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Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Before The Devil Knows You're Dead in Books
Nov 8, 2019
It is a snowy Hogmanay in Glasgow. Obstetric Surgeon Gavin Law has made an accusation of malpractice against a colleague, Wallace Maitland, only for an accusation to be made against him. Wallace Maitland doesn't remember Hogmanay but did end up covered in blood. Sean Rafferty is now the head of gangster family having taken over from his violent father Jimmy and is having a party to try to appear respectable.
When Law disappears on that fateful Hogmanay, private detective Charlie Cameron takes on the case to find him. But with no leads he also agrees to look at an apparent suicide for his policeman friend DS Geddes, something will put him on a collision course with Rafferty, a man who has tried to kill Cameron in the past.
This, roughly, is the setting for the third of the Charlie Cameron crime thrillers. Detective novels require their plot and characterisation to be convincing and Mullen delivers both. Cameron is always convincing, and an entertaining narrator of the events as he witnesses them. The usual supporting cast of Pat Logue and Geddes are in fine form and Rafferty seems even more of a threat when in the role of a respectable businessman. The various others involved in the cases all ring true as well. Mullen has a knack for not only making his characters believable but very human and realistic as well.
The plotting did not disappoint either with the Law case especially baffling as all avenues of investigation peter out to nothing, and Cameron's frustration at this is clear. The final reveal caught me by surprise but fits everything together perfectly. It certainly kept me guessing, although to be honest I was enjoying simply following Cameron around and seeing his world too much to spend much time worrying about who did it.
This was a book that I enjoyed reading enormously. Mullen is a terrific writer and Cameron and the world he inhabits is a living breathing thing in his hands. Very very highly recommended.
When Law disappears on that fateful Hogmanay, private detective Charlie Cameron takes on the case to find him. But with no leads he also agrees to look at an apparent suicide for his policeman friend DS Geddes, something will put him on a collision course with Rafferty, a man who has tried to kill Cameron in the past.
This, roughly, is the setting for the third of the Charlie Cameron crime thrillers. Detective novels require their plot and characterisation to be convincing and Mullen delivers both. Cameron is always convincing, and an entertaining narrator of the events as he witnesses them. The usual supporting cast of Pat Logue and Geddes are in fine form and Rafferty seems even more of a threat when in the role of a respectable businessman. The various others involved in the cases all ring true as well. Mullen has a knack for not only making his characters believable but very human and realistic as well.
The plotting did not disappoint either with the Law case especially baffling as all avenues of investigation peter out to nothing, and Cameron's frustration at this is clear. The final reveal caught me by surprise but fits everything together perfectly. It certainly kept me guessing, although to be honest I was enjoying simply following Cameron around and seeing his world too much to spend much time worrying about who did it.
This was a book that I enjoyed reading enormously. Mullen is a terrific writer and Cameron and the world he inhabits is a living breathing thing in his hands. Very very highly recommended.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Long Earth in Books
Nov 20, 2019
Step Day. A day that changed the world. A day when the designs for a strange device went viral. Relatively simple to make with a few electronic components and a potato, this small device allowed most people to move sideways into a parallel dimension... and from there they could keep going exploring multiple copies of Earth, each different and all of them untouched and available for colonisation by the population of the overcrowded, overdeveloped and worn out original.
Joshua Valiente is an orphan who discovers that he doesn't actually need a box to move dimensions - to Step - he is a natural, like a few others before him that have already discovered what becomes known as the Long Earth and have kept it to themselves. Big business isn't slow to take advantage, particularly the huge, powerful and shadowy Black Corporation, whose distributed super computer Lobsang claims to be the reincarnation of a Tibetan mechanic. Together Joshua and Lobsang will discover a few of the secrets of the Long Earth, as well as witnessing the worst it brings out in humanity.
With this central idea, Pratchett and Baxter tell the tales of various people affected by the events of Step Day in very different ways. As with the rest of humanity, the narrative is restless, keen to both rush out and see how far along the Long Earth it can travel and to watch how it turns the Earth we all know on its head. This is a book of wonders, a little like Gulliver's Travels in finding interesting variations to explore.
