An enjoyable coming of age story - 3 star

A pleasant coming of age story written in a rather engaging style which helps to encapsulate the trials and tribulation of young Daniel. He is on the cusp of manhood and has to face the disgrace of his father, the overpowering love of his mother, and his increasing interest in a boy called Philip. The question of sexual orientation, the need for spiritual guidance (or not as Daniel comes to realise) is dealt with understanding, sympathy if not a little humour.

The Death Watcher, Chris Carter still top of his game - 5 star

I have read all Chris Carter’s books and have found them unputdownable until that is I read Genesis, 14th in the Robert Hunter series….and I  thought it was terrible ( well every author is allowed one book that just doesn’t float my particular boat :) So with more than a little trepidation I picked up The Death Watcher and hoped the winning formula that had held me glued to the antics of Hunter and his intrepid partner Garcia, would return….and boy was I not disappointed.

As fans of Carter will know Hunter and Garcia work in the Robbery and Homicide division in the LA PD but more particularly the Ultra Violent Crimes unit, dealing with homicides so severe and grotesque that only those of a certain disposition (our 2 heroes :) can be allocated. Yes the Death Watcher is yet another serial killer book, but it is much more than that, and to find out why we just need to look at the author’s background….Born in Brazil of Italian origin, Chris Carter studied psychology and Criminal behaviour in the USA. As a member of the District Attorney's Criminal Psychology team, and working together with the Police Department in numerous cases, he interviewed and studied many criminals, including serial and multiple homicide offenders with life imprisonment convictions.

So in The Death Watcher we are invited to attend and be witness to group sessions with evil men who are prepared to acknowledge their crime and by this acknowledgement maybe find a little peace. It is this evaluation and understanding of perpetrators that gives Carter a unique insight into the criminal mind and makes his books (well nearly all of them) an essential read. The Death Watcher concerns a very disturbed individual and when the bodies of his victims are discovered, Hunter and Garcia start on a journey that could result in a fatal conclusion. Enjoy, and hold on tight, for the ride, welcome back Chris, you are still top of your game :)

An author at the top of her game - 5 star

A big welcome back to the Martini club, a loose configuration of ex spies living in the aptly named Purity (it’s not so pure :) For those of you who have not read the first in the series “The spy Coast” the Martini club comprises unofficial leader Maggie, Declan, her possible boyfriend, Ben, Ingrid and Lloyd. Retirement has brought little respite for the five and when a young girl Zoe is reported missing they are determined to help acting chief Jo Thibodeau solve the case, even if acting chief Thibodeau does not want any help.

Susan, Ethan and their daughter Zoe are travelling to Maiden Pond to scatter the ashes of Ehtan’s father George. There he will meet with George’s widow Elizabeth, his brother Colin, wife Brooke and their young son Kit. However all is not well in this family, when Zoe disappears, the past resurfaces and deadly family secrets emerge with near fatal results 

I thought this was an excellent story weaving parts of questionable CIA history (and educating me in the process)with a top notch edge of the seat thriller. I love this new series that the author has commenced, what a wonderful direction for her to take, and a treat for the reader. Highly recommended.

Great fun - 4 star

Buzzards Edge is not a place you might want to visit, but it is a wild ride where you can meet vampires, wizards, hard nosed cowboys, bad men with blackness in their hearts and all wrapped up in an amazing weird western theme under the relentless heartless sun…..”Paranoia stemming from dehydration and the ceaseless Arizona heat”……” A nowhere town baking under the desert sun”.....The scene is set by our 2 mysterious narrators: hyena and his buddy buzzard and the fast moving stories with an evil theme all take place…”in the desert, everything is monotony and doom. No matter how quickly you move, the land stills around you”.....Wonderful stuff and highly recommended.

A thoughtful blend of horror and history - 5 star

Charlie Briggs, con man, thief, and occasional murderer when the situation arises, has left London to gain a little respite from those who would harm him, and has arrived in the quiet town of Petersfield. Always on the lookout for something of value he can steal and launder through his underworld contacts, he is drawn to a rare book shop…..”The smell of books came wafting from every corner of the shop. The sweet musk of old volumes lovingly bound in soft leather”....By chance he identifies a first edition of “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu which had belonged to a young man called Arthur Richards, presented to him by his father on his 18th birthday. Arthur was yet another sacrificial lamb in the senseless slaughter of innocents that was WW1. True to his vocation Charlie steals the book, knowing that this is the key to his fortune, and his future,  but unfortunately for him this simple act of theft opens his mind to all the horrors, death, and indiscriminate use of mustard gas that was WW1…..”Yet somehow Charlie couldn’t shake the chill that closed around his bones and bit deep. His fear took shape, manifesting as a yellow fog that rolled in from the narrow alleyways and enveloped the gaslights. He’d seen that fog before, and he knew what it meant. He forced his aching feet on faster fighting the urge to look over his shoulder”....

The background of the 1st world war is perfect material to showcase horror.Those who fought everyday, and indeed died, endured and witnessed the most diabolic acts forever imprinted on their minds, never to recover. Charlie Briggs by his selfless act of theft and total lack of respect will soon be drawn into the bloody conflict there to see and experience the short life of Arthur, and live to regret his action, and his greed which will be repaid in full. This is a book that is suitable to both teenagers and adults, as the author brilliantly encompasses an edge of the seat horror story with the terror of young men trapped in mud filled trenches, mown down by machine gun fire, their bodies forever maimed by the barbaric use of chemical warfare. Highly recommended.

An average book with an interesting theme - 3 star

Claire Meadows, married for 30 years, now at the age of 92 looks back on her life after her husband died. It would appear that during her marriage there was little love between her loyal but equally boring husband. As soon as he dies she decides party.... chasing an active and fulfilling sex life. She is now free to discover herself and prove that older women can enjoy life and be in control of their body at any age. An average book with a interesting theme.

Astounding - 5 star

Robert Harris as always delivers creating a story from the known facts and making a novel feel like you are present as the events unfold. HH Asquith was Liberal party prime minister from 1908 until 1916 at a very turbulent time in European History. During that period he befriended a young lady of noble birth; Venetia Stanley. He proceeded to meet her on numerous occasions and openly discussed government secrets with her sharing details of troop movements and government war strategy, amongst other cabinet talks. The author informs us that the letters from Asquith to Stanley were not destroyed and he was able to use them as source material for his book and therefore the story behind Precipice is built on truth. This fact alone is unbelievable as is the attitude of Asquith who used his position to not only befriend young ladies, but to sexually abuse them (he was 35 years older than Stanley and professed undying love to her) She was happy to act as his chaperone ( it is debatable whether their relationship was sexual, although Harris believes it was) and then to effectively end the affair when she grew tired of his constant whining and promises of a future together….Asquith’s wife Margot was an Aristocratic socialite and free spirit, they both lived separate lives, in separate rooms leaving her husband to pursue and indulge his sexual fantasies. He used to meet Stanley in a “bedroom on wheels”  hence the author’s assumption that the relationship was sexual in nature is well founded…

This is an astounding story told with the author’s flamboyant style, it makes a riveting and surprisingly informative read. I highly recommend and regard Precipice as one of my all time favourite reads.