A very difficult read - 2 star

You will either love or loathe Reservoir 13 from Costa Book Award winner Jon McGregor. It is to me an odd book and tells the story of the disappearance of Rebecca Shaw, a young girl on holiday at a village in the peak district in the early years of this century. If you are expecting a crime novel than think again, the reader is instead assailed with images of village life the day to day mundane existence, the finite detail of the residents as they stumble from one event to the next, from one year to the next, from one decade to the next, and written in a prose devoid of any punctuation. The actual murder (or disappearance) is rarely mentioned and I failed miserably to understand its poignancy if the author's intention was merely to highlight the drabness of village life…..and drab it is. The writing style is very compact, very hard to assimilate, each sentence seeming to introduce a new event or happening, and over a period of years this becomes somewhat laborious. I have read some brilliant books by the author namely; So many ways to begin, and his astounding new novel; Lean, Fall Stand, but unfortunately Reservoir 13 is not amongst them.

A thing of beauty - 4 star

A novel of intrigue, mystery, and style set from the end of the 1st WW to the 1930’s. Filled with images of struggle examining the meaning of love and survival in Europe at the start of the rise of facism and the world wide destruction that would inevitably follow. My first Sebastian Faulks read was Birdsong and have been an admirer of his writing style ever since. Recommended.

Death in the Peak District - 5 star

A beautifully crafted police procedural within a highly entertaining cast of characters. Val McDermid can not only hold the reader's attention with an edge of the seat thriller but expertly disguises the real human story behind the killing of Alison Carter until the closing chapters. Her writing style is nothing short of brilliant showing once again why she has few equal to her as a crime writer.

Complex but rewarding - 5 star

Troubled Blood is certainly a wordy novel and indeed it could be argued that a careful editing of the book might have reduced it to a more manageable and reader friendly experience. However Troubled Blood is a great example of what the author excels at; a multi character driven reading experience encompassing what is best described as a complex plot. I am a great admirer of character driven stories and enjoy nothing better than delving into the lives of both main and secondary players. I believe this adds greatly to the reading experience and allows the author numerous opportunities to confuse, excite and often delight budding amateur sleuths.Cormoran Strike has been instructed to revisit the historic case of Margot Bamborough who vanished some 40 years ago without trace, the whereabouts of her body never discovered. Suspicion has always rested with Dennis   Creed, a serial killer active at the time but now incarcerated within the hallowed and imposing Victorian mental institution known as Broadmoor. I found the 927 page count the perfect platform for the author to explore the many and varied characters she introduces, possibly in an attempt to create a smoke screen, discussing and shielding the eventual identity of the real killer.

Added to this is the relationship (or not) between Strike and his estranged rockstar dad Jonny Rokeby, the relationship (or not) between Strike and his ex wife Charlotte, the relationship (or not) between Strike and his business partner Robin Ellacott. In addition to the main plot the detective agency has grown to accommodate an expanding case load and the two partners have a difficult task of managing effectively and solving all such briefs.This is a book that needs to be read with a sense of urgency, putting to the back of his/her mind the ultimate goal, the unmasking of a killer. Rather the sheer enjoyment of Troubled Blood is the unpredictability of what will happen next, what delights and multiple characters appearing and disappearing with equal regularity. The fifth book in the Strike series again proves what a master storyteller Robert Galbraith is, her painstaking meticulous approach a delight from start to finish.

Brilliant, unputdownable!

Many years ago I read my first Grisham, A time to kill and followed that with The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Chamber and The Runaway Jury. I began to feel that later novels were losing the impact that those earlier thrillers so brilliantly portrayed. A Painted House proved somewhat of a disappointment and so my reading journey into the legal mind of John Grisham came to a close…...until now. By pure luck I picked up “The Reckoning” in a charity shop, liked the synopsis on the back cover and started reading, and could not stop! The Reckoning is nothing short of brilliant; it combines the qualities of a thriller with vivid courtroom scenes that Grisham is renowned for.

Pete Banning returns home to Clanton Mississippi, a war hero, a man respected and loved dearly in his community. One morning in October 1946 he rises early, drives into town, attends the local Methodist Church and shoots dead the popular Reverend Dexter Bell. He refuses to speak or comment on the killing and seems content to have a trial that will surely find him guilty and death by electrocution. The first part of the book deals with the murder followed by the trial and then the author tells the back story of Pete Manning his heroic war record, his capture, escape, and fight back against the  Japanese. In the final part we are observers to the repercussions that the murder has on Manning’s family; the children Joel and Stella and his wife Liza confined to a mental hospital. The writing is taut, the story brilliantly executed and I found it impossible to put down until completed, until the final question was answered….What happened on that October day that caused Pete Manning to act in the way he did and by doing so altered the lives and futures of so many. Welcome back Mr Grisham what a fantastic read...highly highly recommended.

