Sovereign (Matthew Shardlake Book 3) - C.J. Sansom

Title: Sovereign (Matthew Shardlake Book 3)
Author: C.J. Sansom
Genre: Historical Mystery
Published: 2007
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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Review:
“Sovereign” by C.J. Sansom is the 3rd novel in his “Matthew Shardlake” series of historical mystery novels. In this novel, it is now 1541 and King Henry is making a “Great Progress” to York in an attempt to both impress the northerners and meet the King of Scotland. Matthew Shardlake, our hero lawyer is asked by Archbishop Cranmer to also head to York so that he chaperone a political prisoner back to London. His trip to York is complicated by the mysterious murder of a glazier which draws him into a treasonous plot which endangers his own life.

Sansom’s writing continues to be intelligent, well-structured and engaging with a myriad of interesting sub-plots and intrigues that kept me hooked. You can’t help but keep turning the pages to find out what Shardlake is going to uncover next or what new unexpected challenge he is going to face. The novel isn’t for the faint hearted however, as the Tudor world is shown in all its ugly brutality which can be rather disconcerting.

The characterization is superb, the people really feel like they belong in the time period. Sansom doesn’t try and re-align morals to a modern view point; viewpoints which may be unacceptable now are on show without any attempt to soften them. In fact some of the heroes of the piece think and do things which would probably be left for the villains if this was a contemporary novel. Don’t get me wrong however; these characters are still likeable, but you need to accept that they are products of their time.

Overall, this is another brilliant entry in his series of Shardlake novels. Sansom is skilled at providing the reader with both an engaging and exciting mystery plot as well as detailed portrayal of the Tudor world. If you have read the previous novels then you are going to love this book, if you haven’t then I can only advise you to pick up the first novel in the series as it is quite simply, superb.

Dark Fire (Matthew Shardlake Book 2) - C.J. Sansom

Title: Dark Fire (Matthew Shardlake Book 2)
Author: C.J. Sansom
Genre: Historical Mystery
Published: 2004
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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Review:
“Dark Fire” by C.J. Sansom is the 2nd novel in his “Matthew Shardlake” series of historical mystery novels. In this novel, the hunchback lawyer, Matthew Shardlake is asked to defend a young lady who is accused of murdering her cousin. The case is difficult enough but his client is also refusing to speak and if she doesn’t make a plea at court, she will be forced to face the “Press” which is a rather unpleasant torture device. However, he is soon offered a reprieve and is given two weeks to investigate the case on the proviso that he carries out a job for Lord Cromwell. Unfortunately, no job for Cromwell is without its own risks.

As with “Dissolution”, the previous book in the series I found this novel to be written in an intelligent and competent manner. The pace starts off quite slowly but as the story progresses the pacing picks up and it becomes harder and harder to put the book down. The description of 16th century London is also exquisite and I could easily envisage the Tudor world, both in look and culture. But what really worked here is that Sansom manages to showcase this period without getting distracted from the actual art of storytelling. It never feels dry or boring; I was quite simply entertained from start to finish.

The characters themselves are realistic and varied, with a level of depth that it is quite impressive. Shardlake himself has mellowed somewhat since the events of the first novel and despite some of his viewpoints still being outside the norm for a contemporary person, his intelligence, modesty and honesty will still endear him to the reader, especially when you consider the world in which he inhabits appears to be lacking in these values. I also loved his new acquaintance, John Barak, a brash young man who works for Cromwell and provides a wonderful partner for Shardlake. I really hope to see more of Barak in future novels as I look forward to seeing how his relationship with Shardlake develops.

Overall, I found this to be another enjoyable and interesting mystery novel that provides both an entertaining plotline and a vivid image of Tudor London. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series as I expect it to be just as entertaining as the previous two novels, but also because I am beginning to really love the characters of Shardlake and Barak and want to see how they further develop.

Star Trek: The Case of the Colonist's Corpse - Bob Ingersoll & Tony Isabella

Title: The Case of the Colonist's Corpse
Author: Bob Ingersoll & Tony Isabella
Genre: Science-Fiction
Published: 2002
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

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Review:
"The Case of the Colonist's Corpse" by Bob Ingersoll and Tony Isabella is an interesting departure from standard Star Trek literature. There is only a brief cameo from the Enterprise and its crew with the majority of the novel being devoted to telling a mystery/courtroom drama story set on a colony world with a story centres around Sam Cogley, the lawer who defended Captain Kirk in the TV episode “Court Martial”.

The events of the novel take place on Aneher II, a planet whose ownership is being contested by both the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Under the terms of the Organian Peace Treaty whichever government is deemed to have best developed their portion of the planet will be awarded the planet and both groups are therefore trying to prove their abilities. The uneasy peace between the two groups is shattered however by the murder of the Federation Administrator, Daniel Latham, seemingly killed by the Klingon Commander Mak'Tor. In order to provide a fair trial, Sam Cogley volunteers to defend Mak’Tor and must face off against his previous foe in the courtroom, prosecutor Areel Shaw.

The plot follows a classic mystery template with the reader knowing who is dead and who is going to be accused right from the earliest moments. They also know that the accused is obviously innocent and the fun lies in trying to pick the real culprit out a list of suspects who all have clear reasons for wanting to kill the victim. If you have ever read Perry Mason mystery novel then you will have a good idea what type of novel this is as it is very similar in style.

In regards to the writing itself, on the whole it felt quite simplistic but I don’t think that this distracted from the simple fun of seeing the Trek Universe explored in such an original and enjoyable way. However, this decision to concentrate on a small and little explored element of the Trek Universe instead of just re-hashing the standard Trek formula does result in one issue which may disappoint some readers. Basically, there is very little time put aside for the traditional characters of The Original Series. Personally, I didn’t mind this but I know there are some readers of Trek lit who mainly read these novels because of the Enterprise and its crew.

