drallapaul

I enjoyed this third volume as Mare, Cal and all the main characters amplify their struggle against Maven's reign and gain interesting, unexpected and capable allies. In fact there are now so many characters that it can be hard to keep track of who is who. Less introspection than the last volume makes this an improvement. There's plenty of fighting, death and political machinations. The developments are well worthwhile although not always surprising. Good stuff.

Another "light" quick read from James Patterson, this novel centers around three cases, a missing baby, rapes and a murder. All the ladies of the Murder Club are involved and it's a satisfying read. The characters are reasonably well developed but it is interesting that nearly everybody is good-looking, well-dressed and intelligent. My usual gripe: who cares about the street directions that people drive through which may only mean anything to local residents, in this case, of San Francisco. A good book to read in between more serious stuff.

This second volume of this four-novel YA fantasy series takes the plot a lot further. Mare leads a countermove against Maven, building up her forces but at a cost. The book is full of action and machinations and I enjoyed the way that the plot develops. A few new interesting characters are introduced, some with unusual abilities. However there is a lot of Mare's introspection, particularly her guilt - this is overdone in my opinion and the reason why I have only given it four stars here. I look forward to reading the next part of this saga.

Leading from At Risk, Win finds himself investigating a cold case but there are two other plotlines going on to confuse matters. The whole effect is of a mishmash, including as usual some forensic science. It's disjointed and less than satisfying. The characters are still interesting and the whole thing does not take long to read but - school report - can do better!

Mare is a Red, essentially "slaves" or worker bees for the Silvers who possess powers that keep the reds in their place. Her destiny changes with an unexpected encounter and things progress from there. The fantasy novel has Hunger Games similarities to it and has an engaging plot with interesting characters, although some are a bit two-dimensional. With political machinations, twists and turns, the novel is a good example of the genre, possibly aimed at the YA readership but has enough to make this worthwhile for all fantasy love

Unlike the Scarpetta novels, this one about Win Garano is less intense but still has a lot going for it. Dealing with a cold case murder, the investigator also has to deal with his DA boss who herself is involved in all sorts of shenanigans. The characters are well-drawn and the plot moves along nice and quickly. At 191 pages, it does not take long to read and is satisfying nonetheless.

This detective novel deals with the death of an American staying at a coastal hotel in the UK. Gently is called in when it transpires that all is not as it seems. His investigation takes in a myriad of characters, the development of which takes up most of the novel. Unlike previous novels, Alan Hunter uses a literary style here with few paragraphs, florid language and builds up the characters rather than concentrating on a complicated plot. Certainly different and reasonably worthwhile.

Phillip Pullman takes us further on Lyra’s journey, this time as a young woman, leaving Oxford to embark on a long purposeful trip, meeting a host of different characters along the way, both friendly and hostile. Meanwhile political machinations are underway.

The writing is engaging and very literary in places and makes the whole experience enjoyable. The characters are well-developed and evolve as the story progresses. Fans will certainly find the novel rewarding.

Another bunch of short stories about gamblers, gangsters, showgirls and various characters which are full of 1940s New York slang and silly situations. They are a lighthearted easy read which I’ve delved into between reading more serious stuff. Making a pleasant change, this book is enjoyable and worth a look for something a bit lighter.

At 293 pages, 63 very short chapters, large print and short sentences, this detective novel does not take long to read. Spenser is hired to investigate the death of a young lady found dead in the hotel room of a film star. Along with Zebulon Sixkill, the film star's ex-bodyguard, he uncovers all sorts of unsavoury goings-on and solves the crime to the best of his ability. Quite witty and fun, this book is an easy, satisfying read and recommended to all lovers of US detective stories

Now with the FBI, Alex Cross gets involved in a case about kidnappings and murders while also dealing with a family crisis. Although the plot unravels well over 300 pages, it’s one of Patterson’s books where all is not resolved at the end, something which I find disappointing and unfair to the reader. I read these occasionally for a fast entertaining read but this was not as enjoyable as it could be.

This novel brings the series to a close in an engaging and complicated way. The plot thickens and moves along at a steady pace and more characters are introduced as others re-emerge from previous stories. Everyone is involved at some stage and not all of them survive. This has been a rewarding and unusual fantasy series which we have really enjoyed. Highly recommended for fantasy lovers.

This comes under the heading of women’s fiction so it probably serves me right if I don’t enjoy this much. Although I’ve not read it (but seen the film): it reminds me of High Fidelity but the references are all related to films this time with others about music with which I am not familiar. Nick, the narrator, takes us through his first “date” with Ellie, alternating chapters with their break-up and the end result. Because it’s a first-person narrative, there’s a lot of introspection. It’s straightforward but lacks humour. Not really my cup of tea but I’m sure that many will enjoy it. I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Niall’s adventures amongst the Fey continue as he gets involved in 3 difficult situations involving an investigation into missing children in Yorkshire, power machinations in the Fey and a situation with his daughter. Juggling this lot and looking for solutions take up the plot which generally moves along well. Few new characters are introduced but others are developed further. It’s certainly engaging stuff and I’ve bought the next in the series. Highly recommended.

Topical for a change as, although written in the 1960s, it deals to some extent with Scottish Nationalism. This George Gently detective story deals with a murder in the Highlands while the policeman is on holiday with Brenda Merryn, his sister and his brother-in-law. There's death, imprisonment, adultery and betrayal included and it reads quite well even if a lot of the dialogue is in Scottish brogue and needs some effort to comprehend.

I was hoping for better than this. This is the first part of a trilogy which takes place in a world relying on "fields" and crystals to fight against monsters (the lyrinx). Tiann, an artisan, is the main character and she gets involved in all sorts of intrigue, along with other major characters, Nish and Irisis. It's over 600 pages of fighting, lust, jealousy, mystical forces, monsters and betrayal. The characters are certainly well-fleshed-out and the story is quite intriguing but it's long, complicated with too much description and a little too much horror for my liking.