Reviews

P. D. James – The Lighthouse

‘…you have here a well-rounded novel, the whole package.’

Synopsis:
Dalgliesh and his small team of Kate Miskin and Benton-Smith are sent to Combe Island off the coast of Cornwall. The island is used for people who have stressful careers and need to retreat from life, as we know it. However, the tranquillity of the island has been shattered by the suspicious death of one of its visitors. One who has made themselves extremely unpopular.

Commander Dalgliesh has to tread a very fine line as noted dignitaries are booked to use the island in the near future and do not wish any unnecessary publicity. The Commander not only has to keep the matter quiet for as long as possible, but needs to catch a killer. And quickly. Then something happens that puts Dalgliesh in danger.

Review:
It appears that with age and experience, the amazing P. D. James’ novels just seem to get better and better. With nearly all her novels, James can take up to nearly 100 pages to set the scene of one of her murders. With writing such as James’, that is no bad thing. You sense that not one word is superfluous and everything from the murder right down to the merest detail has its necessary place in the novel.

From the start when we are introduced to the main players, you can smell the acrid tang of salt from the crushing waves of the sea. P. D. James has always said that her novels are more about the places where the murders take place, rather than the actual catching of the perpetrator. This is true. Her novels have been set among others in a Murder museum, a church, a hospital and now a remote island with a lighthouse. Therefore, you have here a well-rounded novel, the whole package. A sense of place with a cast of three-dimensional characters and an extremely good plot that will satisfy even the sturdiest of crime reader.

Reviewed by: C.S.

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Peter Tremayne - Master of Souls

“The old legal systems seem amazingly modern and remarkably fair.”

Synopsis:
This is the latest in a series of books set in seventh century Ireland and featuring Sister Fidelma and Brother Eadulf. Sister Fidelma holds a highly respected position in the Irish legal system as an investigator par excellence who has the powers to question and search for the truth in various situations. In this story, two apparently separate murders – of Abbess Faife, leading a band of her sisters on a pilgrimage, and of the Venerable Cinaed, in his abbey - are found linked with a longstanding feud between two families. Fidelma has a keen intellect and a comprehensive knowledge of law and history, which lead her to the discovery of the killer. This is all set against a background of Irish church history and social conditions at the time, which is both detailed and fascinating.

Review:
I loved this book. As always I particularly like historical mysteries, which also inform about the conditions of the time. Fidelma is a feisty character who has no truck with some of the changes coming as the Roman church vies with the old Celtic tradition. The old legal systems seem amazingly modern and remarkably fair. A really enjoyable read.

Reviewed by: S. D.

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Laura Lipman – The Power of Three

“…the real drama that was played out in the school is not revealed until the final chapters.”

Synopsis:
Three schoolgirls are found in a locked toilet at Glendale High in Baltimore. One is dead, one seriously injured and the third has relatively minor injuries to her foot. She assures the police that she in not responsible for the shooting, but the unconscious girl she identifies as the killer cannot necessarily be proved to be responsible. The police work to unravel this complex case and the events, which led up to the killing.

Review:
I enjoyed this novel very much! At over 400 pages the book is quite long and I wondered how the suspense could be maintained through to the end as it is apparently clear who the victims and the murderer are. However, the plot is intricate and the lives of the girls, their parents and their peers are retold in detail and the real drama that was played out in the school is not revealed until the final chapters. A number of thrillers have now been set in the context of high schools shootings, but the plot was neither gratuitous nor superficial. A highly entertaining read.

Reviewed by: S. W.

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Agatha Christie – The Thirteen Problems

“…what is between these covers is a treat for old and new fans alike.”

Synopsis:
This is Miss Marple’s second outing and she is given 13 cases to solve. It all starts quite innocently with a night of tales told at her nephew, Raymond’s, house. The conversation turns to crime and each in turn tells their tale of menace. Every single time, it is the sweet, innocent old lady sat by the fire doing her knitting who arrives at the correct solution to every case. The cases range from a blood-stained pavement, a sacrificial rite and what appears to be a supernatural death in the form of a blue geranium.

Review:
I have to say I have a soft spot for this book as it was the first Miss Jane Marple I read and I remember loving every single short story. Although many people are not totally keen on short stories, they are joined, however tenuously, by the fact that each story is told by a different person at what they call, The Tuesday Murder Club. My favourite has to be The Blue Geranium. As with many Christie books, the cover leaves a lot to be desired regarding its creativity, but what is between these covers is a treat for old and new fans alike.

Reviewed by: C.S.