Harry delivers the goods! - 4 star

This is the 10th outing for Nesbo’s brilliant yet somewhat troubled maverick detective Harry Hole. The plot is interesting, police officers are being murdered at the site of crimes they failed to solve in the distant past and Oslo’s finest are frankly clueless as to how to approach the case, never mind solve it. Harry, banished to the academic world of lecturing, has his own troubles in the form of a fanatical student Silje Gravseng stalking our hero, and fighting his own demons in the form of alcohol. I enjoy the writing style of Jo Nesbo, a true exponent of scandi noir, but the problem I have with this book is our hero does not actually enter the story until 200 pages in. Up to this point a twisted brutal killer is leading the local Oslo police on a merry dance! But very soon the good citizens of Oslo can once again rest easy as within a very short time Harry is putting the pieces of the jigsaw together and they know with confidence that the perpetrator of these evil acts will soon be held accountable. The troubled relationship between Harry and Rakel reaches an unexpected but pleasing conclusion. I love Jo Nesbo’s writing and even if our antihero is not present for the first 3rd of the novel “Police” is still an excellent read and a great addition to the series.

The world according to Irving - 5 star

To read John Irving is to surround yourself in his world and enjoy his amazing story telling ability. There are a number of themes throughout his books; his interest in wrestling, his love of the underdog, his battle to glorify small suppressed individuals in society, and help them gain recognition and a right to have their voice heard. The virtues of women, the strive for equality amongst transgenders, and the condemnation of misogynists who choose to vilify rather than praise. 

TS Carp, the illegitimate son of a WW pilot and a mother Jenny Fields who was to devote her life to the wellbeing of women in a world that seems increasingly hostile. From struggling author to devoted father Garp faces many challenges throughout his life devoted to his much admired mother Jenny fields and wife Helen. The writing of Irving is colourful,  attentive to detail, never boring with rich characters in abundance. Highly recommended.

New boy on the block! - 5 stars

It is with more than a little trepidation that I start book 1 in a new detective series. The reviews for The Burning men have been many and positive, so I was hopeful that such praise was justified and my goodness how right they were.

The past: A fire is blazing at One Pacific Square, a multi-billion-pound regeneration project. One resident is in situ and the first 4 fire fighters on the scene enter the burning building with little thought for their own safety. The consequences that follow will have fatal repercussions long into the future.

The present: DI Alex Finn & DC Mathilde (Mattie) Paulsen are assigned a new case. Finn has returned to full time duty following the sad demise of his wife Karin. He has much to prove, so many of his fellow officers will be suspicious of his early return and wonder if his state of mind can cope with the pressures of a new and at times complex investigation

Finn and Mattie attend the scene of a brutal crime.The charred body of a young man is discovered in the bathroom of an hotel….it was his wedding day. This is the start of seemingly random killings, but as the body count mounts, a tenuous association emerges between the Pacific Square fire and an historic bank heist. To me the mark of a good story is how believable the main characters are and how much of an impression they make on judgemental readers. DI Finn is a pedantic, organised, considerate private man always concerned with the minutiae, and the great responsibility placed upon him..."how smart his appearance was- the closely trimmed hair, the crisply ironed shirt, the carefully moisturised skin"........"He was a man of certainties and police work was the area of his life where he felt most certain".....DC Poulsen has to prove herself as a capable partner but does little to endear herself to Finn when she berates him in a moment of uncontrollable rage and unprofessionalism.

The pace of the narration is fast and although the plot is detailed it never becomes over complex and is always accessible. Future books in the series will undoubtedly reveal more in the colourful lives of Finn and Paulsen. The Burning Men has been a delight to read with a new army of admirers and I count myself amongst their number.

Spy wars - 2 stars

A boatload of burned out spies spend their twilight years in Sough House participating in deadend jobs until retirement. They are known affectionatley as Slow Horses. Their rather unothodox leader is Jackson Lamb, an overweight, chainsmoking, narcissistic misogynist who finds it amusing to pass wind in public. In a throwback to the cold war and possilbly in homage to George Smiley our assortement of oddballs seek out and destroy the threat of communists wherever these devious and cunning moles materialize. Some may enjoy Herron's humour and style of writing but personally I found it laborious. My first and last outing to Slough House......

A true hero - 4 star

We all know the face, we all know the movies, Marty Mcfly skateboarding his way back to the future. However it is in his very public fight with Parkinsons Disease that Michael Fox is now recognized. How bravely he explains coming to terms and living with early onset PD, putting his energy into The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's research looking for answers with the hope that one day a cure may be possible. This is an excellent read (as were the previous 2 books) giving an insight into the day to day courage of Fox supported be a very loving family and always by his side his wife Tracy.

A driven antihero - 4 star

Charlie Parker, retired New York, detective, has gone South to the small town of Cargill, Arkansas. He is a man with a sad past. Driven ever onward in this search for the murderer of his wife Susan and his beloved daughter Jenifer, he is drawn to dark places, where evil dwells and the brutal business of murder is an unwelcome occurrence. The dehumanized bodies of 2 young girls have been exposed, possibly connected to a similar and earlier discovery. The local chief of police Evander Griffin needs a quick resolve to safeguard future investment and development which would ensure the future of this once prosperous community.

For lovers of John Connelly’s brilliant Charlie Parker series this is a prequel with a young detective burdened by the horrors he has witnessed and the great sadness he is doomed forever to carry…..”Either you’re on a crusade said Griffin or you’re trying to find whoever killed your wife and child. My guess is the latter. You’re interested in murders involving mutilation and display, which is what drew you to Cargill”........”Sometimes he believed that he saw them, his lost wife and child. He called glimpses of them in the shadows, or smelled their scent. He conversed with them, and heard their responses. It was not uncommon he knew this conjuring of the dead by the living”.........”he carried himself like someone much older, although that was almost certainly a consequence of all he had endured. He radiated watchfulness without fear, and a self-aware intelligence”.....