Overall, this was an enjoyable novel which provides readers with a Trek novel that doesn’t follow the traditional template. The fusion of Star Trek and Courtroom drama is an interesting one that had me entertained although I suspect the Science-Fiction elements may put off regular readers of the Mystery genre. In addition, any Star Trek fan who regular reads Trek books due to the Enterprise crew will also probably have some issues.

Grail Mysterium: An Adventure on the Heights - Thomas Kaplan-maxfield

Title: Grail Mysterium: An Adventure on the Heights
Author: Thomas Kaplan-maxfield
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2012
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

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Review:
“Grail Mysterium, An Adventure on the Heights” by Thomas Kaplan-Mansfield is a rather intriguing fantasy/mystery novel. The story follows a group of friends at Boston College who begin to notice strange things occurring such as high performing students just dropping out, ghost sightings and a rather virulent illness. When one of the group, Jack Knecht, a huge fan of Harry Potter begins to investigate he soon finds himself involved in uncovering the ancient secrets of the mythical Holy Grail.

Kaplan-Maxfield has created a very interesting story by mixing elements of fantasy and magic with religion and science alongside a mystery plotline which is full of twists and turns. I found myself completely unsure which characters I should believe or trust as the story progressed which was a credit to the mystery being told. Unfortunately I did find that the plot was little bit too convoluted at times. The amount of twists, red herrings, philosophical musings and characters were actually a little bit too much for me. It was quite a slow read as I worked through the novel trying to ensure I understood everything that was going on.

In regards to the characters, they are all well-crafted in a manner which ensures that they all seem like specific individuals. I easily found myself caring about what happened to them although I have to admit I found most of them quite juvenile in behaviour. Maybe I am just a grumpy old man with false memories of my own youth but I am sure that as a University student I had a bit more maturity than what we see in this book. If the story was based around High School seniors then I could understand their behaviour but these students are older than this and it just didn’t fit with me.

Overall, this is an entertaining enough book but at times the plot could be a bit over complex which slows down the pace. I also think the characters were a bit more juvenile than they needed to be but in a way I suspect this will ensure the book appeals more to teenagers.

Happy Like Murderers - Gordon Brown

Title: Happy Like Murderers
Author: Gordon Brown
Genre: True Crime
Published: 1998
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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Review:
As part of the 2014 Eclectic Reader Challenge I was required to read something from the true crime genre and the book I picked was “Happy Like Murderers” by Gordon Burn. This book details the abuse and murders carried out by Rose and Fred West to numerous children and young people across several decades at 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester and various other locations around Gloucestershire.

I vividly remember the ghastly discoveries at Cromwell Street when they occurred and whilst I knew a fair bit about the murders this book has highlighted other elements of the complete story. In particular I was really shocked and horrified to discover what the Wests’ children went through and as a parent myself I really struggled to understand how someone could do the things that they did to their children.

It really is a hard book to read due to the vast amount of unsettling events that are recorded and detailed. It highlights in grim detail how vile humans can be and I found myself having to put the book down at multiple occasions. These self-imposed pauses and the vast amount of information that is packed into the pages meant that this wasn’t a quick read that I could pick up and finish in just a couple of days.

Whilst the book does a good job in detailing a lot of what actually happened, I do feel that the writing itself was rather disappointing. The whole thing feels very disorganised as the narrative constantly jumps backwards and forwards in time. I have read some commentary that this was Burns’ attempt at trying to capture Fred West's circular thought and speech patterns but for personally I just found it irritating. Then there was Burns’ tendency to repeat the same facts multiple times which just increased the irritation factor.

Overall this is without doubt one of the most disturbing books I have ever read and the knowledge that what I was reading about actually happened really enhances the horror of it all. The writing itself did let the book down due to the non-linear narrative and constant repetition of facts but either way Burns has managed to capture the grim truth in a rather vivid way. I really can’t recommend this book for casual readers, if you have an interest in true crime novels then you may want to give it a go but be prepared for some quite sickening moments.

Death of a Gossip (Hamish Macbeth Book 1) - M.C. Beaton

Title: Death of a Gossip (Hamish Macbeth Book 1)
Author: M.C. Beaton
Genre: Mystery
Published: 1985
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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Review:
“Death of a Gossip” by M.C. Beaton is the first book in the long running Hamish Macbeth Mystery series. I picked up this book in order to meet the Cosy Mystery requirement of the 2014 Eclectic Reader Challenge. It was this book specifically that I chose because I recognised the Hamish Macbeth name from a 1990’s BBC TV show which was based on this series of novels although to be honest I never actually watched it.

The story is set in the quaint Scottish village of Lochdubh where local police constable Hamish Macbeth enjoys the quiet life. However when a guest at a local fly-fishing school is murdered his quiet life is turned upside down. Of course Hamish isn’t experienced in murder investigation and so a team of experienced professionals arrive in the village and effectively bar Hamish from participating. Hamish, however, ignores this and continues to investigate, slowly uncovering clues about the other members of the fly-fishing school in the hope that he can help solve the case.

I did enjoy reading this, yes it was incredibly lightweight at times and paced in a very leisurely manner but it just felt very pleasant to read. If you after a nice relaxing few hours of reading then this book will competently fit the bill. From the beginning it is obvious who the victim is going to be but Beaton uses this really well to build up the tension between her and the potential suspects. I did feel that the detection elements felt a bit clumsy but this didn’t really spoil my enjoyment.

I did have some issues with the characters however. Hamish himself is an engaging and likeable character who provides some real humour throughout the story but the supporting characters all felt very stereotypical. There were some brash Americans, a naïve working class woman and an egotistical upper class “gentleman” for her to obsess over. They were all so very uninteresting and some of the attitudes on display felt very dated, particularly the naivety of the young woman, Alice.

