[ebooktalk] Re: Books read In September.
- From: "Elaine Harris \(Rivendell\)" <elaineharris@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 3 Oct 2013 16:57:09 +1000
Hello Alison,
Peter Robinson - or Banks and his team - ranks among my favourite detective
writers.
Can't say I am a fan of Messrs Cootz, (Whome I can't spell), Rankin or
Paterson, but have read and enjoyed one Karen Maitland.
I find the Dalgleish novels rather bloody but did read one of the Baroness's
books last month and adored it. More when I get round to doing the September
list.
Take care and never feel you need apologize for reading purely for pleasure
rather than enlightment; if it's a sin at all, it iss one of pure
self-indulgence, harms no-one and is entirely justifiable.
Elaine
From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of CJ& AA MAY
Sent: Wednesday, 2 October 2013 8:17 PM
To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ebooktalk] Re: Books read In September.
No mind improvement for me this month - just read purely for entertainment!
The gallows curse by Caren Maitland; a mix of historical fiction and
folklore based in King Jon's reign with an unexpected dark end - brilliantly
read by David Thorpe (4*)
The Lighthouse by P. D. James; one of the Adam Dowgliesh series which was
alright but a bit slow (3*)
Street Dreams by Fay Kellerman; another in the Decker series where his
daughter rescues a newborn baby from a dumpster and tracks down the learning
disabled mother and tries to track the father. Reasonably entertaining, if a
bit disjointed, but to my mind, it concentrated too much on the growing
romance and too little on the story. (3*)
In a dry season by Peter Robinson; another in the Inspector Banks series
where a body is discovered when a drought hits the local reservoir. Not
outstanding but reasonably entertaining. (4*)
The Black book by Ian Rankin; one of the better books in the Inspector Rebus
series where he struggls to save his latest relationship whilst
investigating a hotel fire and murder which happened 5 years previously.
(5*)
Watchers by Dean Cootz; for me one of his best! a really good book with lots
of passages of spine-chilling suspense and certainly not for those prone to
nightmares! It tells the tale of a lovable genetically engineered retriever
and a monstrous violent genetically engineered baboon. (4*)
The mist in the mirror by Susan Hill; OK; a bit dated in style but perhaps
it was meant to be. (3*)
Driven by James Sallis; I gave up pretty quickly on this Audible book as the
reader spoke so quickly and without much expression. (2*)
Cradle and All by James Patterson; an unusual but refreshingly different
storyline by this author about two young pregnant virgins and Rome's
endeavours to discover which is carrying "the seconed coming" and which the
"son of satan" with a nice twist in the tale at the end. (4*)
Innocent graves by Peter Robinson; for me this was one of the best of the
Inspector Banks series, telling the story of a murdered school girl with
several possible culprits. (4*)
Alison
TB12599 - Once - Herbert, James
TB 948 - The Long Goodbye - Chandler, Raymond
TB19051 - Deliver Us from Evil - Baldacci, David
TB18265 - Stone Cold - Baldacci, David
TB19031 - - Pigeon English - Kelmer, Stephen
TB 19462 - The Jona - Herbert, James
TB19288 - You can't say that - Livingstone, Ken
TB14591 - Alone - Gardner, Lisa
TB 18109 - Exit Music - Rankin, Ian
TB19001 Survivor by James Herbert
TB 19462 - The Jonah by James Herbert
TB18847 The broken window by Jeffery DeaverThe Flood
Shades of Death
From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Ian Macrae
Sent: 02 October 2013 10:32
To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ebooktalk] Re: Books read In September.
Hi Shell, an interesting bunch some of which I'd most certainly give a go to
myself. You sometimes include links to copies in your list? are you able
to do that this time around?
On 2 Oct 2013, at 10:12, Shell wrote:
I had a good reading month, with no real disappointments.
McMahon, Katharine. The ROSE of SEBASTOPOL. 3 Sept 2013. 9 Stars.
Mariella is engaged to Henry, who is a doctor and has gone out to help in
the Crimean war. When he is injured, she goes out to Italy to be with him,
but is apalled, when in his illness, he mistakes her for her cousin, who has
disappeared. Mariella has lived a privaliged life and the reality of war is
shocking to her as she tries to find her missing cousin.
As always fantastic characters, an exciting story and packed with historical
detail. One of my all time favourite authors and this book doesn't
disappoint.
Templeton, Aline. Shades Of Death. 10th Sept 2013. 8 Stars.
The book begins with a young girl hiding from her class mates in a cave and
then being struck from behind. We then jump forward 20 years, when the
skeleton is discovered by some cavers. It's a difficult investigation after
so much time has passed, but lots of people are hiding secrets.