An antihero forever doomed to seek out answers to understand the reasoning behind the death of his family, in the hope that it might bring peace but in the knowledge that each day takes him further into the void and the blackness that ultimately awaits him.

Wonderful lead detective - 4 star

The story, for what it is worth, is the kidnapping “presumed missing” of Edith Hind, beautiful Cambridge student and daughter of a wealthy surgeon. When the body is not found all the usual subjects...family, boyfriend and possible girlfriend are interviewed but to no avail. What lifts this book above the normal crime thriller is the wonderful character of DS Manon Bradshaw. She is a gutsy, confused, loveable detective with a very complex private life that often interferes with her professional status. From the opening scenes, a failed attempt at internet dating, to her obvious affection for Fly Dent, a young man with no father figure and an alcoholic mother…..Manon grabs centre stage as she reaches out for our kindness and support. With her equally affable partner Constable Davy Walker they work to uncover the truth of the whereabouts of Edith Hind….”Davy of course smiling in at her, coffee in hand, the light glowing behind those marvellous ears, like red quotation marks” It is however Manon that makes this book such an enjoyable read a 39 year old woman searching for some form of inner contentment……”She thinks life is best passed in a blur: imprecise and anaesthetised from the sharper feelings. She is drowning as the gin engulfs her, swaying on the spot, the room spinning, the music pumping in time with the blood in her arteries.”.........”The bereaved should wear signs, she thinks, saiying: Grief in Progress- for at least a couple of years”....

Reach for the sky! - 5 star

What a wonderful story through the running journal’s of Bill Graham. Here is a  man of modesty who takes us through his childhood in Liverpool, Chester a family move to South Africa before finally settling in Bristol. His enthusiasm for the outdoors whether running the London Marathon or scaling the lofty heights of Scaffel Pike in the Lake District is laid bare. This is not just running but a way of life that helped shape Bill, giving him a sense of purpose, and self belief, and along the way many great memories……..”What you have to instill in your mentality is that every step you take, in the right direction, is a step closer to the finish so just keep putting one foot in front of the other and you will reach the finish line”....

I am reminded of a quote by Joel Henning in his book “Holistic Running” that best sums up the spirit of those who dare to do the impossible….”It is indeed a from of worship, an attempt to find God, a means to the transcendent...I have power, power that propels me cross country, puts me intimately in touch with nature, strengthens, me…..I own the day”.....

Highly Recommended

Lacking real bite - 2 star

The last Werewolf as the title implies is about...well...the last werewolf. Jake Marlowe has wandered the world for a long long time pursued by an organisation dedicated to the destruction of the lycanthorpe, referred to as WOCOP “World organisation for the control of occult Phenomena” Once every month when the full moon shines the change from man to beast occurs…”Shoulders, wrists, ankles - first to change, last to change back...the not toenails, not quite claws….invisible hands gripped my neck and twisted in opposite directions...my lupine twin was impatient, a being was no good without a body. The slow hindquarters tested his tolerance of delay and mine of pain….my new skull shuddered and my bowels disencumbered themselves...It was still him and me but we eyed each other knowing everything depended on bridging the gap. Cooperation would come the two strands would plait so that we would become I, but it was his birthright to take the inaugural moment by force”......It is at times easy to have sympathy with Jake, his plight, and I suppose it could be said that those who wish his destruction do so out of fear, knowing that what they cannot understand and control should be destroyed. Yet equally the werewolf is indiscriminate in his choice of victim and as Jake himself acknowledged…”Once a month I transformed into a monster, part man part wolf. I killed and devoured humans starting with my wife” So in reality an out of control killing machine needed to be destroyed. The questions of purpose and existence posed little in the way of answers…..”Where did it all fit in? Was my species God’s handiwork or the Devil’s?....What would happen to me when I died? Had I still a soul? Where and when did werewolves begin?

Marlowe’s life becomes more tolerable when he discovers a female companion, Talulla. Together they flee as those who would destroy them tighten their grip and once again great questions of existence become paramount….”I don’t know where the universe came from or what happens to creatures when they die. I don’t know if the whole thing’s an unravelling accident or an inscrutable design. I don’t know how one should live- but I know that one should live, if one can possibly bear it, You love life because life’s all there is. And I only know that because I happen to have found - again- love”....

The language in The Last Werewolf is at times poetic, insightful even shrewd in its sharp observations and yet the rich lyrical quality of the prose often leads to disorientation and bewilderment making it at times difficult to comprehend as the reader becomes lost and adrift in a sea of words…………

The unconventional life of Harry Cane - 4 star

 

A place called Winter can be correctly described as a novel about loneliness. Harry Cane is a gay man who rather than follow his heart, gives way to convention, finds himself married, and the proud father of a young daughter. However his true feelings and an illicit love affair, very much against the misguided moral Edwardians of the time, results in Harry being banished by his family to the harsh winter climate of Saskatchewan, Canada. In this desolate location he must eke out an existence, toiling and working the land, ultimately gifted to him if successful. A sensitive, thoughtful read, an unexpected conclusion seeming to offer Harry unbridled happiness he never expected, but so richly deserved.

