Pretty Good

I disagree with the other reviewers I quite enjoyed the storyline. I do not believe that all of us remember clearly our childhood and the way Tempe remembers her childhood seems realistic to me. I found this book an improvement on her previous novel and would recommend it to anyone.

What a disappointment!

I bought this book to read on holiday and, had it not been the only novel I took with me, I would not have persevered. The story is all right, and just about worth plodding through, and the flavour suitably Italian, but the style? Oh dear! I found the writing style and use of vocabulary poor and ponderous. Instead of sharing this book with my group of friends, as we generally do with novels we have enjoyed, I left it in a hotel in Italy - not worth bringing home! I shall not be tempted by any other novels by this author, when there are so many others who write better.

the enemy within

for the uninitiated: this is a series of science fiction novels telling the ongoing story of the lost fleet, a group of spaceships in a future war between two human groups called the alliance and the syndic. the fleet comes from the former, and they got lost behind enemy lines and would have been doomed had they not found john geary. the legendary black jack, who fought in a battle at the start of the war one hundred years previously and was stuck in suspended animation ever since. geary is now in command, struggling to deal with the myth that has built up around him in the meantime, and trying to get the fleet back home. These books are not great literature by a long way, but they're capably written and feature good space battles. <br /><br />you could probably pick the story up here, but to get the most out of the series go back to the first volume and read them in order.<br /><br />for those who have been following this series:<br /><br />this one like all of them runs roughly 286 pages, and picks up where the previous book in the series left off. like that one, it also takes about a hundred pages to really get going. the first hundred pages are taken up with more space battles, which are well described but not the most exciting ones so far.<br /><br />after this, though, the book does get going. geary this time faces the threat of his enemies inside the fleet taking action. he has to try and find them, and make a few more tough decisions along with it.<br /><br />subplots do move on a bit here. the romantic love triangle he's been in gets a bit of resolution. the aliens mentioned in book three don't appear but we learn a little more about them. and an interesting subplot about the course of the war begins. it will be interesting to see how it develops. <br /><br />not quite the best in the series, but enough to make me want to know what will happen next

Nothing like the film is going to be...

This is a rather strange collection of short stories by Ian Fleming which have been gathered together for the first time here. Some of them barely feature Bond at all and none of those that have been the titles of films bear any resemblance to those films. Many of the stories have appeared before in the collection"For your eyes only" so may be familiar already. It is reported that Fleming used the short story formula as a means of gaining commisions to magazines and based many of the stories on personal experience with many of the characters recognisable friends (or enemies) of the author. Well whether or not that is the case the stories themselves are of varying standard and the title"track" is an interesting one in itself but they appear to be hurried affairs and don't add to Fleming's legacy as I don't believe he was comfortable writing short stories. It has also been said that these stories owe much to the Ashenden series by Somerset-Maugham but for me they don't hold a candle to those ones. So all in all a fair collection but not a patch on the novels.

Logan's Run - out of ideas

I bought Macbride's first two novels and gave them glowing reviews. This time around, however, I have definitely been disappointed, and found it a real effort to read through to the end. Not far short of 600 pages it was way too long and I did not at any time feel the inclination to read 'just one more chapter' before turning out the light, as I usually do. Having finished a Michael Connelly novel prior to this, I found BROKEN SKIN to be weak in just about every department of crime series fiction. I am tiring, for example, of the author's style of mixing the narrative with the dialogue, so that all the expletives and crudities of language appear at all times; there is no division. I assume that was entirely deliberate but I just don't like it any more, it was a novelty in COLD GRANITE but that has now worn off and I am sure he should have written it in the first-person, as front man Logan McRae appears on every single page.<br /><br />Then there are the characters. McRae gets more spineless with each episode, and in this third outing he spends most of his time trying to avoid confrontation with either of the two DIs he works with, or the woman and police colleague he lives with. A huge slice of the writing is allocated to police procedure but frankly there's very little of any novelty, or any interest to be honest. McRae himself has few vices, if any, and is really not that interesting a personality. The vaguely cartoonish characterisations of DI Insch and DI Steel have not been moved on at all from either of the two preceding novels, and I really grew more than tired of the writer's repeated descriptions of Insch's weight or size, and of Steel's smoking habits. The author's prose is often childish, such as when he writes:"The door burst open: DI Insch, looking very, very angry, his face swollen and red."<br /><br />My biggest gripe though is Macbride's adoption of a generally lightweight script spattered with countless attempts to generate humour - rarely paying off - while the underlying themes of the crimes (rape and buggery) being investigated are unquestionably dark, unpleasant and impossible to make humourous. I am definitely no prude, but I found the emphasis on the world of sexual sadomasochism distasteful and not funny at any point, despite the writer's efforts to make it so. I have no objection to pockets of humour in violent crime novels, but Macbride lacks the skills in this department of John Connolly by way of example, and his efforts to shock or thrill fall completely flat, in my humble opinion, whereas writers such as Val McDermid have been consistently successful in this regard. As for Logan McRae, well I can think of several front characters from other crime fiction novelists who are a whole lot more interesting. <br />