A very enjoyable detective novel, with beautiful descriptive writing and
good characters. I would read this author again.
Williams, Charlie. Dead Folk. 14 Sept 2013. 9 Stars.
Royston Blake is a hard nut bouncer, respected by all. That is until a rumur
begins that he has lost his bottle. Now he has got on the wrong side of the
3 Munton brothers life is Unbareable. Royston sets out to repair his
reputation and stay out of the Munton's meat wagon.
I couldn't decide whether I liked this book or not, but as time has passed,
I find I did enjoy it and will read the next in the series. It's told in the
first person and, realistically, the book is end to end bad language and
violence, so not for the delicately disposed. I don't think there is a
likeable character in the whole book and it paints a very bleak picture of
life in this small town. One of those books that takes a change in mindset
to get into, but worth the effort.
Wilkinson, Kerry. LOCKED IN 18th Sept 2013. 8 Stars.
In this first book in the Jessica Daniel series, a woman's body is found
murdered in a house where all the windows are doors are locked, with no sign
of forced entry. When another body is found in similar circumstances, the
police begin to think they are carried out by the same person. They
desperately try to find the connection between these 2 before another murder
takes place.
Very good police procedural, with an interesting plot. Jessica Daniel is an
excellent protagonist and I look forward to reading more in this series.
Bugler, Suzanne. The Safest Place. 22nd Sept 2013. 8 Stars.
Jane was a professional woman in London. Now she is a housewife with 2 young
children and when the family is dissatisfied with their city life, she
hatches a plan whereby they can live in the country, with roses round the
door horseriding for the kids and nice neighbours. It isn't long though
before her husband tires of the 5 hours a day comute to London, which is
impossible during the winter and the dream starts to fall apart. When Jane
and the children are struggling to make friends, they meet a single mother
and her similarly aged kids, but perhaps they are not the kind of friends
that are good for them.
I enjoyed the book, though there was too much padding to build up the
tention that should have been there. The book is more a description of a
family falling apart, which is done very realistically, I just would liked
it to have moved along a bit faster. I will read more by this author.
Ozeki, Ruth. A Tale for the Time Being. 24th Sept 2013. 8 Stars.
Whilst walking on the beach, Ruth finds a book washed up, protected by many
plastic bags. She begins to read the diary of Nao, a 16-year-old Japanese
girl who is living a troubled life.
A really captivating story as we read parts of the diary and then see how
Ruth is trying to find out if Nao is still alive. I couldn't put it down,
though I found the end not quite satisfying. Glad I read it though and I
really felt myself swept along with characters lives.
Adams, Poppy. The Behaviour Of Moths. 26th Sept 2013. 9 Stars.
Excentric Ginny hasn't spoken to her sister for 49 years. But Vivien is
coming back for a visit. When she arrives, Vivien seems to be searching the
gothic mantion for something and is horrified that Ginny has sold off all
the family's antique furnature for spending money. We jump back in time to
when the girl's parents were alive and begin to see all the secrets and
pretence that surrounded the family.
A fantastic book, set in a creepy old house with 2 very peculiar old ladies.
I found myself staying up late to read a bit more and the ending was just
wonderful. Also learned more about moths than I ever thought I wanted to
know, but it was all really interesting.
Prowse, Amanda. What Have I Done. 28th Sept 2013. 8 Stars.
Kathryn married in haste, against the warnings of her sister. Very quickly,
she began to realize that Mark was a vicious, cruel man who delighted in
tormenting her. She kept quiet for 18 years and then she had had enough.
The book opens with Kathryn ringing the police to say that she has just
killed her husband.
Sometimes the book lacked a bit of subtlety, but on the whole it was very
interesting, though I'm not sure someone could be tortured in this way for
nearly 20 years without her children suspecting a thing. Would try another
by this author as it did have some good points.
Setterfield, Diane. BELLMAN & BLACK. 30th Sept 2013. 9 Stars.
William Bellman kills a crow with a catapult to show off to his school
friends. He thinks no more of it, but as his life become prosperous and his
family life idilic, there is always a man in black hanging round, just on
the perifery of his vision. When he eventually speaks to this man, when
life has taken a turn for the worse, he strikes a bargain which will effect
them all for years to come.
A riviting tale set in a mill town, where life is hard. Not quite as spooky
as I'd hoped and a bit of a wierd ending, but I enjoyed all the history of
dying cloth and lots of details about the lives and myths surrounding crows.
Would read another.
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