Overall, this was a nice and enjoyable read and I can fully appreciate why the Cosy Mystery tag applies here. Hamish is a very likeable character and I suspect that his humour and personality did help ensure I enjoyed the book as much as I actually did. I suspect I may give some more of these books a try and see how Hamish is developed throughout the series.

Flashback - Dan Simmons

Title: Flashback
Author: Dan Simmons
Genre: Science Fiction / Mystery
Published: 2011
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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“Flashback” by Dan Simmons is a mystery novel set in the former United States now devastated by economic and political collapse. In this world we get to meet Nick Bottom, who like much of the country is addicted to a drug known as Flashback which lets people re-live earlier moments of their lives. Nick, a former police officer is plucked from his ruined life by a Japanese businessman who wants him to help solve the six year old murder of his son. However, before long it becomes clear that there is much more to this mystery that the murder itself and Nick discovers that his own deceased wife may have been involved in some manner.

When I picked up “Flashback” I was a bit worried as a fair few of the reviews were quite negative. Now that I have finished reading it I find myself in two minds, the actual mystery aspects were interesting and well written but the novel is also interspersed with some quite forceful right wing conservative views that I found a little bit hard to stomach. It isn’t that I can’t accept novels with dystopian societies created by authors with conservative leanings; I mean we get to see enough written by those with a leftish leaning. The problem is that we are almost forced to read vast amounts of padding just included to put forward a right wing viewpoint. At times I found that it actually affected the flow and feeling of the novel, especially when I found myself laughing incredulously at some of the points it was making.

As said above however, the mystery itself was enjoyable to follow and the twists were clever, thoughtful and unexpected. In addition, the dystopian world he has created is actually quite interesting when the anti-liberal rhetoric is reduced to the elements needed for the story itself I was quite impressed. The noir atmosphere that Simmons has created was very likeable and it was very obvious to me that no matter his political views, Simmons does know how to write.

The characters themselves where a bit of an enigma to me, it was hard to actually like any of them to the point that I am not sure I was bothered about who lived or died. The problem is that due to the dystopian environment, the people have been reduced to quite pathetic individuals. This helps to enhance and give real credence to the world Simmons has created but it did make it hard for me to actually engage with any character. In particular I found Nick’s son to be an incredibly unlikeable and annoying character to the point I actually didn’t want to read about him.

Overall, I did enjoy the well written and interesting story that was hidden amongst the political diatribe but getting to it at times could be a bit of work. Perhaps if I was a right wing conservative myself I would have more than loved the politicising but as someone with liberal leanings I came away from the book feeling like what could have been a great book had been let down badly.

Red Planet Blues - Robert J. Sawyer

Title: Red Planet Blues
Author: Robert J. Sawyer
Genre: Mystery/Sci-Fi
Published: 2013
Formats: Hardback/Ebook

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Review:
“Red Planet Blues” by Robert Sawyer is slightly different from the more Space Opera styled Science Fiction novels I normally read. The book is an interesting take of the 1940’s era pulp noir detective novel set that has been expanded from his earlier short story entitled “Identify Theft”. It tells the story of a PI named Alex Lomax working on a frontier gold rush styled town on Mars. When Lomax gets involved in a missing android case he can’t anticipate the adventure he is going to embark upon which leads him to unravel a decades old mystery surrounding the location of a mother lode of valuable Martian fossils.

In terms of the story, it was a fun read and the world that Lomax has created was particularly interesting with its gritty, dark feeling and a subtle sense of desperation. It is very soft on the Science Fiction side of things which I think works well alongside the novel’s pulpy feel. Despite this softness, Sawyer does still try and tackle some interesting issues such as souls and how they are affected by the transfer of people’s consciousness into android bodies was nice to see although it isn’t really an original concept.

There are a couple of weak points in the novel, the first of which is linked to the structuring of the plot. The novel feels like a collection of three individual short stories the author has tried to shoehorn together rather than being a well-structured overall story. In addition these three elements all felt very similar, Lomax would investigate a little before initiating some form of action packed chase and stand-off. I would have appreciated seeing a little bit more thought and development being evoked which may have helped avoid the repetitive feeling.

The biggest let down though is in regards to the characters, Sawyer has created an interesting range and he tried to show them in shades of grey rather than being black and white but I just felt that the development was lacking. Too many of them came across as being two-dimensional meaning the chance to really capture them in an interesting and entertaining manner was lost. This just meant that in the end the only character I found myself caring about was an android named Rory-who was endearing despite being somewhat of a stereotype.

Overall, despite the hackneyed plot, repetitive structure and two-dimensional characters I did actually enjoy the story. It was easy to read, fun and I appreciated the pulpy noir style which is something I am not used to reading. Perhaps, if I had read multiple noir detective novels it wouldn’t have had held the same interest but if you are looking for something a bit softer on the Science Fiction front alongside seeing this noir detective style for yourself then you may as well give it a go.

Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake Book 1) - C.J. Sansom

Title: Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake Book 1)
Author: C.J. Sansom
Genre: Historical Mystery
Published: 2003
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

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“Dissolution” by C.J. Sansom is a book that my wife read a couple of years ago and really enjoyed. So when I found out that I needed to read a Historical Mystery novel as part of the 2013 Eclectic Reader Challenge I decided that it was about time I found out if the book was a good as she had implied.

The plot itself follows Mathew Shardlake, a lawyer in Tudor England and a strong believer in the religious reforms that have spread throughout the country. As one of Thomas Cromwell’s trusted followers, Shardlake is sent to the fictional abbey of Scarnsea to investigate the murder of a commissioner who had been sent there to try and find a manner in which to persuade the monastery surrender its properties and dissolve itself. Whilst there he unveils many other secrets and mysteries but continues with great determination to both find the murderer and ensure the monastery is closed for good.