Those expecting the usual slew of jokes, gags, footnotes and humorous characters that typify his Discworld novels will be disappointed. There are light touches to the situations and characters that betray his hand but this is straight science fiction by two great authors who between them manage to convey the huge scale of thousands - millions - of Earths while still being able to tell the story from a human perspective.
Joshua Valiente is an orphan who discovers that he doesn't actually need a box to move dimensions - to Step - he is a natural, like a few others before him that have already discovered what becomes known as the Long Earth and have kept it to themselves. Big business isn't slow to take advantage, particularly the huge, powerful and shadowy Black Corporation, whose distributed super computer Lobsang claims to be the reincarnation of a Tibetan mechanic. Together Joshua and Lobsang will discover a few of the secrets of the Long Earth, as well as witnessing the worst it brings out in humanity.
With this central idea, Pratchett and Baxter tell the tales of various people affected by the events of Step Day in very different ways. As with the rest of humanity, the narrative is restless, keen to both rush out and see how far along the Long Earth it can travel and to watch how it turns the Earth we all know on its head. This is a book of wonders, a little like Gulliver's Travels in finding interesting variations to explore.
Those expecting the usual slew of jokes, gags, footnotes and humorous characters that typify his Discworld novels will be disappointed. There are light touches to the situations and characters that betray his hand but this is straight science fiction by two great authors who between them manage to convey the huge scale of thousands - millions - of Earths while still being able to tell the story from a human perspective.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Piranha (Oregon Files #10) in Books
Nov 25, 2019
Let's be honest here some of the Cussler franchises are getting a little tired and in need of some fresh momentum. Who better to take up the baton of the secret spy ship Oregon than Boyd Morrison? His characterisation and love of technology and gadgets fits perfectly with plots that require several different protagonists in play (there are 4 main 'bad guys' alone in this book, not mention a ship full of the good guys) and high-tech confrontations.
Morrison does indeed tackle this book with gusto. This is mostly action from cover to cover with very little time to catch breath between and exposition being done on the move. There is certainly no feeling that the narrative is moving from set piece to set piece without much momentum or reason.
The main plot is also interesting - what if someone always knew what you were going to do, as if they had an omniscient eavesdropping device. How would you counter that? Add in a vengeful Venezuelan Navy captain and some particularly nasty henchmen and you have the basics for a real thrill ride.
I do like Morrison's work (if you have never read any of the Tyler Locke series I recommend that you do) and expected to like this book, but it exceeded my every expectation. Our heroes are assaulted on all sides - and notably often not under the protection of the Oregon - and the only way they win through is by simply being good at what they do - there are no escapes due to fortunate circumstances.
This is definitely one of the most impressive Cussler brand books for years, probably the best Oregon Files book there is. Although mention is made in passing of various previous exploits, reading the previous novels is not required to enjoy this book.
If you like fast paced adventure with plenty of thrills then you can't go far wrong reading this
Morrison does indeed tackle this book with gusto. This is mostly action from cover to cover with very little time to catch breath between and exposition being done on the move. There is certainly no feeling that the narrative is moving from set piece to set piece without much momentum or reason.
The main plot is also interesting - what if someone always knew what you were going to do, as if they had an omniscient eavesdropping device. How would you counter that? Add in a vengeful Venezuelan Navy captain and some particularly nasty henchmen and you have the basics for a real thrill ride.
I do like Morrison's work (if you have never read any of the Tyler Locke series I recommend that you do) and expected to like this book, but it exceeded my every expectation. Our heroes are assaulted on all sides - and notably often not under the protection of the Oregon - and the only way they win through is by simply being good at what they do - there are no escapes due to fortunate circumstances.
This is definitely one of the most impressive Cussler brand books for years, probably the best Oregon Files book there is. Although mention is made in passing of various previous exploits, reading the previous novels is not required to enjoy this book.