Abysmal - 1 star

In a word...terrible. I expected so much from Yrsa Sigurdardottir having read and enjoyed The Legacy and, in so doing, meeting good characters (with the ability to grow as the series progressed) namely Detective Huldar and child psychologist Freyja. For reasons best known only to the author she introduces a horror element; a bedraggled doll and it would appear that anyone who encounters the doll will meet a rather violent death. The discovery of bones at sea, sexual abuse at the care home, the murder of a homeless man did little to rescue a dismal attempt at horror, and a poorly constructed deeply confusing crime story The last part of the novel (I use the term lightly) includes a long and rambling expose, unveiling of the perpetrators and thankfully, and it could not come sooner….the end. Thank you to netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review…..and that is what I will always deliver.

Where it all began - 4 star

There is nowhere better for me to try to understand the mindset of Harry Bosch or indeed his creator Michael Connelly by starting again where it all began book one in the series.Harry is best described as "a detective who would do the right thing no matter what the cost. A man with a sharp worn code of conduct. A classic outsider.".... In The Black Echo we learn about Harry's activities as a tunnel rat during the Vietnam war and how the horrors of this underground hell helped shape him as a detective with the will to survive and a loner's code of justice. When the body of a fellow "rat" Billy Meadows is discovered in a drain outlet, Harry is determined to find the perpetrator responsible and bring justice to his onetime comrade in arms. In this endeavour he is joined by FBI agent Eleanor Wish, a relationship develops that becomes personal and leaves Harry wondering if her intentions are honourable or does she harbor an underlying agenda.

The weakness of the story is the plot; dirty money profits from Saigon laundered as precious stones and kept secret in a bank vault in downtown LA. The only way to retrieve the hidden stash is to tunnel deep into the innards of the bank. In contrast the strength of the story is the superb charactization of the main players. Bosch, Eleanor Wish and Deputy Chief Irvin Irving who appears to be on a one man crusade against what he views as underhand tactics by a maverick lone detective.
 
As always Michael Connnelly is razor sharp in his acute observations of the human spirit....."Sunsets did that here. Made you forget it was the smog that made their colors so brilliant, and that behind every pretty picture there could be an ugly story."....."He was a worn-out old man whose eyes had quit caring about anything but the odds on three year olds"..."I believe that shit happens. I believe that the best you can do in this job is come out even".......

Having just reread The Black Echo I have actually awarded it an extra star! Whilst the plot becomes a little laborious there are nice incidental comments that can be made. There is a theme of tunnels running through the story, a young teenager found murdered in a drainage tunnel, bank robberies where the perpetrators ingeniously use tunnels as their mode of entry, and of course Harry Bosch was a tunnel rat in Vietnam and murder victim Meadows was a tunnel rat and friend. The characters of Lewis and Clarke are portrayed as 2 buffoons from Internal Affairs, who under the strict command of Irving have been asked to shadow Bosch and somehow find or witness the detective acting outside the law. There is a particularly funny scene where Harry confronts the 2 and handcuffs them around a tree.....again this sense of comedy does not sit well in the overall theme of The Black Echo....needless to say the conclusion of this affair is swift and bloody.
The Black Echo is an important read not only because it is the first book in a great series but it lays the groundwork for many great adventures to come and the cynicism of dedicated detective that can only increase....

In the shadow of The Godfather - 3 star

The Sicilian is the natural successor to Mario Puzo’s outstanding novel The Godfather. It includes a smattering of characters from the original story in particular Michael Corleone in exile until his father Don Corleone deems it safe for his return. In the meantime he is to prepare the way for resident bad boy Salvatore Giuliano to be smuggled out of Sicily and given safe passage to New York. Giuliano is involved in a turf war with local Capo Don Croce and events are fast approaching a bloody conclusion. The Sicilian is not a bad book, it contains all the ingredients that make for a good “mob” read. The usual elements of family loyalty, honour, explosive action, duplicity, treachery are all here. However, in the final analysis, it is nowhere near as entertaining or captivating as its predecessor but useful for an account of Michael's years in exile.

Lyrical and powerful - 5 star

An ordinary life, an enclosed life, a life of servitude to family, to church, a life of questionable morals, repressed sexuality, guilt, abuse that is The Dark by renowned Irish author John McGahern. Mahoney the father rules with a rod of iron, and a belt of leather the story is told through the eyes of the eldest son in a harsh rural landscape where the only real arbiter is the Catholic church…..” In fear and shame you are moving to the death of having to describe the real face of your life to your God in his priest, and to beg forgiveness, and promise for there is still time.”.........” A priest could have no anguish, he’d given up happiness, his fixed life moving in the calm of certainty into its end, cursed by no earthly love or longing, all had been chosen years before”..... Lyrical, breathtaking, disturbing the story remains with you long after the final page. Highly recommended.

