The Unbearable Lightness of Scones [ISBN 978 1 84697 057 3] just extends the serial of these weird people living in Edinburgh – not that they seem weird as you get drawn into their often dysfunctional lives. How people who read this book as their first introduction can work out how relationships came to be so convoluted, I don’t know.
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Peacocks Dancing by Sharon Maas. Literary Fiction 6/10 |
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By bookworm on
8/28/2008 12:28 PM
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You have to give Peacocks Dancing by Sharon Maas [ISBN 0 00 711847 3] marks for an interesting story given its context – its set in Guyana. But I felt the story writing was annoying disjointed – the almost obligatory chopped up narrative fails to knit together - and the cast of dysfunctional characters failed to gain my sympathy – altogether I found it to be downbeat and depressing.
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The Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver. American thriller 9/10 |
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By bookworm on
8/27/2008 8:35 AM
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One if his series featuring investigator Kathryn Dance, Jeffery Deaver’s novel The Sleeping Doll [ISBN 978 0 7434 9158 7] is cleverly plotted and suspenseful with a terrific ending (which is a change –so many authors don’t quite know how to end their stories). It reads well and easily – so give a clear weekend to it because you’ll want to finish it.
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A Thousand Bones by P J Parrish. American crime fiction 7/10 |
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By bookworm on
8/21/2008 8:40 AM
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I found P J Parrish’s novel A Thousand Bones [ISBN 978 1 84739 132 2] quite hard to get into – true, it is well-written with an interesting bunch of characters- and the plot is dense enough. I did, however, find the narrative hard going at several points during the read.
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Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs. American crime fiction 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
8/20/2008 9:55 AM
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Like Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist and so is her heroine, Temperance Brennan, but her books, and this one – Bones to Ashes- [ISBN 978 0 09 949236 8] particularly is much better than Cornwell of late. The science is excellent (sometimes rather laboured and over-detailed as if she MUST show her knowledge) and the plot good, but a little contrived in parts, though the narrative moves along OK.
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End Games by Michael Dibdin. Crime fiction 10/10 |
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By bookworm on
8/18/2008 2:30 PM
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End Games was Michael Dibdin’s last novel [ISBN 978 0 571 23617 6] and its one of his very best. Featuring Aurelio Zen, in Calabria, and giving a wonderfully clear and rich picture of Italian life from his perspective. As his final case, it’s a winner for plot, amusing ironic narrative and all-round ambiance.
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Bad Blood by Linda Fairstein. American crime fiction 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
8/17/2008 8:25 AM
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Linda Fairstein’s crime fiction novel Bad Blood [ISBN 978 0 7515 3807 6] is a fast-paced interesting read – not only is there a mystery that takes some unravelling – but you may well find out things about the bowels of New York you never thought about. The plot and ending are pretty good and the narrative moves along well. The main character and her two sidekicks do get rather anal and exclusive book by book.
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Harbor by Lorraine Adams. American thriller 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
8/15/2008 8:54 AM
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This book , Harbor by Lorraine Adams won the LA Times book award and you can see why [ISBN 1 84527 034 0] – its seriously deep and brilliantly written – and a powerful and sensitive social commentary on immigrant communities in the USA. It also looks into the nature of terrorism and motivation – it is fast paced and empathic – hard stuff to do.
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Nemesis by Bill Napier. Sci Fi thriller 6/10 |
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By bookworm on
8/4/2008 9:03 AM
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The science (or specifically Astronomy) in Bill Napier’s novels is convincing and authentic because he is, in fact, an astronomer, but the science is perhaps the best part of his novel Nemesis [ISBN 0 7472 5993 3]. The plot has several double blinds, which is quite clever, but doesn’t convince as much as it should. The narrative is exciting and quite pacy, though the characterisations and dialogue I found not particularly lively, though scientists could well be as lacklustre as this and talk all the time in mathematical speak. They could well do that.
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The Intruders by Michael Marshall. American thriller 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
8/3/2008 8:19 AM
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Michael Marshall wrote the very creepy The Straw Men and its sequels and this book, The Intruders [ISBN 978 0 00 720997 2] has a very similar feel. Its brilliantly put together, unguessable plot, tight quickly-moving narrative that keeps you on the end of the seat, and a scary mystery at the heart which makes this not a first choice for bedtime reading for the nervous.
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Counter Parts by Gonzalo Lire. American thriller 9/10 |
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By bookworm on
7/31/2008 12:08 PM
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I hadn’t heard of this author before but Counter Parts by Gonzalo Lire [ISBN 0 575 60241 4] is a very good read indeed. A plot heavy with strange goings-on in the CIA and paid assassins is put together with maximum tension and features some interesting multi-dimensional characters (how many all-too human gun-toting nuns have you read about recently ?)
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Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thubron. Travel non-fiction 10/10 |
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By bookworm on
7/29/2008 2:50 PM
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Colin Thubron’s book Shadow of the Silk Road [ISBN 978 0 099 43722 2] is an account of his journey following the major towns and cities of the old silk route across Asia. It is most beautifully written – his prose is a joy to read, and it is a fascinating and humorous reflection of the different ways the people he meets think about the world.
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The Exception by Christian Jungerson. Danish Literary Murder Mystery 9/10 |
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By bookworm on
7/24/2008 9:07 AM
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Christian Jungerson’s novel The Exception [ISBN 978 0 7538 2166 4] is a seriously clever book, psychologically powerful and quite unnerving. On the surface its about relationships in a small office, but it develops and grows in sheer nastiness and underhand dangerous games. It is gripping and addictive.