If you like fast paced adventure with plenty of thrills then you can't go far wrong reading this
I received a digital copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Contemporary, young adult, romance, fantasy, steampunk, action... is there any category this book does not fit in to?! Jordan Elizabeth takes readers on a journey from New York to a fantasy world that very few knows exist in her recent novel Lock. Sarah Lockwood, the protagonist, thought the Realm was a story her late father used to tell her, however, when she discovers it is real, she jumps at the chance to visit, not realising the dangers that lie ahead.
Sarah is a self-sufficient young woman who has been living with her belly-dancing aunt since the death of her parents. Invited to stay with her Uncle William, she feels obliged to accept, however, almost regrets the decision after the cold welcome she receives. The gardener's son Archer, however, soon takes her mind off her troubles, particularly when he suggests travelling to a parallel world.
Archer comes from a family of Record Writers and it is his job to record the daily goings-on in the Realm. Sarah soon learns the Realm no longer lives up to the descriptions in the fairytales. A usurper has murdered the royal family and the inhabitants live in constant fear and poverty. Whilst this is shocking, Sarah unveils another revelation: the usurper is someone from her world, someone very close to home.
Although Lock has similarities with fantasy lands such as Narnia, it is written for a slightly older generation of readers. Sarah is 19 years old and some scenes are markedly "adult". There is also a lot of bloodshed and the occasional expletive. Nonetheless, it is a fast-paced, exciting story.
Once again, Jordan Elizabeth has written a book that is unlike the others she has written before. It is difficult to categorise the author and her novels since they are so diverse, however, one thing is for sure: Jordan Elizabeth knows how to tell a good story.
Contemporary, young adult, romance, fantasy, steampunk, action... is there any category this book does not fit in to?! Jordan Elizabeth takes readers on a journey from New York to a fantasy world that very few knows exist in her recent novel Lock. Sarah Lockwood, the protagonist, thought the Realm was a story her late father used to tell her, however, when she discovers it is real, she jumps at the chance to visit, not realising the dangers that lie ahead.
Sarah is a self-sufficient young woman who has been living with her belly-dancing aunt since the death of her parents. Invited to stay with her Uncle William, she feels obliged to accept, however, almost regrets the decision after the cold welcome she receives. The gardener's son Archer, however, soon takes her mind off her troubles, particularly when he suggests travelling to a parallel world.
Archer comes from a family of Record Writers and it is his job to record the daily goings-on in the Realm. Sarah soon learns the Realm no longer lives up to the descriptions in the fairytales. A usurper has murdered the royal family and the inhabitants live in constant fear and poverty. Whilst this is shocking, Sarah unveils another revelation: the usurper is someone from her world, someone very close to home.
Although Lock has similarities with fantasy lands such as Narnia, it is written for a slightly older generation of readers. Sarah is 19 years old and some scenes are markedly "adult". There is also a lot of bloodshed and the occasional expletive. Nonetheless, it is a fast-paced, exciting story.
Once again, Jordan Elizabeth has written a book that is unlike the others she has written before. It is difficult to categorise the author and her novels since they are so diverse, however, one thing is for sure: Jordan Elizabeth knows how to tell a good story.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Zero Hour (Numa Files #11) in Books
Nov 29, 2019
Zero Hour is an 'Adventure from the NUMA Files' which means following the team of Kurt Austin, Joe Zavala and Paul and Gamay Trout on their adventures.
In truth the main players in this are Kurt and Joe with the Trouts taking a back seat. In fact Dirk Pitt has more of a role in this novel than they do. I'm not sure that is a bad thing, having find roles for four leading characters started to get a little stretched for me in the more recent books.
Back to the story, which could come straight out of a James Bond plot. Genius develops a weapon which taps into zero point energy and causes massive earthquakes. Feeling that the nations of the world have shunned him and killed is daughter he decides to turn the weapon upon them in revenge. It is up to Kurt, Joe and an Australian scientist (female, providing the love interest for Kurt) to stop him, against the clock and against all the odds.