Wolf with no bite - 3 star

The last Jack Caffery book written in 2014 and since then not a word has been heard from the author? There are certain trends that run through this series that add a little sparkle the first being the walking man. A type of reclusive wealthy vagrant,  permanently moving around the lowlands of Somerset, and in Wolf he befriends a small dog with the words “help us” around his collar. Caffery becomes involved but only if in return  the walking man can help trace his younger brother Ewan who vanished aged 9 never to be seen again. The other rather odd feature is the appearance yet again of human entrails which Mz Hayder appears to have a fixation with. A wealthy scientist, his wife and daughter are being held hostage the motive behind the kidnapping is unclear but may have a connection to the production of a smart torpedo able to seek out and destroy with precise accuracy. A somewhat disappointing read, the series looking a little tired and certainly lacking the sparkle that police diver Flea Marley contributed to earlier books…..Come back Mo and revive Jack and Flea!

A good solid crime read - 3 star

 

A good solid crime story with some well defined and strong characters. DSI William Lorimer head of the Major Incident Team (MIT) is investigating some local murders when intelligence reaches him, from counter terrorism, that an atrocity is planned somewhere in the good city of Glascow on Xmas eve. To complicate matters there are rumours that information is being leaked to terrorist organisations from someone within Police Scotland. He is in desperate need of assistance and this comes from the most unlikely source Inspector Daniel Kohi late of the Zimbabwean police who finds himself alone in a strange city with an even stranger dialect! Koki has a past to forget and with the friendship of Lorimer and the support of his strange neighbour Netta he begins to live again….” Ye goat a name , son? Pardon? Daniel frowned. Goats? What did goats have to do with anything? Goat a name? Netta repeated, poking his arm. Ah cannae jist ca ye Mr Zimbabwe, can ah, noo?”......

The tension and snappy dialect combine to create a very enjoyable read. Many thanks to the good people at netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.

The Godfather...who's the daddy :) - 5 star

 

I must admit I never read The Godfather in my younger days and what a treat I missed. The movie follows the novel very closely with great performances from James Cann as the somewhat unpredictable Sonny Corleone, Robert Duvall “a lawyer with a briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns”, and the unmissable Al Pacino as the quiet, softly spoken Michael his destiny to become the Don. To achieve this Michael proves that underneath his sober exterior is a latent and ruthless ability to decisively order executions in the name and preservation of the Corleone family.

I enjoyed the way Mario Puzo introduced minor characters and we follow their story none better than crooner Johnny Fontane played perfectly by Al Martino as the aging narcissist. The book is a delight and very easy read even a 600+ pages with some wonderful quotes and observations along the way…” a friend should always underestimate your virtues and an enemy overestimate your faults”....”The Don considered a use of threats the most foolish kind of exposure, the unleashing of anger without forethought as the most dangerous indulgence”.......”But great men are not born great, they grow great and so it was with Vito Corleone”....”He had long ago learned that society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in this world there comes a time when the most humble of men, if he keeps his eyes open, can take his revenge on the most powerful”..........A truly great read that the passing of time has done nothing to diminish. Highly, highly recommended.

The light has gone out - 2 star

Probably going against the majority of reivews but this book did not really excite and entertain me. What was I expecting? To me a fair comparison would be the 2019 movie The Lighthouse starring William Defoe and Robert Pattinson....2 lighthouse keepers who begin to descend into madness when a storm strands them on the remote island where they are stationed. I could clearly feel the horror of what was happening it was frighteningly atmospheric. The author of The Lamplighters in no way excited me with her storytelling as she rambled on about the lives of the 3 keepers and the women who waited patiently for their return, told in 2 timelines. There was an illicit affair and the sad death of a child but she failed miserably to bring alive the terror that such an isolated setting should produce. This could just as easily have been a story of 3 miners, 3 deep sea divers, 3 murderers.....the list is endless. The Shining by Stephen King and The Silent Land by Graham Joyce are 2 great examples where the respective authors allowed the reader to feel the horror and madness that resulted from isolation and inclement weather. Many thanks to the good people at netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.

Remarkable conclusion to a brilliant trilogy - 5 star

The final years of Cicero’s life were dominated by Caesar's civil war, one of the last politico-military conflicts in the Roman Republic before the establishment of the Roman Empire. The life of a politician, at the time of Cicero, was indeed a noble affair and it was possible for the ordinary common man (plebeian) to be elected as tribune granting him the power to propose and veto legislation. Rome was a society in which the organization of both military and civil life was implemented to the nth degree. Equally it was also a civilization where oratorical skills demanded both the respect and support of the legislative, and yet life was viewed in an unprincipled manner the thrust of a rapier or the wire of the garote only a heartbeat away.

Dictator is the third book by Robert Harris in a trilogy about the life of Marcus Tullius Cicero; statesman, lawyer, scholar and philosopher who played a leading role in the politics of the late Roman Republic. The author conveys this important period through the eyes of Tiro, Cicero’s confidential secretary and literary advisor made a freeman in 53BC. By using the voice and observations of Tiro Harris is able to bring alive Rome at this time, in particular the unpredictability and bawdiness that was the watchword of senatorial debate. A large portion of the novel is devoted to Julius Caesar and his attempt to have himself proclaimed Dictator who on his death was officially recognised as a god, the Divine (Divus) Julius…..”His body was glistening, well muscled, and plucked entirely hairless in every respect- a disconcerting affectation which had the effect of emphasising his numerous scars and bruises, presumably picked up on the battlefield. His face was undeniably striking- angular and lean, dominated by dark and penetrating eyes. The overall effect was one of great power, of both the intellect and the will. One could see why men and women alike fell easily under his spell.