"Lords of the Underworld" series book 3

Part of the group of immortal warriors responsible for unwittingly releasing the evil contained in dimOuniak (Pandora's box) into the mortal realm, Reyes's punishment was to be eternally bound to the demon of Pain; left able to only find pleasure or even relief from the demon inside him by training himself to inflict injuries solely upon himself rather than hurt others. Nothing brings him greater joy than the draw of a knife upon his skin or a plummet to a rocky ground which breaks numerous bones and splatters various organs. <br /><br />Reyes has met (and saved) Danika Ford several times in the two previous books of this series; hopelessly drawn to this human woman marked for death by Cronus, the King of the Titans. Yet he finds he is willing to put Danika's welfare before that of the other Lords of the Underworld, specifically Aeron (Wrath) the Lord ordered to kill Danika and her family or sink fully into an all consuming bloodlust.<br /><br />Danika has been separated from her family and on the run since Reyes saved her from Aeron; learning self defence and killer instincts in the hopes these skills will protect her. Yet not only do the Lords hunt her, but also their enemies. Members of the Hunter organisation hope to sway Danika into acting as Bait to infiltrate the Lords of the Underworld and locate Pandora's box; enabling them to kill the Lords and recapture their demons. But Danika finds she is equally drawn to Reyes, torn between her growing feelings for a man deemed a monster or seeing him and his brethren destroyed to ensure the safety of her family.<br /><br />In this book GS reveals why Cronus wants the Ford women killed, who the leader of the Hunters is and the location of the second legendary artefact required to locate Pandora's Box; the"All Seeing Eye". She also introduces a demon character who befriends Aeron, a creature of Hell able to appease his bloodlust somewhat, Paris (Promiscuity) has to make a heartbreaking choice and Danika learns she is far more special than she realised. <br /><br />Although"The Darkest Pleasure" certainly lacks the humorous undertones found in its predecessor"The Darkest Kiss" it is an absolutely cracking read as GS fully explores the budding relationship between a man able to respond only to pain, yet determined to contain his demon rather than risk tainting the woman he loves with his unusual sexual tastes. This book absolutely rocks; as always the adventure pretty much explodes from the pages whilst the love scenes positively scorch them. Lastly some good news for fans; the fourth book initially scheduled for release November 09 (what!!) has been brought forward;"The Darkest Whisper" (Sabin's story the Keeper of Doubt) will now be released in May next year. Although this is still a long wait at least a further release in this author's"Atlantis" series prior to this will (hopefully) keep me going. <br /><br /><br />

Touching, funny and a true page turner

It is very rare to find such a believable narrator, who is so far removed from the author. This is the witty, touching and sometimes harrowing story of a little boy called Christopher who decides to find out who has killed his neighbour's dog. Christopher lets us into his world which is shaped by autism and through his eyes we watch the murder mystery unfold. This is unlike any book I have ever read - the narrative voice is so believable you forget that it was written by a grown man. Christopher is such a great story teller that this is a real page-turner and I managed to read the book in two short sittings. A worthy winner of every award that went Haddon's way - a triumph

Wonderful

Although this was not my favourite book of the series, it was still a fantastic story. Neomi and Conrad were wonderful characters they made a great couple and provided some funny and sexy scenes. Nix was as always very amusing.