This is a real old fashioned adventure story, a few twists here and there to keep the interest but nothing too demanding. It moves at a fantastic pace, has some brilliant set pieces and a typically over the top villain. There are multiple threads to the story which join up for a satisfying conclusion.
The narrative moves on at a good pace and never gets bogged down in too much exposition. There is the expected need to suspend belief in parts, but really not as much as other stories. This was an easy book to read and had that 'unputdownable' factor that should be expected. Probably one of the better NUMA files novels (which have in my mind always been the poor relation to the other Cussler series).
Overall I would rate this as a good, entertaining book, well worth a read if you like advemture stories.
In truth the main players in this are Kurt and Joe with the Trouts taking a back seat. In fact Dirk Pitt has more of a role in this novel than they do. I'm not sure that is a bad thing, having find roles for four leading characters started to get a little stretched for me in the more recent books.
Back to the story, which could come straight out of a James Bond plot. Genius develops a weapon which taps into zero point energy and causes massive earthquakes. Feeling that the nations of the world have shunned him and killed is daughter he decides to turn the weapon upon them in revenge. It is up to Kurt, Joe and an Australian scientist (female, providing the love interest for Kurt) to stop him, against the clock and against all the odds.
This is a real old fashioned adventure story, a few twists here and there to keep the interest but nothing too demanding. It moves at a fantastic pace, has some brilliant set pieces and a typically over the top villain. There are multiple threads to the story which join up for a satisfying conclusion.
The narrative moves on at a good pace and never gets bogged down in too much exposition. There is the expected need to suspend belief in parts, but really not as much as other stories. This was an easy book to read and had that 'unputdownable' factor that should be expected. Probably one of the better NUMA files novels (which have in my mind always been the poor relation to the other Cussler series).
Overall I would rate this as a good, entertaining book, well worth a read if you like advemture stories.
Becs (244 KP) rated The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot #4) in Books
Aug 4, 2019
Not my favorite novel
You can also find this review on my blog at bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
TRIGGER WARNINGS: death, murder, talk of suicide
Review:
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd follows detective Hercule Poirot as he investigates the murder of Roger Ackroyd. Ackroyd was murdered in his study that was locked, but not before he received a letter from the person that was blackmailing the widow he was having an affair with. This same widow was being blackmailed and rumors spread about her murdering her own husband. She ends up committing suicide because of these rumors and blackmailing.
King's Abbot is full of suspects but it's up to Hercule Poirot to figure out who is guilty of murdering Roger Ackroyd. He is aided by the village doctor and narrator of the story, James Sheppard and his sister, Caroline Sheppard.
I really wanted to love this novel, as it seemed really interesting. It didn't get interesting until the very ending and I wouldn't recommend reading this book first if you've never read an Agatha Christie novel. This was the first ever novel I've read by Agatha Christie and I'm just not really bothered to read any more novels by Agatha Christie.
The story was somewhat interesting, but the execution wasn't there. I wasn't able to guess the killer, so that was a fun little plot twist. But the ending came abruptly and the overall story lacked. It lacked that punch that most mysteries have. There was hardly any development and background for both the story and the characters.
I listened to the audiobook version of this so I wasn't sure if there wasn't any grammatical and/or spelling errors. The narrator was a bit monotone but was otherwise a decent speaker. I forced myself through this, when all I wanted to do was DNF it. It lacked, was confusing, and was rather boring. I did not enjoy this and was disappointed with the overall story.
"The things young women read nowadays and profess to enjoy positively frighten me."
TRIGGER WARNINGS: death, murder, talk of suicide
Review:
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd follows detective Hercule Poirot as he investigates the murder of Roger Ackroyd. Ackroyd was murdered in his study that was locked, but not before he received a letter from the person that was blackmailing the widow he was having an affair with. This same widow was being blackmailed and rumors spread about her murdering her own husband. She ends up committing suicide because of these rumors and blackmailing.