Set against a background and a time of painful change, with hard fought battles, and eloquent debate on every page Dictator is a superb read and a fitting conclusion to both a wonderful trilogy and history of an important historical figure. Highly recommended.

Roman history comes alive - 5 star

Simon Scarrow’s Eagle of the Empire series is a superb read on at least 2 levels. The battle scenes are very realistic, and give the reader a sense of the hardships and dangers faced by foot soldiers, the legionaries, the backbone of the Roman army. Soldering was a 25 year posting, and if by some miracle you survived then peaceful retirement was your reward. Equally Scarrow’s books offer a fantastic insight into the mindset behind the Roman empire. Their ability to organise, to build, to construct, to invent, and their unswerving belief in the Romanization of the rest of the known world bringing education and peace to the masses, taxation and servitude in exchange for citizenship…”Civis Romanus sum” the ticket to a better world.

A Cato and Macro novel, and our 2 heroes are with the second legion as they attempt to push North their goal Camulodunum ( Colchester) Blocking their path is tribal chief Caratacus, his fanatical followers, all bound together by their hate of the Romans……”Vespasian felt a grudging respect for the Britons’ leader, Caratacus, chief of the Catuvellauni. That man had more tricks up his sleeve yet, and the Roman army of General Aulus Plautius had better treat the enemy with more respect than had been the case so far”......Yet amongst all this carnage and bloodshed Scarrow introduces at intervals some light descriptive humour…….”One particular warrior had proved extremely aggravating for the Roman artillery crews. He was a huge man, with a winged helmet over his blond hair and he stood naked at the water’s edge, shouting abuse at the Roman warships as he defiantly waved a double-headed axe. Every so often he would turn round and thrust his backside towards the enemy, defying them to do their worst”......

We cannot help but applaud at times the ingenuity of the invaders, their masterful fighting skills and in particular the “testudo” in literal translation, the tortoise…the best chance of Legionaries surviving a frontal assault was by quickly forming a wall and roof of protecting shields. As the campaign proceeds Emperor Claudius departs Rome to lead the final assault against Caratacus. Claudius is splendidly portrayed as a weak narcissist, his stammer only adding to his pitiful image. What better way for such an important leader to make a spectacular entrance atop a mighty elephant….”The elephant driver halted the Emperor’s beast and urged it down with a set sequence of kicks and orders. The front knees gracefully buckled and the Emperor, still waving nonchalantly to his cheering troops, was almost pitched out of his throne and only avoided the indignity by throwing himself backward and grabbing the arms. Even so the imperial wreath was dislodged. It bounced down the flank of the elephant and would have landed on the ground had not Narcissus leaped forward and fielded with a neat one-handed catch. The beast lowered its rear and the Emperor pulled a hidden lever to release the side of the throne, which folded out to provide a nicely angled series of steps down to the ground”......

This is wonderful storytelling with treachery and death a constant companion. The limited known facts of the period are woven into the narrative expertly complimented with some intuitive historical  observations…..”They are just men, Cato. Ordinary men with all their vices and virtues. But where other men live their lives with death as a side issue, we live ours with death as a constant companion. We have to accept death”.......”To fighting men on campaign, any opportunity to rest represented a luxury to be savoured, and the men of the Second Legion dozed happily in the sunlight”........”.....Julius Caesar, Hannibal, Alexander, Xerxes or any of them...It’s men like that who make wars not the rest of us. We’re too busy worrying about the next crop, how to guarantee the town’s water supplies, whether our wives are being faithful, whether our children will survive into adulthood. That’s what concerns the small people all over the empire. War does not serve our ends. We’re forced into it”......

Insightful, thrilling, well written, and oh so highly recommended!

A delight from start to finish - 4 star

Fern and Rose, fraternal sisters, are very close siblings. Rose might view herself as the more pragmatic decision maker, and Fern the organised librarian, mildly autistic, in her own ordered world. As young children they lived a chaotic transient, abusive existence, with their mum and various questionable lovers.

Rose and partner Owen, unable to have children, are overjoyed when Fern offers herself as  surrogate mum. The story is delightful, at times a little dark, and is told in the alternate voices of the two sisters. To say more would spoil the delights awaiting an expectant reader, with an ending that is surprising and very neatly executed. Recommended. Many thanks to the good people at netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.

Incredibly moving - 5 star

Jon McGregor had my full attention from the opening sentence….”Eleanor was in the kitchen when he got back from her mother’s funeral”.....The obvious question is why did Eleanor not attend? you are caught in the author’s trap you want to know the answer and so you start reading…...The seemingly ordinary story of the life of Robert Carter and his wife Eleanor Campbell and the fallout that happens when an offhand comment shatters irrevocably those values previously held to be true.