I found this book to be a well-crafted and entertaining Tudor mystery, full of enjoyable twists and turns that kept me guessing right until the end. As someone who doesn’t read a huge amount of Historical Fiction, I was more than happy to see that Sansom strikes a good balance between the historical setting and entertaining fiction. Basically, he doesn’t get bogged down in trying to showcase various elements of Tudor England; at its heart the novel is an enjoyable mystery with a historical element that is used to add extra depth to the plot.

In regards to the historical setting, I found that the world created by Sansom seemed to pulse with life; there is brutality, despair, fear and turmoil aplenty as the society tries to survive the great sweeping changes that King Henry has unleashed. In addition I found Shardlake himself to be a character who consistently acts like a man of his time period, full of bigotry, prejudice and a belief in the different levels of society. At times this can make him a little bit hard to like, but as long as you accept the fact he has been shaped by his society and he is zealous in his belief that he is helping to build a better future then you should be able to accept him for who he is.

I found the world he has written about pulsed with life, the brutality and degradation, the despair and fear, the struggles and unrest all whirled round in a great turmoil of a society being changed irrevocably. The reign of Henry resulted in far more changes than just a wife or two and this rumbling underground, gradually heading towards the surface is well captured by the prose and plot of 'Dissolution'.

In regards to the language, I did note that whilst there were a few nods to the period in question overall the writing all felt relatively modern. I wish to highlight this as I know that some readers dislike this less authentic feeling when reading a period novel. Personally however, I would much rather be able to easily jump into the story than get bogged down trying to work my way through the language as it may have been used during that period in our history.

Overall, I found this to be a really enjoyable and interesting mystery novel that does a good job in trying to capture the world and characters of the Tudor period. As someone who doesn’t normally read this genre of book, I can’t honestly say if regular readers will enjoy the book. However, if you are someone wanting to try out the genre then I can’t recommend this book highly enough as an entertaining introduction to Historical Mysteries.

A Life of Death: The Golden Bulls - Weston Kincade

Title: A Life of Death - The Golden Bulls
Author: Weston Kincade
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Published: 2012
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
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“A Life of Death: The Golden Bulls” is the sequel to Weston Kincade’s previous novel “A Life of Death” which I have previously reviewed here. As this is a sequel, I do need to warn people that this review is likely to contain minor spoilers in regards to what occurred in the previous novels. Therefore I would advise anyone new to the series that they should read my review of the first book and then decide if they want to give it a try which I strongly recommend.

The story follows Alex Drummond, the teenager from the first novel that has now grown into a man and works as a detective in his home town of Tranquil Heights. His investigative abilities are assisted by the various paranormal visions that occur when he touches various objects. However, there has been one serial killer who commits a ritualistic murder every year who has managed to elude him. Now though, he is closing in on the murderer and hopes that he can finally catch them and end the killings for good.

I need to start by saying that I loved the previous novel and when I found out about this sequel I was desperate to get my hands on it. Now that I have finished reading it, I am happy to say that it was another thoroughly enjoyable, well-paced book that had me hooked from start to finish. I don’t think it had a strong an emotional impact as the first novel but the overall mystery and the attempts by Alex to investigate were more than enough to keep me entertained. The writing was also clear, concise and without any major errors which could have interrupted the flow of the novel.

One aspect that I specifically enjoyed was the way in which the book delved into various side topics such as Egyptology and forensic pathology. The elements of the story dealing with these issues were both interesting and highly entertaining. At times I almost found myself wishing to see more of the visions that Alex had in regards to the ancient Egyptians than in following the present day murder investigation. I found that these side topics ensured that the story didn’t just get bogged down in a standard detective plot and enabled the reader to learn a little bit more about Alex’s paranormal abilities.

The only negative aspect I had is an issue that I find in many detective based stories such as this and it is in regards to the killer. It was far too obvious who they were, I basically think that Kincade gave away far too many obvious hints during their introduction. It all but ensured the reader would realise who the murderer was which of course does lesson the ability of the mystery elements to keep you hooked.

In summary, this was another enjoyable and entertaining read from Kincade which will certainly appeal to anyone who read and like “A Life of Death”. The continuation of Alex’s story was a pleasant experience and it was nice to see how he had grown and accepted his abilities over the year. To be honest, as is normal with sequels I do recommend that people try out the first book before reading this, especially as I feel it was emotionally much more powerful. However, if you decide to just to pick this book up without reading the first novel then you can be happy in the knowledge that there it is an enjoyable enough story in its own right.

King of Paine - Larry Kahn

Title: King of Paine
Author: Larry Kahn
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

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When I saw the cover of "King of Paine" I really wasn't sure about it, a woman who appears to be on a leash and a synopsis about kinky internet activities left me a little bit wary. However, as always this is a good example of not being swayed by a title or a cover as I found it to be a thoroughly enjoyable novel.

The story follows Frank Paine, a newbie FBI agent who has given up the glamour of being a Hollywood actor in an attempt to atone for actions committed in his secret past. However, when Paine is targeted by an email giving him information on a crime he is surprised to note that the sender has used phrases from his past that only one person is meant to know, the very person who he wronged the most. Acting on this information, the agents are drawn into a world of BDSM and internet chat rooms, the very world which Paine has been trying to escape. Now he must try and delve back into this world and find out if the only woman he has loved is in danger or is she really the criminal they are trying to hunt down.

I found the story to be an intense, complex and fast paced which kept me glued to the book every evening. The thrills keep on coming from start to finish as the novel takes your emotions on a enjoyable roller coaster ride of twists, turns and red herrings. The writing is also clean, concise and flows smoothly which really helps to keep the reader hooked. However, the novel isn't for the prudish as it does take you into a world of sexual games and role play. However this is all described tastefully enough and is actually a small part of the novel so don't let it put you off.