Good but flawed

I enjoyed this despite it's faults (and there are several) but read through quickly so can't really give it a 4 or less. It's light reading at it's best.<br />Several characters are extremely cliched (does every single mention of DI Steele have to include cigarettes and of DI Insch have to include sweets - WE GET IT okay!), repetitive at times (how many times do you have to mention the rubbish and magazines in the car) the swearing did get annoying sometimes and the author is still obsessed with the weather (which is pretty true to the Aberdeen character). <br />But I still enjoyed the book despite it's flaws - just don't expect it to do more than entertain. <br />

Ingenious

We all know the song, but who can remember all the verses? I can! <br />Well, not really, but with the help of this book as each new character in the tale comes into view, the words from the previous characters are all there on the opposite page viewed through the old lady's stomach. Fabulous. Very creative and great for a bedtime/anytime reader/song.

A Romantic Mystery Plum Full of Gags, Jokes, and Ironic Situations

For my money, Lean Mean Thirteen was by far the best beach read of summer 2007. Although you could race through the book at high speed in a few hours, there is enough humor in here to keep you chuckling, guffawing, and rolling on the floor in tears from now until long past Labor Day. So another way to read this book is to stop every time you laugh out loud . . . and pick it up again the next day. I suspect that would be the best way to enjoy the book . . . but naturally, I didn't have that much self control. I did, however, keep track of where I laughed aloud when I read the book and the total exceeded 160 times!<br /><br />To me, Stephanie Plum has emerged as one of the great comic heroines of crime literature. Could you love her any more? I doubt it.<br /><br />Unlike some other books in the series, you'll probably enjoy Lean Mean Thirteen more if you've read at least One for the Money of the earlier books so you know the story of her former marriage to Dickie Orr before beginning this book.<br /><br />Who will love this book? Anyone who cannot get enough of Stephanie Plum as bounty hunter, beloved of two sexy men, and granddaughter of Grandma Mazur.<br /><br />Who will be disappointed in this book? Those who are looking for Stephanie to choose between Morelli and Ranger.<br /><br />So what happens? A lot.<br /><br />Let me tell you a tiny bit about how the book starts to get you in the mood. I'm reluctant to say very much because so much of the humor relies on surprises.<br /><br />Ranger asks Stephanie to plant a bug on Dickie Orr, her ex-husband. In the process, Stephanie finds lots of reasons to be enraged at Dickie and the lawyer finds himself at risk of becoming a homicide victim at Stephanie's hands. Soon, Dickie has vanished and his girlfriend, the abominable Joyce Barnhardt, is out to punish Stephanie.<br /><br />Nearly destitute, Stephanie is out trying to bring in bail jumpers . . . but without much success. Can she stave off starvation?<br /><br />The bail jumpers are quite an unusual lot: One is a mild threat unless you light a fire around his house; another is most likely to be found robbing graves of those who are buried with jewels and clothes he can wear . . . when he's not playing with his 20 foot-long snake; and a third is a mild taxidermist with an unusual hobby who doesn't want to leave home because he's waiting for someone.<br /><br />One of the delights of this book is that Janet Evanovich has taken off the handcuffs in bringing new weapons to the party that Stephanie can use to defend herself . . . and to threaten Stephanie's life.<br /><br />Like all of the best Plum books, Lean Mean Thirteen is corpse-deep in ironies, unexpected turnabouts, and surprises. Don't miss it.<br /><br />I must admit that I wanted to add another irony to the pile by reading the book on Friday the thirteenth. That added a final laugh for me. But don't wait until the next Friday the thirteenth.<br /><br />Get your next laugh from this book today!

A bit below par.

A British police procedural introducing Detective Superintendent Roy Grace.<br /><br />The plot was very interesting - a stag night prank that goes wrong followed by a well-paced escalation of events as many plot twists unfold around an opportunistic business partner and a fiancee that is not all she seems.<br /><br />The book was a very readable crime thriller but Roy Grace is not as engaging a central character as others in the genre: Rebus (Ian Rankin); Tom Thorne (Mark Billingham).<br /><br />I found some of the narrative to be a little stilted in parts and was irritated by some faux Americanisms peppered in the dialogue.<br /><br />Grace's interest in the supernatural and the engagement of mediums and the like somewhat undermined my overall enjoyment of the book.<br /><br />The use of this particular ploy made for a convenient and rather far fetched ending in my opinion.<br /><br />I won't be buying into this particular series.