Told in a similar writing style to William Boyd and set over a time period of some 50 years it is the language of McGregor that adds so much and enriches the reading experience……”so he might have been rushing to catch his train and not turned and seen her there. These things, the way they fall into place. The people we would be if these things were otherwise”.......”the house empty behind them, unspoken regrets and recriminations swept out of sight like crumbs from the table, silence blanketing the room, the two of them avoiding eachother’s eyes”.......”Every step drew her deeper into the hollows of the landscape, the green hills and shining rivers and mist-tangled treetops, as though she was clambering into the postcard she used to keep propped up on the mantelpiece”...... The author addresses and opens up to examination Carter’s work as Curator of a Coventry museum, his relationship with Eleanor and how this relationship is tested over a chance remark. The reader is able to identify and immerse himself in the story as it unfolds. Jon McGregor’s real ability is the astounding way he brings to life the ordinary and mundane in colourful descriptive heartfelt prose. Wonderful writing, brilliant author, highly highly recommended….”David joked to Eleanor one worn-out evening, and they were happy, in the ordinary ways which had evaded them for so long”....... 

Stunning, poignant, a magnificent read - 5 star

What a stunning novel. Having just finished Lean Fall Stand I am still affected by the language and the theme of communication or not that runs through each chapter. Robert, Thomas, and Luke are mapping and carrying out important research work in Antarctica, a virtually uninhabited, ice-covered landmass. An area of extreme weather conditions where sunshine could turn to snowy stormy wipeout in minutes, clear visibility replaced by blindness...…”Glaciers and ridges and icebergs and scree, weathering and wind-form and shear. The air so clear that distances shrank and all the colours shone”...... When wipeout occurs the 3 colleagues are each  involved in separate challenges. Thomas, as the photographer, is cast adrift when the ice beneath him cracks and breaks. Communication is impossible conversation replaced by broken static over the airwaves. Fallout is swift and far reaching and as we move forward in the story Anna, Robert’s wife, is forced to reevaluate her everyday existence as she welcomes home a very traumatised husband. 

Robert has suffered a stroke, he is bedridden as not only his body but his ability to speak has deserted him…..”The effects of stroke include language impairments, reduced mobility, difficulties with swallowing, and cognitive deficits”......Communication once so accessible has gone his thoughts are trapped within a damaged body, unable to connect with his wife Anna following the tragedy that happened in Station K...Communication once so easy no longer present. And so begins the process of painful rehabilitation. The human state of existence relies on the need to communicate and when this is gone, and replaced by breakdown and misunderstanding, chaos ensues. Robert attends group therapy work making the acquaintance of fellow stroke victims all existing in their own bubble, a form of confinement…..and gradually a different “living” begins to seem possible.

It is inevitable that his illness will affect his relationship with his wife Anna. A career woman and always supportive of her spouse she is now faced with a new reality….life or a carer...both husband and wife slave to the stroke…..”His frustration at not being able to speak kept tipping over into frustration with her for not understanding”...... Understanding and support once the centre of their married life has deserted leaving sadness and heartbreak in its wake. Ultimately Lean Fall Stand is a book of hope and the ability of the human spirit to accept and move forward introducing a different type of communication. Many thanks to the good people of netgalley for a gratis copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and this is what I have written….Brilliant, poignant, uplifting, and at times even funny and oh so highly recommended.

Delightful and very enjoyable - 5 star

 

DS Tom Thorne is determined to find a young juvenile Kieron Coyne who has disappeared, suspected abduction,  whilst playing in his local park with best friend Josh supervised by his mum Cat and Josh’s mum Marie. Thorne is haunted by a similar case from the past, a case in which he hesitated and his indecisiveness has horrific and far reaching consequences. 

Cry Baby is a prequel and for fans of Tom Thorne gives a glimpse of a much younger but still very dedicated officer of the law. The nostalgic rewind to  a much simpler period in time makes for very enjoyable reading. We smile at the mention of the earliest mobile not so much a phone but a brick! We lament England's 96 Euro challenge, sympathize with Gareth Southgate’s famous missed penalty, and applaud a well disciplined German team who once again stifled the cries of ardent English fans who truly believed that finally football was coming home.

One of the strongest and most memorable characters appearing in all the Thorne novels is Phil Hendricks, maverick pathologist, adorned in tattoos, body jewelry, and piercings. It is delightful to see how the unconventional partnership of Thorne and Hendricks, will lead to a very long lasting, warm, and respectful relationship both at work and in their personal lives. The writing of Billingham is concise and clear and Cry Baby is a delight to read from start to finish.

The spirit of man - 4 star

“...caught on the barbed wire, drowned in mud, choked by the oily slime of gas, reduced to a spray of red mist quartered limbs hanging from shattered branches of burnt trees, bodies swollen and blackened with flies, skulls gnawed by rats, corpses stuck in the sides of trenches that aged with each day into the colours of the dead”............”This was not war he wrote; it was the monstrous inversion of civilization. To call it war was to imply that something of the sun remained, when in fact all that existed was a bruised sky in a bitter night of cobalt rain”......”Not a village had been taken, nor a single major objective achieved. Machine guns cut the men down like scythes slicing through grass”..