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Chris Haslam – Alligator Strip

Synopsis:
Alligator Strip is the latest novel, which follows Martin Brock, the book’s hilarious anti-hero. By jumping, he has escaped a ship bound for Africa. Now in Morocco, we join him as he runs at full pelt through the streets of Marrakech, being pursued by an angry restaurateur. Saved by a rather camp ex-military American who thinks he can put Martin’s talents for deception and extravagant bullshitting to good use, Martin accepts a job in Florida. There, the two of them set to work on a brilliant scam that could see them sharing millions of dollars of gold coin. Their plan cannot possibly fail, unless of course the foils of love, snakes, a murderous ex-husband and the American’s peculiar past gets in the way.

Review:
Martin Brock is a likeable rogue. His life drifts from scam to scam, living off his wits and surviving. This so called, ‘job’ in Florida is not all it seems and he is involved in yet another scam. Also, along the way, Martin has to get over his infatuation of drink, drugs and a stripper he has recently met.

Although not of the genre I usually read, I did enjoy this book. It kept going at a rapid pace and was neither predictable nor disappointing.

Reviewed by: H.A.

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Denise Hamilton – Last Lullaby

“This is a well-paced and entertaining thriller.”

Synopsis:
LA Times reporter Eve Diamond is shadowing a US airport customs supervisor when she gets caught up in a shooting. A young girl, carried through customs in the arms of a glamorous woman, is apparently left orphaned but is immediately spirited away by government officials. As Eve investigates further, it soon becomes apparent that the toddler is part of wider, deadly conspiracy…

Review:
This is a well-paced and entertaining thriller. Eve Diamond, in her role as intrepid investigator, reminded me of Sarah Paretsky’s, Warshawski, and the character is well developed. The novel made reference to previous cases investigated by Eve Diamond but I didn’t feel particularly at a disadvantage that this was the first book that I had read.

The action was brutal, but realistic, and the human element of the story was well portrayed. In this case, the personal dilemmas faced by the main character echo the central themes of the case. Ultimately a story of children and of childlessness, it was a very enjoyable read.

Reviewed by: S. W.

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Ake Edwardson – Sun and Shadow

“…this is a taught and gripping thriller.”

Synopsis:
In autumnal Gothenburg a young couple are found brutally murdered in their apartment to the accompaniment of disturbing rock music. A killer appears to be on the loose who may be connected to the Gothenburg police force. Is he an obsessive impostor or does Erik Winter, the detective leading the case, need to look for the killer amongst his colleagues?

Review:
This book will be enjoyed by fans of Henning Mankell. The character of Erik Winter shares many of Kurt Wallander’s traits. His private life, however, seems to have more going for it than Mankell’s detective. His wife is about to have her first baby and he is one of the top detectives in the local police force. However, in the tradition of many classic detectives, Erik Winter wrestles with his private demons. In this novel his private life and the case he is investigating overlap, whilst the novel effectively switches between the two. I found the array of suspects a bit confusing and I struggled to keep track of which character was which. However, the book was very well written and overall this is a taught and gripping thriller.

Reviewed by: S. W.

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Daniel Silva - A Death in Vienna

“…makes a really good, indulgent holiday read.”

Synopsis:
Gabriel Allon is busy restoring paintings in an ancient Venetian church when
events in Vienna catapult him back into the world of spies and intrigue. He returns to Vienna, where his family had been blown up some time before, to investigate the attack on an old friend and the murder of two innocent girls. Ex Nazis, Holocaust survivors and the Israeli Secret Service are all part of this fast moving and exciting story. There are links in many parts of the world and the action moves from one place to the other smoothly and quickly. The conspiracy is gradually revealed and a satisfactory ending is reached.

Review:
This book makes a really good, indulgent holiday read. With a bit of luck you might even be in one of the many settings of this story! This is a racy book, which keeps your interest and your empathy with the main character. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the different countries and the insight into the world of spies. I couldn’t help imagining this as a film with the opportunity for wonderful shots of European capitals and breathtaking scenery…

Reviewed by: S. D.

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Agatha Christie – The Moving Finger

“Christie said that The Moving Finger was one of the few books she wrote that she was proud of.”

Synopsis:
Brother and sister, Jerry and Joanna Burton rent a house in Lymstock. It sounded like the perfect, idyllic place to convalesce after Jerry’s bad crash in an airplane. Little did they know that underneath the gentle, placid exterior, lay a deceitful, mean streak that was plaguing the villagers. Someone was hard at work writing poison pen letters. Even the Burton’s were not protected from these vile scribes. Then there was a suspicious death and it needed the intervention of Miss Marple to track down the perpetrator of this heinous act!

Review:
Christie said that The Moving Finger was one of the few books she wrote that she was proud of. Originally published in 1943, this facsimile copy of her novel has just been released by HarperCollins to celebrate Agatha Christie week, which was in September 2005. This story has all the Christie traits but is written in the first person narrative, which was not Christie’s usual style. It is very effective here. Marple doesn’t come on to the scene until quite far in to the novel, so like P. D. James a lot of the book is taken up in setting the scene. It is not one of my favourites, but certainly one, which will entertain fans, old and new.

Reviewed by: C.S.

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