The characters were all very well developed and whilst they may come across as being rather jaded, they were all likable. In particular I found the charisma of Frank to be very visible throughout and I found that this really drew me in. I really wanted him to succeed in his quest for redemption and forgiveness. Although I will admit that when Jolynn, the woman he wronged appears to forgive him it does all seem a little bit too quick and easy but that was a minor quibble.

Overall this novel was an enjoyable thriller that had me hooked from start to finish with an interestingly complex plotline and engaging characters. Whilst one of the plotlines is focussed around some sexual issues, this is actually quite a small part and it shouldn't bother anyone reading the book. Basically, if you enjoy a good thriller/mystery novel then you won't go wrong by picking up "King of Paine" for a read.

The Vault - Huw Thomas

Title: The Vault
Author: Huw Thomas
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2012
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
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"The Vault" by Huw Thomas is a rather interesting mystery novel that I wasn't too sure about initially. The synopsis itself just didn't really grab me and if it wasn't for the fact that the author was giving away half the royalties to a charity known as ShelterBox I may not have even read it. However, I am glad that I did as I found it to be an engaging and thoughtful read that I struggled to put down at the end of each day.

The story follows several different plotlines that are seemingly unrelated but are actually all part of one complex web. The main core of the novel is based around a young boy called Adam who has turned the wood near his town into a personal retreat. However, when the local council estate kids decide to invade the woods in an attempt to hunt him down Adam is forced to try and hide and finds that there are some secrets hidden in the woods that he knew nothing about. I found that the other plotlines were weaved around this core and are as follows; a professional robbery of a luxurious mansion, a police investigation into three dead bodies found in an ornamental lake and the journey of a paroled sex offender who has gone on the run.

Whilst all these plots seem unrelated, the reader of course knows that there is something linking them and the attempt to identify these links helps turn the novel into a rather compelling mystery. As with many mysteries the book was told at a rather slow pace and I still find it amusing that I got so engrossed in things like the antics of children in a wood but the mystery surrounding the whole novel just kept me hooked.

Personally, I was quite proud of myself that I worked out all the links between the plotlines bar one and I actually think that one was more of a red herring plot than one fundamental to the overall mystery that was being told. However that might just be me being grumpy because I didn't see the way it linked in coming. Either way though, I found that the plots came together and concluded in a rather enjoyable and satisfying manner. The one comment I would make on the ending is that I think there could have been a better epilogue for Adam himself as it just felt a little bit rushed and I was really curious to know what he actually did next.

I found that the town of Compton Fosse came across as very realistic and as someone that grew up in a small English town I could easily imagine the council estate, the woods and the other children that were depicted in this novel. I will admit that the four separate plotlines meant it was quite hard to see any real depth to the characters and most of them just came across as being names. Luckily, Adam himself was developed enough to make him come across in an engaging manner and I was always hoping he would triumph in his actions.

Overall, I found that this was an enjoyable mystery novel that is being sold for a good cause and therefore am happy to recommend it. I will admit that it isn't action packed although there are the odd elements here and there but if you enjoy a good, thoughtful, slow burner of a novel then this one should fit the bill quite easily.

Hide & Seek - Thomas Kaplan-Maxfield

Title: Hide & Seek
Author: Thomas Kaplan-Maxfield
Genre: Crime & Mystery
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
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"Hide & Seek" by Thomas Kaplan-Maxfield is an enjoyable and unique mystery novel that runs differently to how a traditional murder mystery would normally be set up. The difference is that the reader finds out early on who the murder actually is and the mystery revolves around the identity of the person who is seemingly trying to catch the murderer.

The story is set in Boston with most of the characters being from the high society of the city. The killer, David Draper is a poet who has been discounted by the police as a suspect and he therefore seems free to live with just his own guilt and remorse over what he has done. However, when his sister invites him to a murder mystery weekend on a tiny island off Cape Cod he becomes convinced that one of the other guests is aware of his secret and is using the murder mystery to uncover him.

I must admit that I only read mystery novels ever so often but this book definitely ignited a desire to read more of them as I thoroughly enjoyed it. The mystery itself is wonderfully complex with jealousy, greed and hatred all mixed up to create a superb story full of suspense and intrigue. In addition, the book is nicely written and the author has filled the plot with enough twists and red herrings to keep most readers guessing right until the ending.

I found all the characters to be brilliantly written with each of them having their own link to the murder victim. I enjoyed reading about all of them as they all had their own quirks, weaknesses and secrets that came out as the story progressed. In regards to David himself, it is actually difficult to dislike even with his memory of the murder at the fore front as he has been crafted into a multi-faceted person superbly by Kaplan-Maxfield.

Overall, this was a fun and enjoyable murder mystery novel with a unique twist that really kept my attention throughout. The setting in the old hotel actually made the story feel a little bit like the game Cluedo (aka Clue in the USA) except you know who the murder is. I think anyone who enjoys mystery novels would love to read this book so go pick it up but make sure you don't cheat and read the ending as Kaplan-Maxfield finishes the novel with a brilliant curve ball.

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Ebook Reading Challenge (The Eclectic Bookshelf)
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Farthing (Small Change Book 1) - Jo Walton

Title: Farthing (Small Change Book 1)
Author: Jo Walton
Genre: Alternative History
Published: 2006
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
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Amazon UK
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Farthing by Jo Walton was chosen as the October read for the Women of Science Fiction Book Club. I have to admit that personally I wouldn't really have defined this book as being Science Fiction. I understand that some people always classify Alternate History as being Science Fiction but I don't and I would probably have placed this novel in the Mystery/Crime genre. Either way though I am glad it was included in the book club as I really did enjoy it.