debacle

I am surprised by the 16 reviews I have read. Contrary to their lavish praise, this book is a great disappointment after the very good Tell No one and The Woods. The style is pulp fiction quality: simple phrases, witless dialogue, many one-sentence paragraphs for the hard of reading.<br /><br />The plot is not as simple as some reviewers claim. Different plots, which cleverly come together at the end, are juggled all the way through, even switching in the middle of chapters. Newcomers to this kind of fiction should start making notes on page one - but they may still be startled by the twists and turns, which is of course the author's laudable intention. However, the two climactic scenes are just laughable. To give a line by line exposure of the absurdities would spoil the surprises for new readers, but kids of 13 trying to write an adventure story for English homework would do well to ignore these episodes as models. I hope Coben's next novel will return to form.<br />

Brilliant return of Simon Serrailler

*****MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS***** <br /><br />It's been quite a long wait for this most recent episode in the life of Detective Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler but how worthwhile! <br /><br />Serrailler is back in VOWS OF SILENCE and Susan Hill has yet again provided a book which has to be read at one sitting!<br /><br />Serrailler has his hands full with a gunman who is picking off, apparently at random, young females. He is methodical, cold and in control and with the victims having no obvious links the case is proving a frustrating one for Serrailler who at one stage admits `he has the upper hand'.<br /><br />Not only does Serrailler have to cope with the shootings, his brother-in-law Chris, who has just arrived back with the family after 9 months in Australia, is diagnosed with a brain tumour. The resultant family crisis he and his sister Cat have to face is matched only in part (certainly for Serrailler) by the arrival of a new partner for his recently bereaved father - a man Serrailler has never been able to get along with.<br /><br />Serrailler can't cope with the woman who has taken his beloved mother's place, and his attitude just adds to Cat's trauma of seeing her husband suffer abysmally after surgery and radiotherapy.<br /><br />This might sound like a depressing book but it isn't, not by a long way. Hill has a remarkable way of interweaving all her characters in a way that cannot help but draw you in - their strengths and their weaknesses are to the fore and she sets the scene for an exciting story that has you guessing to the end - and invariably the perpetrator is quite a surprise!<br /><br />Simon Serrailler will go down in the history of crime novels as one of the better detectives. There is nothing superhuman about him, he is totally believable as a person, a fine detective and a much needed loving uncle for young Sam. <br /><br />Fortunately (and with a sigh of relief from Serrailler fans) Susan has now started writing the next, called THE TREE IN WINTER, which will be published in 2009 - not long now!!<br />

Shooting fish in a barrel

Brookmyre knows his audience and this book pushes all the right buttons. It is a scathing attack on spiritualists and like minded frauds and lays bare the methods they use to gull money out of the weak, vulnerable and credulous. A rollicking read spoilt only by the revelation as to the tricksters methods which, rather than being a twist, are obvious for most of the book. Still, good fun, well written and right minded in the most literal sense.

Great book

Exciting from the beginning to the very end, and the knowledge that it's based on real history makes it even more thrilling

Book about books

This is a great addition to my book about books collection. I found it charming, funny, biting, and witty. Reading about the queen withdrawing into the life of a reclusive bibliophile is too funny for words and the unexpected ending made me chuckle out loud.

Brilliant fun

What a scream this book is! A friend lent it to me and kept nagging me to read it. It took me a few weeks before I actually started to read because it didn't look like my sort of thing. But my friend was spot on, once I'd started I couldn't put it down.<br />There are numerous laugh out loud moments right through the book, but it's also peppered with some excessive violence and gory moments. However, even the violence is often played for laughs. The characters are all larger than life and there are plenty of them. <br />Plotwise, there are several storylines running concurrently, but the overall theme is that of a murder mystery. The ending ties all the threads together brilliantly and there were some great twists. <br />I loved this book and was sorry when it came to an end because (although it's no literary masterpiece) it was great fun, and the action was relentless right from the first page.<br />I'd recommend this to anyone looking for something fun and very different.

Trash but not even good trash

Exactly the same plot as her last book, The Devil Wears Prada, girl falls into new job, gets sucked into social scene or will lose job, cancels arrangements with friends/family at short notice etc etc. A slightly more polished version however than last time, possibly giving rise to a slight hope that with a change of plot the next book might be better