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The Dead House
Book
'Chilling, atmospheric and so gripping it hurts. The Dead House is a masterpiece. You won't read a...
ClareR (6253 KP) rated A Shadowed Livery (Inspector James Given Investigations #1) in Books
Sep 16, 2019
A really well written police procedural
A Shadowed Livery is a police procedural very much in the vein of an Agatha Christie novel. It’s set in 1938, just as the rumblings of war begin and National Socialism and Fascism raise their heads in Germany. DI James Givens has been pulled off the case that he was working on (the murder of a Jewish butcher - the guilty men have been hanged, but there’s still work to be done) and sent to a small village in the English countryside, to wrap up the deaths of three people (mother, son and fiancée) at Grovestock House, where Sir Arthur Barleigh and his family live. DI Given has been told that it’s a simple case of murder/ suicide, but of course it develops into anything but that.
I very much enjoyed this - the style in which it was written felt just right for the time period, and there was great attention to detail. I liked how Given’s background is revealed as the story progresses, and how relevant it was to the time in history.
The mystery itself had me guessing up to the end, and it has a great ending! I love it when I’m kept guessing to the final pages. DI Given is a very likeable character, if a little naive in some ways - but that’s rather nice really. It lends him that human touch.
I’ll be interested to see what happens in the second book as we edge closer to war. I’d like to see how DI Given gets on!
Many thanks to Sapere Books for my copy of this book to read and review. I will be preordering the next book for when it comes out next month (October 2019)!
I very much enjoyed this - the style in which it was written felt just right for the time period, and there was great attention to detail. I liked how Given’s background is revealed as the story progresses, and how relevant it was to the time in history.
The mystery itself had me guessing up to the end, and it has a great ending! I love it when I’m kept guessing to the final pages. DI Given is a very likeable character, if a little naive in some ways - but that’s rather nice really. It lends him that human touch.
I’ll be interested to see what happens in the second book as we edge closer to war. I’d like to see how DI Given gets on!
Many thanks to Sapere Books for my copy of this book to read and review. I will be preordering the next book for when it comes out next month (October 2019)!
Ties That Bind ( Detective Madison Knight Series Book 1)
Book
Three victims. One method. One motive. When dead bodies start piling up, Detective Madison...
crime fiction adult police procedural series murder
David McK (3843 KP) rated Men at Arms (Discworld, #15; City Watch #2) in Books
Jan 28, 2019 (Updated May 22, 2020)
Only the second book in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series to feature the City guard (in a total of eight such books, and at least one short story), this takes place a year or so after he events of "Guards! Guards!", and is probably best described as a police procedural/whodunnit crossover.
This, to the best of my knowledge, is also the first book to feature Leonard of Quirm (albeit in a small role), and expands upon the characters first introduced in "Guards! Guards!" as well as upon the themes of racial (or speciesist) intolerence and bigotry. Like "Guards! Guards!", and unlike some of the later City Watch novels, Corporal Carrot once again takes a central role in the narrative: a position later filled by Vimes, with Carrot himself becoming more of a background figure.
This, to the best of my knowledge, is also the first book to feature Leonard of Quirm (albeit in a small role), and expands upon the characters first introduced in "Guards! Guards!" as well as upon the themes of racial (or speciesist) intolerence and bigotry. Like "Guards! Guards!", and unlike some of the later City Watch novels, Corporal Carrot once again takes a central role in the narrative: a position later filled by Vimes, with Carrot himself becoming more of a background figure.
Alexandra Shattock (31 KP) rated Woman in the Water (D.S. Imogen Grey, #6) in Books
Dec 21, 2019
Wow!
Contains spoilers, click to show
I have read all Ms Diamond's books and they are all phenomenal. This one as usual has good characters and great villains but what she does brilliantly is take you on a journey that emotionally challenges you on every level.
A woman is found in the water and trying to solve the mystery of why she was there and the intricacies of her life and who tried to he her take our two main detectives on a very awkward and heart wrenching journey. Something happens which is particularly shocking but the author handles it very well indeed with respect but also showing the emotional trauma involved.
I would highly recommend those who like police procedural to read this series. Start at the beginning with The Teacher, really, you'll thank me later!
A woman is found in the water and trying to solve the mystery of why she was there and the intricacies of her life and who tried to he her take our two main detectives on a very awkward and heart wrenching journey. Something happens which is particularly shocking but the author handles it very well indeed with respect but also showing the emotional trauma involved.
I would highly recommend those who like police procedural to read this series. Start at the beginning with The Teacher, really, you'll thank me later!
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Dying Light (Logan McRae #2) in Books
Feb 6, 2020
A successful return of this gritty Scottish police procedural.
I feel I could just copy a lot from my review of the first book in this series; Cold Granite. This was like tuning in to the second series of a program you liked and they haven’t changed much - thankfully. We still have a gloomy atmosphere but this time we are facing an arsonist and a dog killer so still horrific on the crime front. We have a police investigation, some internal politics and a bit of banter. All feels very BBC post 9pm drama and I loved listening to Steve Worsley’s narration in the audiobook version.
We do get a lot more of DI Steel in this book and this is welcome as she’s a vivid character. Can’t wait for the next season oh wait book I meant next book……….
We do get a lot more of DI Steel in this book and this is welcome as she’s a vivid character. Can’t wait for the next season oh wait book I meant next book……….
New Frontiers in Oil and Gas Exploration: 2016
Congrui Jin and Gianluca Cusatis
Book
This contributed volume presents a multi-perspective collection of the latest research findings on...
Mutagenicity: Assays and Applications
Alok Dhawan, Rishi Shanker, Vasily N. Dobrovolsky and Ashutosh Kumar
Book
Mutagenicity: Assays and Applications presents an extensive examination of the detection, assessment...
Gonioscopy: A Video Assisted Skill Transfer Approach
Book
Gonioscopy - A Video Assisted Skill Transfer Approach is an interactive guide to this surgical...
Awix (3310 KP) rated Gemini Man (2019) in Movies
Oct 11, 2019
Long-in-the-works Will Smith vehicle certainly feels like it's from the 90s. Government assassin decides to retire, but knows too much and finds himself the target of his own clone replacement. First and foremost a decent action movie, with a rather better performance (or performances) from Smith than you might expect; on a procedural level it rattles along engagingly enough.
However, the movie almost wholly fumbles all of its potential for addressing deeper issues in any but the most superficial manner - nature vs nurture, second chances, issues of identity, and so on. The manner in which it is filmed (for the special high frame rate 3D) is blandly appealing but not exactly atmospheric. In the end it is reasonable entertainment but all things considered you could be forgiven for expecting something rather more substantial.
However, the movie almost wholly fumbles all of its potential for addressing deeper issues in any but the most superficial manner - nature vs nurture, second chances, issues of identity, and so on. The manner in which it is filmed (for the special high frame rate 3D) is blandly appealing but not exactly atmospheric. In the end it is reasonable entertainment but all things considered you could be forgiven for expecting something rather more substantial.