The story is set in an alternate Britain, one that had made peace with Nazi Germany in 1941. Now in the late 1940's Britain is enjoying it's peace with Germany and the people who helped create this peace are some of the mover's and shakers of society. However, their position is not absolute as is proven when one of them is found murdered during a party at Farthing Hall on the eve of their attempts to take further control of the governing Conservative Party. Even though the evidence all seems to point at communists and Jews as the culprits, a thoughtful detective from Scotland Yard keeps investigating and uncovers secrets and a conspiracy that lead to the very heart of government.

To be honest, Alternate History books about Nazi Germany are rather common; it probably has to be the greatest "what if" scenario of the twentieth century. A fair number of these books tend to mainly speculate on the big international picture and how it affects everyday people. Farthing however seemed to concentrate on the lives and outcomes for the very people who had actually created the peace with Germany which I found to be rather refreshing.

In addition I found that the Britain she had created was rather realistic and frightening in the way that you could actually understand and see why Britain was heading the way portrayed in the novel. It isn't a Britain any reader will recognise as the class system within Britain has actually been reinforced by the earlier peace. There is no NHS, the rich and the poor are as far apart as always and the government was talking about banning anyone who had not been to private education from going to University.

In regards to the story, it actually reminded me at times of a country-house murder mystery of the type you could have expected from Agatha Christie. It is very atmospheric and well set up so that it really evoked the feeling of the very period where the country-house murder mystery was so popular a genre. I did note that some of the regular aspects of this genre are visible such as the huge amount of logic involved in every part of solving the crime, to the rather simple and contrived way the truth ends up being revealed. However, in all honesty the mystery aspects of the story I think are more a side show to the characters and the world that Jo Walton has created.

The plotline itself is progressed by switching between two alternating perspectives, the first of which is a the third person narration of the actions of the Scotland Yard detective, Carmichael and the second is a first person recollection of Lucy Kahn, who is the daughter of the family that own Farthing House. I found that this alternating narrative ensured you never got bored and I loved how both characters came to their own conclusions about the murder via the use of different methods and ideas. It really ensured that the reader knew more that either of these characters individually knew and could therefore come to an all around appreciation for what had actually occurred and why.

In regards to the main characters, I really liked both Lucy and Carmichael as they came across as being authentic and believable. I really loved how Lucy for example comes across a slightly absentminded woman of her time, but underneath this a strong willed individual with common-sense and a decent level of morality. Carmichael also showed some decency at his core as he strove to uncover the truth and gain justice even when others were taking the easy route out.

The other characters however weren't developed to any great detail and were more used as a caricature of prejudices and the different classes in society to enable the reader to understand more the type of world they were living in. Many of them didn't actually come across as really being good or evil; they just accepted what was happening and accepted it because that was how society "worked". These characters and some of the overall political information being fed to the reader I think were being used to show how Britain itself was slowly slipping into a fascist state.

The end of the novel did leave a rather nasty taste in my mouth, and actually left me a little disheartened. It does fit with the tone and feeling of the overall novel, but I can't say I was really expecting it. I really think the future for Britain itself was looking bleak and dangerous by the final pages. I suspect I will now pick up the remaining books in this series just to see if there will be some sort of light at the end of the tunnel or not.

Overall, I really did enjoy reading this book; it was interesting to read a mystery novel set in this fascinating and well written alternate Britain that Jo Walton had created. The book does have quite a slow pace as you can sometimes expect in mystery novels, however it isn't dull, the world and characters are slowly fleshed out as you progress which did manage to keep me reading. I do think this book will appeal to quite a lot of different people, obviously I think that people who enjoy Alternate History books should enjoy this book on at least some level. In addition, I also think people who enjoy non-contemporary crime writers such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie will also enjoy this book even.

Death By Honeymoon (Caribbean Murder Series Book 1) - Jaden Skye

Title: Death by Honeymoon (Caribbean Murder Series Book 1)
Author: Jaden Skye
Genre: Romance/Mystery
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
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Amazon UK
Alibris UK

When I was asked to read this novel I wasn't very sure if I should as it was described as a Romance novel and this is probably the one genre I usually try to avoid. However, the description also implied that a little bit of mystery was involved and therefore I decided to bite the bullet and give this novel a try. After reading it, I have decided that I still have no actual intention of searching out books like this to read but I won't just disregard them out of some sort of misguided principle.

The story itself follows a young woman named Cindy who has married a man she truly loves and is on her honeymoon in the Caribbean when tragedy strikes. Her husband seemingly dies in a terrible accident whilst out surfing although she doesn't believe that it really was an accident. She therefore undertakes her own grief stricken investigation into the death, all the time trying to deal with her husband's now uncovered secrets and his family who blame her for his death.

It is quite a short story and has therefore been written in a rather quick and pacey which had both advantages and disadvantages. The quick pace did help to keep me reading as there was no place to get bogged down in any excessive detail. However it also meant that some of the red herrings and mystery aspects of the story were dealt with within a few pages after being introduced, therefore any intrigue and suspense built up was rather limited in my opinion and the novel became a little bit predictable.

I was actually happy to see that the novel actually had romance in it and was not just about sex or eroticism as I have seen in many other books, especially paranormal romance. It is just a shame that the various characters that the romance and the other relationships were based around seemed rather one dimensional. It just meant that I didn't really feel any attachment to the characters.

The main issue I actually had though is that I found it too obvious regarding what had actually happened to Cindy's husband. I couldn't work out the full mechanics straight away or why it had happened but I think it was too obvious who the "bad" guys actually were as I worked it out within only a few chapters of the husband's death. Then, due to the short nature of the novel, none of the twists and turns were able to maintain enough suspicion to actually distract me from that initial viewpoint.

To be honest, I don't really know how this novel compares to other romance mysteries out there but I did find it to be a reasonably enjoyable read if you are after something just to divert your attention for a while. It is quite a light read so don't expect it to tax your mind or leave you thinking about it for weeks after you finish. In all honesty, I think it is the type of pulpy novel you can just quickly skim through for a fast and easy read during travel or on the beach etc.