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The Overlook by Michael Connelly. American Crime fiction 10/10 |
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By bookworm on
7/23/2008 4:05 PM
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Michael Connelly is a master of crime fiction writing of this kind – and The Overlook is one of his best [ISBN 978 0 7528 8273 4]. His detective, Harry Bosch is as edgy and difficult as ever, and the plot is excellent and very topical – he has to suffer working with the FBI and Homeland Security – and the book is over much too quickly. Brilliant.
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Nothing to Fear by Karen Rose. American thriller 9/10 |
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By bookworm on
7/22/2008 8:55 AM
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Karen Rose’s thriller Nothing to Fear [ISBN 978 0 7553 3703 3 ] an edge of the seat read. Not only does it have an excellent plot that’s a bit different from the run-of-the-mill abduction, but its split narrative is really well planned so it doesn’t stop moving the action forward whilst adding enough suspense. As well as this there is a pretty corny Mills and Boonish love interest (all flashing eyes and pounding hearts) threaded through the narrative that gets more and more steamy. This adds its own suspense.
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The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh. Indian Literary fiction 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
7/20/2008 1:16 PM
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Amitav Ghosh wrote the Glass Palace and his latest novel (or at least the latest I’ve read) The Hungry Tide [ISBN 0 00 714178-5] is a most thoughtful and moving story. Set in Bengal – that strange archipelago of islands always threatened by flood, the Sundarbans, it has a double narrative of past and present which is fascinating and quite haunting.
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The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry. Another Grail-search type thriller 7/10 |
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By bookworm on
7/19/2008 2:50 PM
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Steve Berry’s novel The Venetian Betrayal [ISBN 978 0 340 933442] is a heavy book and can be quite heavy-going at times. Like its predecessors (Da Vinci Code et al) it depends on how credulous the reader is able to be (and a great deal more credulous than The Da Vinci Code I can tell you). Its got quite a complex plot (albeit quite silly) but is quite an enjoyable read as the action moves pleasantly along for most of the time (and as book this size you can always skip the odd paragraph).
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Persuader by Lee Child. American thriller 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
7/17/2008 12:52 PM
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Lee Child’s novel Persuader [ISBN 0553 81344 7] is as OTT as his other Jack Reacher stories, but just as enjoyable. No messy narratives, no annoying botched red herrings, just a superbly written fast-flowing story with the flashbacks cleverly stitched into the story and not just inexpertly glued on. Reacher is, of course, quite an impossible character, but the reader is willing to suspend disbelief and follow the (rather brutal) action. –but it’s not real is it?
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Shatter by Michael Robotham. British thriller 7/10 |
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By bookworm on
7/16/2008 9:20 AM
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On the whole Michael Robotham’s Shatter [ISBN 978 1 84744 177 5] is a very well-written and powerful novel. Its psychological brainwashing-type theme is believable, with the perpetrator half-hidden from the reader, and the unlikely sleuth – vulnerable Parkinson-sufferer with marital problems- somewhat distracted and yet obsessed- which makes for all kinds of undercurrents and themes. It is quite creepy and is not ideal bedtime reading.
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Extreme Measures by Michael Palmer. American medical thriller 6/10 |
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By bookworm on
7/15/2008 10:02 AM
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Michael Palmer’s thriller Extreme Measures [ISBN 0 09 972721 8] is not a bad read as its type goes – sinister medical plots based around money saving schemes in big hospitals – but given the popularity of the topic in USA novels it makes you wonder if the American system is safe ! Given that it is cheaper to finish off the odd patient rather than cure them it could be worrying ! However, the plot is convoluted enough and our innocent hero blunders about giving the reader concern that he won’t make the end of the book. But he does.
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Poisoned Cherries by Quintin Jardine. Scottish crime fiction 7/10 |
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By bookworm on
7/14/2008 12:41 PM
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This book says on the cover “an Oz Blackstone mystery” – though it’s the first one of Jardine’s novels featuring him as an amateur sleuth I have read. Poisoned Cherries [ISBN 0 7553 3425 6] is much more fun than his Skinner novels sank into (such complicated personal histories) though Oz Blackstone the film star is a tongue in the cheek as it gets and mixes with a very rarified kind of folk– but perhaps Edinburgh is like that. It has a good plot, however stretched, good atmospheric stuff set in Edinburgh and a straightforward narrative.
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Pompeii by Robert Harris. Historical re-enactment 7/10 |
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By bookworm on
7/10/2008 2:02 PM
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Robert Harris’s historical novel Pompeii [ISBN 978 0 09 928261 7] is a well-researched and exciting re-enactment of the eruption of Vesuvius in 49BC which buried Pompeii and Herculaneum. It quite brilliantly sets up tension and the narrative speeds along to the known conclusion – it is, however, nail biting and has masterly twists of plot so that you don’t’ know which of the focussed characters will survive.
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Lost Souls by Neil White. English noir fiction 8/10 |
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By bookworm on
7/9/2008 2:51 PM
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Neil White’s Lost Souls [ISBN 978-1-84756-018-6] was another quite-difficult-to get into book for me. Its those choppy narratives again – though these are better done than most, there is such a tendency to introduce a myriad of unrelated information in the first few chapters, that the reader can lose focus. It is also quite downbeat, even though the northern context is interesting, it sets a quite bleak background to the story, though the plot is not bad, the readers’ beliefs are stretched somewhat at times.
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The Society by Michael Palmer. American crime/thriller 5/10 |
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By bookworm on
7/7/2008 12:05 PM
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Michael Palmer’s novel The society [ISBN 0 09 946357 1] starts off well – smart and pacy, with lots of action introducing a serial killer targeting executives in the American healthcare industry. The plot is just too complicated which leads to action fatigue long before I got to the halfway mark .
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