And so starts this epic novel of human endurance and human spirit told against the backdrop of the senseless slaughter of WW1 and the cold unforgiving heights of a treacherous Mt Everest. Before George Mallory embarked on his third, and what was to tragically prove his final attempt at ascending this great mountain, he was asked what was the purpose of conquering such a merciless foe he simply replied….because it is there. Yet such a simple response hides the enormity of the task that faced Mallory and Irvine as they set about vanquishing all their fears and summit this frozen mountainous landscape, many years removed from the mud and blood of never to be forgotten names...Ypres, Verdun, Somme (the Somme in particular accounting for more than a million men from all sides killed wounded or captured, British casualties on the first day alone amounting to over 57,000) It is perhaps of little wonder that the men who had survived the battle fields embraced with such passion a need to climb, a need to cleanse their souls, find some meaning in wasted lives, sacrifice, and perhaps by reaching out they might touch the hand of God…

Into the silence is a large novel that requires some perseverance and dedicated reading time to fully appreciate what is being described to the reader. I felt that the earlier part of the book with its gory WW1 imagery was some of the most disturbing I have ever encountered. The preparation for and the 3 ascensions of Everest were a little too detailed giving at times overlong historical and geographical descriptions as various permissions were sought and the lower reaches of Everest constantly surveyed in an attempt to select the best and most practical route for a successful ascent. This however is a minor criticism and for the most part I was enthralled by this boy's own adventure unfolding before me, where amongst other noteworthy facts oxygen was used for the first time. If we also appreciate how simplistic the standard of equipment was compared to the present then the achievements of these earlier innovators is outstanding. Many years were to pass before the ultimate fate of Mallory and Irvine was known, it had always been hoped that they had reached the summit and that speculation still remains today even though Mallory’s body was discovered in 1999 it gives little clue as to his final moments…

An important read not only for its historical significance but a wonderful study of the essence of man and his ability to rise above all adversity in the search of a dream…..”from that day it was certain that he had found in snow mountains the perfect medium for the expression of his physical and spiritual being”......”His great desire she wrote very simply was for the spirit of man to exercise itself freely and fearlessly and joyously as a climber on a hill”.......
Highly Recommended

A little ray of hope - 5 star

 

Nuri, his wife Afra, and their son Sami are residents in war torn Aleppo. By profession he is a beekeeper and carries out this dedicated vocation with his friend Mustafa. Running through this insightful story is a fond adoration of the daily life of the humble bee, the delicious honey they produce, and their importance in the ecological system. Life is irrevocably changed when a bomb explodes, killing Sami and blinding Afro. As the desperate situation in Syria/Aleppo disintegrates Nuri takes the decision together with his wife to make the perilous journey across Europe and obtain residency in the UK as an asylum seeker, and by so doing join his friend Mustafa who has already established a business in Yorkshire. What follow is not only the hardships of such an endeavour but a story of 2 people deeply traumatised attempting to save a relationship fractured by events in an escalating war...

….”But as the years passed, the dessert was slowly growing, the climate becoming harsh, rivers drying up, farmers struggling, only the bees were drought-resistant. Look at those little warriors Afra would say on the days when she came with Sami to visit the apiaries, a tiny bundle wrapped up in her arms. Look at them still working when everything else is dying”...”Nice to meet you he said...I wish you a day of morning light”....” How many tissues will people need to buy? Maybe this is a city of crying”....”Can you see the bees Nuri? Try to see them in your mind. Hundreds and thousands of them in the sunlight, on the flowers, the hives and the honeycomb. Can you see it?”.....”I am standing away from them by the glass doors, watching them, and I think about the little boy who never existed and how he had filled the black void that Sami had left. Sometimes we create such powerful illusions, so that we do not get lost in the darkness”.....

The beekeeper of Aleppo is a story of suffering and the remarkable ability of the human spirit to survive against a background of war, slaughter and heartache.Provocative, thought provoking prose, make this a story long remembered. Highly recommended.

Wonderful read - 5 star

Fioana Maye and husband Jack live a life of relative luxury in Grays Inn London She is a high court judge as well as an aspiring concert pianist. One morning Jack decides to find himself a younger lover as Fiona it would appear is not sympathetic to his needs, and so departs the family home. This does little to comfort a lady who is aware of the march of time, the unflattering affect and the cost that must be paid as the human body ages….”...her body looked foolish in the full-length mirror. Miraculously shrunken in some parts, bloated in others. Bottom heavy. A ridiculous package. Fragile, This Way up. Why would anyone not leave her?....” At work in the law court “my lady Fiona” is presented with a very difficult case and her decision will prove to have very far reaching and lasting consequences on all parties involved. A 17 year old boy is desperately ill in hospital and is refusing a blood transfusion which could ultimately save his life. His religious beliefs and that of his parents is viewed by the family as more important than life saving intervention…..”Religions, moral systems, her own included, were like peaks in a dense mountain range seen from a great distance, none obviously higher, more important, truer than another. What was to judge?.."

Written in the delightful prose of Ian McEwan, one of England's greatest living authors, The Children Act is mesmerizing. The writer captures beautifully the everyday life and the important work of the English High Court and through the eyes of Fiona Maye we begin to understand difficult decisions that must be made and consequences thereof. A wonderful book which I devoured in one sitting, full of insight, understanding, and profound observation...."Didn't you tell me that couples in long marriages aspire to the condition of siblings? We've arrived Fiona I've become your brother. Highly recommended.

The friendship bird :) - 4 star

On holiday and on a beach in Uruguay Tom Mitchell rescues a lone penguin from many thousands who have died due to oil polution. From this tragedy, perpetrated by arguably the penguins greatest enemy...humans, comes a novel of friendship, love and sadness as we laugh and cry at the survival of Juan Salvador (the penguin!) and the wonderful and lasting affect he has on all those who come into contact with him. Highly recommended!