His Last Bow - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Published : 1917
UK Price : Paperback Format £3.69 Here
US Price : Paperback Format $6.42 Here
Ebook available for free at Project Gutenberg Here

"His Last Bow" is a collection of eight Sherlock Holmes short stories and is Conan Doyle's penultimate Holmes book.  As always, the stories center around Sherlock Holmes, a consulting detective who uses his intellect and wits to solve various crimes and mysteries.

One thing I did note about "His Last Bow" is that all the stories seemed a little bit longer than those in previous short story collections.  I was glad of this as I felt it let Conan Doyle write more thorough stories. The stories themselves were typical of previous Holmes adventures with enjoyable adventures a and the superb Watson/Holmes pairing visible throughout. The various topics of the stories ranged between scaremongering, kidknapping, theft & treachery which again, is similar to previous collections.

I would have to say that my favourite story was "His Last Bow" itself, not for the actual story itself but the portrayal of Holmes and Watson. The story is set just prior to World War One and involves Holmes  capturing a German Spy. The whole thing did come across as being some rather obvious propoganda (It was written when WWI was underway) and I think this was why it felt quite basic compared to what we have read previously. However, in regards to Holmes & Watson, you can feel a real sense of loss when Holmes admits to Watson that this may be the last time they are together. It feels like an ending, as both of these men retire to a quiet life apart from each other.

Overall, this is pretty standard stuff from Conan Doyle and if you have enjoyed the previous Holmes stories then you will surely enjoy this collection.

What Happened at Midnight - Franklin W. Dixon

Published : 1931
UK Price : Hardback Version £7.19 Here & Kindle Version £3.99 Here
US Price : Hardback Version $6.99 Here & Kindle Version $6.99 Here

Until a few weeks ago I had never actually heard about The Hardy Boys and the various novels that they star in. One of my facebook friends made a throwaway comment about me reviewing one of the books and I therefore looked it up and got a copy of the earliest one I could easily locate. For those who do not know, The Hardy Boys novels are basically about two teenage lads who go around having various adventures whilst solving mysteries. They are actually written by various different ghostwriters who were all published under the same pseudonym of Franklin W. Dixon.

As I never read these any of these books when I was a child I had no real memories to call upon as I read the book. Therefore, most of what I say here is going to based upon my views of the story from an adult's point of view.

The basic premise of  "What Happened at Midnight "which was the 10th Hardy Boy is that the two Hardy Boys, Frank & Joe are initially asked to break into the house of a scientist and retrieve a secret invention and keep it safe from being stolen by a group of smugglers whist he is away. After this, we get taken through stacks of ridiculous adventures that range from Joe being kidnapped to them both parachuting out of a crashing plane. Of course the Hardy Boys then manage to get through all these adventures and are involved in finally catching the smugglers, even though I am sure than any police officer would have told them to stay away after the third or fourth time that guns had been used.

To be honest, the whole portrayal of the police in my opinion is down right stupid throughout the book. I don't know how many times I wanted to throw the book away when the lads told the police or FBI about something and then they were left to go and actually deal with it themselves but it happened way too much for my liking. The example that really sticks in my mind is when they are following a man into a rail station, they stop quickly to tell a police officer what they are doing and ask him to contact HQ about it. The police officer doesn't try and actually do anything himself, he just lets these two kids head off onto the train to follow a man who was probably deadly.

One thing I did find amusing was being able to read the language portrayed throughout the novel. I can't remember ever reading a book in the past where a character would say "gadzooks" or "leaping hyenas". I kept expecting someone to say "golly gosh" next or something similar, I would really like to know if people really spoke like that back in the thirties. Or is this just the way the authors wrote a book so it was acceptable for children to read?

I also spent half the book imagining what teenagers of today would really be doing in these situations and I probably found that more entertaining than the book itself. One example of this was when the teens had a thermos with them full of milk, I couldn't help but imagine in my cynical way that nowadays it would probably have had a bottle of high strength cider instead.

Overall, I have to admit that I really struggled to make myself read the book to the end, it just seemed to be moving from one unbelievable adventure to another without any sort of realism. I am sure that pre-teen children may love this book due to this, but as an adult I have to say that I did not enjoy it as I expect more to reading than cheesy unrealistic frivolity. Maybe it is just me being an adult now, or maybe it is just a result when the book was written but I do not expect to be reading any more Hardy Boys novels unless I read this to my children when they are older and they love it.

The Valley of Fear - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Published: 1915

Price: £3.39 for Print Version Here or Free E-Book Version Here

The Valley of Fear is the latest Sherlock Holmes story that I have read and I was happy to find that it was a full length novel which I prefer, rather than a collection of short stories. I ended up rocketing through the novel which in my opinion was a superb tale of mystery, fear & tyranny that stretched from an English country manor to the American coal fields.

Basically, we have the standard Sherlock Holmes mystery story with Holmes initially receiving a coded message from an employee of Holmes's nemesis, Professor Moriarty informing him that someone is in severe danger. However, before he can act, another message arrives informing him that the very man mentioned has now died. We then follow the investigation into the death from confirming it wasn't suicide to trying to pin down what had actually occurred that night and why it had happened.

It is written in a similar style to the first ever Sherlock Holmes novel "A Study in Scarlet" in that it is split into two parts, with Holmes solving the murder during the first part, before the motive behind the crime is revealed in the second. I will comment here that the second part occurs at a much earlier date in America and therefore Sherlock Holmes himself plays virtually no role in it. However, I did enjoy it as it was a fascinating story with a good twist at the end and is necessary in order to gain a proper understanding of the reasons behind the death explored in the first part of the novel.