King's Abbot is full of suspects but it's up to Hercule Poirot to figure out who is guilty of murdering Roger Ackroyd. He is aided by the village doctor and narrator of the story, James Sheppard and his sister, Caroline Sheppard.
I really wanted to love this novel, as it seemed really interesting. It didn't get interesting until the very ending and I wouldn't recommend reading this book first if you've never read an Agatha Christie novel. This was the first ever novel I've read by Agatha Christie and I'm just not really bothered to read any more novels by Agatha Christie.
The story was somewhat interesting, but the execution wasn't there. I wasn't able to guess the killer, so that was a fun little plot twist. But the ending came abruptly and the overall story lacked. It lacked that punch that most mysteries have. There was hardly any development and background for both the story and the characters.
I listened to the audiobook version of this so I wasn't sure if there wasn't any grammatical and/or spelling errors. The narrator was a bit monotone but was otherwise a decent speaker. I forced myself through this, when all I wanted to do was DNF it. It lacked, was confusing, and was rather boring. I did not enjoy this and was disappointed with the overall story.
"The things young women read nowadays and profess to enjoy positively frighten me."
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating in Books
Apr 23, 2020
I've read a variety of Christina Lauren novels by now, and this was one of my favorites. For a short minute, I thought Hazel was going to be too zany and over the top for me, and then I got to know her. I then fell in love with her, and I was immediately rooting for our caring, funny, and yes, sometimes, crazy heroine. The best part was that Josh was great in his own reliable, sweet way, too. There's nothing better than a romance where you care for both partners. They were an excellent couple, and I wanted nothing more than to see Josh and Hazel get together. The two had wonderful chemistry and the whole book just had me grinning goofily.
Josh and Hazel are both damaged and wary, but not in that annoying way that has you rolling your eyes and wishing they'd just get over it all. Josh's girlfriend has hurt him and Hazel is constantly passed over by guys who think she's too over the top. Neither deserve this pain, and you quickly want them to get together and be healed. Of course it isn't that easy. When they come up with the double date angle (but not dating each other), laughter ensues, as well as some heartbreak.
There aren't too many side characters in this one: the focus is on Hazel and Josh, but I really enjoyed Hazel's mom, as well as Josh's sister, Emily. And there's plenty of fun to be had with some of the folks we encounter on the blind dates. Josh and Hazel seem so real; our writing duo capture them quite well. Hazel's zest for life coupled with her vulnerability, for instance, shine brightly. And Josh, well, I just wanted to hug him sometimes.
In the end this a really fun, sweet book. It's humorous yet realistic and tender. I adored Hazel and Josh-they were one of my favorite couples in a while. 4+ stars.
Josh and Hazel are both damaged and wary, but not in that annoying way that has you rolling your eyes and wishing they'd just get over it all. Josh's girlfriend has hurt him and Hazel is constantly passed over by guys who think she's too over the top. Neither deserve this pain, and you quickly want them to get together and be healed. Of course it isn't that easy. When they come up with the double date angle (but not dating each other), laughter ensues, as well as some heartbreak.
There aren't too many side characters in this one: the focus is on Hazel and Josh, but I really enjoyed Hazel's mom, as well as Josh's sister, Emily. And there's plenty of fun to be had with some of the folks we encounter on the blind dates. Josh and Hazel seem so real; our writing duo capture them quite well. Hazel's zest for life coupled with her vulnerability, for instance, shine brightly. And Josh, well, I just wanted to hug him sometimes.
In the end this a really fun, sweet book. It's humorous yet realistic and tender. I adored Hazel and Josh-they were one of my favorite couples in a while. 4+ stars.
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In 1806, Jane Austen's relative, the Reverend Thomas Leigh, inherited huge estates and the mood in...
Virginia Woolf's Garden: The Story of the Garden at Monk's House
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Monk's House in Sussex is the former home of Leonard and Virginia Woolf. It was bought by them in...