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