One issue I did note with the novel however was that actually with the involvement of Professor Moriarty. The story is set before "The Final Problem", the short story in which Moriarty was actually introduced, and therefore it produces a canon timeline inaccuracy. In "The Final Problem" Dr. Watson has never heard of Moriarty, whereas according to this story he should be at least familiar with the name and character of the man. To be honest, it didn't really effect the story in itself as the Moriarty involvement is pretty small but it was an inaccuracy that I did notice, probably because I only read "The Final Problem" a month or two ago. Then again, I suppose we can maybe just assume that Watson forgot about it as I am sure we have all forgotten things before... I mean I once found myself sitting on church steps in the middle of Edinburgh at 3am on a Friday night with no clue how I got there.

All things considered, "The Valley of Fear" is a decent Sherlock Holmes book. The Murder and investigation portions are well written, the flashback is enjoyable with a strong ending and the epilogue adds well to the legend of Professor Moriarty. So, I would therefore advise anyone interested in the Holmes stories to make this one a definite read as it is probably one of my favourites.

Weekend - Christopher Pike

Published: 1986
Current Cost: Looks to be out of print now but Amazon do have various 2nd Hand copies for 1p as per link Here

Well after reading “The Whisper of Death” by Christopher Pike recently, I was rather wary about trying to read another one of his books. I don’t want to harm my fond memory of his books anymore than I already have. However, one of my readers did pester me to read and review another Christopher Pike book, so I decided to fulfil her wish. 

Anyway, "Weekend" was one of his first books published back in 1986 and there are very few supernatural aspects to it unlike some of Pike’s later books. The basic premise of the book is that there was an “accident” to a beautiful young teen who doesn’t actually die, but is now very ill. Then the very people who were with her when the accident occurred get invited to a weekend party at a luxurious mansion on the Mexican coast.  Whilst there, various strange incidents occur, and a couple of people attempt to use rather dodgy means to try and find out what exactly caused the accident. 

I have to say that “Weekend” is more of a mystery story than a work of horror in my opinion. Like all mystery novels you do end up spending a lot of time wondering about what happened in the past and what is happening now in the present.  Overall, Christopher Pike does do a good job of keeping the suspense going right until the end.

The characters within the book itself are the usual Christopher Pike fare with a mix of good looking women and smart and yet “cool” men. Come on Christopher, I want to see some variety in your characters just once! In addition to this usual mix of characters, we have main character herself who was probably the weakest of all the characters in the novel which was rather disappointing. I actually think there was better characterisation of the witch doctor type character who only seemed to be there for filler!

In addition, the aspect of the story that annoyed me the most was the ending itself! I mean, we finally find out who has been causing the issues at the weekend and who caused the “accident” that started the whole set of affairs. However, nothing happens to them, everyone seems to just decide not to tell anyone else about what happened.  I am sorry but there were cases of poisoning, exploding dynamite and other issues yet they all decide to be “nice” and not report any of it. Way too convenient and ridiculous an ending for me to take very seriously! 

In the end though, I actually enjoyed this book as a light easy read that would be able to pass the time during the bus or train journey to work etc. Also, I think it is a good entry book into the wacky world of Christopher Pike novels if you want to give them ago.

The Return of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Published: 1905

Price: £1.99 for Print Version Here or Free E-Book Version Here

I would be surprised if none of you have heard of Sherlock Holmes before, however just in-case I will give a brief synopsis. Basically, the Sherlock story's are about a detective in Victorian London who uses his deductive reasoning skills, formidable abilities with disguises and his use of forensic science to help solve various cases, both criminal and civil. They are mainly narrated by Holmes's fictional friend, Doctor John Watson whom acts at times as the "normal" man trying to understand and describe the seemingly amazing things that Sherlock can achieve.

Anyway, since getting my kindle I have been slowly working through the various Sherlock Holmes novels & short story collections that you can pick up from Project Gutenberg for free. I have to admit right here that I am enjoying the full length novels more than the short story collections. Whilst the short stories are all good, I just prefer the longer drawn out mystery shown in the novels.

In regards to "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" itself, well it is a collection of 13 Short Stories set 3 years after the final story seen within The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, in which Sherlock Holmes was seen to have supposedly died. The history behind this is that after killing off Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was put under great pressure from the public to revive him and in the end he relented and started writing again.

I was a little bit wary of this collection as I was curious to know how Sherlock would be brought back to life. I mean, I have seen enough stories of people returning because they had amnesia until then, or they were in a coma or they fell asleep and were actually dreaming their death. However, I didn't need to worry because Sir Arthur Conan Doyle managed to work the false death very well showing that Holmes had been missing for a valid reason, one that actually tied into the very story that he had "died" in.

Other than this, I have to admit it was pretty standard Sherlock Holmes fare with him using his deductive reasoning to solve plenty of crimes and issues of importance. At times because of the length of the stories, the plots can be a little weak but they usually keep you guessing right until the end about what has actually happened and I did enjoy them all. If I had to pick one that I preferred the most then it would be "The Adventure of the Abbey Grange". This is simply because Holmes in this story shows a little bit more of the man himself and his moral compass. He decides from what he has learned that the crime committed may have it's own valid reasons. Therefore, he does not tell the police any further information to assist them beyond what he has already done. I just felt that it added a little bit more that some of the other stories in the collection due to this. I will admit however, that the following story in the collection "The Adventure of the Second Stain" also goes in a similar direction with Holmes not telling his client the full story in order to protect someone else. The reason why I preferred one over the other was because in "The Adventure of the Abbey Grange" I was actually able to deduce one aspect of the "crime" myself before it was revealed and I felt mighty proud of myself!

Overall, I am going to recommend anyone with an E-Reader download this collection and the other Sherlock Holmes books. They are free on Project Gutenberg and are all a great read, I mean how anyone can not like Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson? If you are buying the paper books then I would advise you look into some of the full length novels first as I think these are better rounded and more in-depth.