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The Killing Place by Tess Gerritsen – Book Review

Posted on August 27, 2010
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I have a confession to make! I had never heard of Rizzoli and Isles until I began watching the television series (July 12th on TNT in the United States). Starring Angie Harmon as Jane Rizzoli and Sasha Alexander as Dr Maura Isles, I discovered the series was based on novels by Tess Gerritsen.

With that in mind and thanks to the wonderful publicists at Transworld Publishers, Gerritsen’s latest novel “The Killing Place” landed, ready for me to review.

Despite having watched six episodes of the TV show I decided to the best way to attack the book was to start afresh, forgetting everything I knew from what I’d seen on TNT. I always find a book gives you so much more depth and insight into a character’s mind and personality than the small/big screen could ever do. So with that in mind and En Vogue’s mantra “Free your mind and the rest will follow” playing in my head I turned to page one and began a new journey!

Dr Maura Isles is in Wyoming for a medical conference where she meets up with an old acquaintance (Doug). Over dinner, he invites her on a short trip with his daughter and two friends before she is due to head back to Boston, back home to a strained relationship with Father Daniel Brophy. She decides the time is right for a little spontaneity and accepts his invitation meeting up with the group the following morning.

Hours into the journey they realise they are desperately lost following an incorrect instruction from “Lola” the GPS navigator. With the snow fall intensifying they are forced off the road and end up sideways in a ditch. The road is deserted and no recent sign of life exists and so they abandon the vehicle …

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The Kid by Kevin Lewis – book review

Posted on August 24, 2010
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Where do I begin reviewing “The Kid” by Kevin Lewis? I sat through the first half of the book with my mouth wide open, or that’s how it seemed to me – I’m certain I didn’t or colleagues would have certainly pulled me up on my facial expressions had I done so. It just felt like it at the time!

“The Kid” is a harrowing and sad story of a young lad (Kevin Lewis) growing up in South London in the 1970’s who was abused both mentally and physically, mistreated, and used as a punching bag firstly by his mother Gloria and then by his Elvis loving father Dennis.

I read the first couple of chapters and took a step back allowing myself a momentary pause from the agony of life in Kevin’s world. It made me appreciate the upbringing I had both as a child and young adult. I never wanted for anything, how many people can say that? Certainly not Kevin.

I chose, as I grew a little older not to celebrate birthdays, Kevin on the other hand had no such luxury – he never had the option. I was never abused and although a relatively small family we were lovingly cared for; I thank my parents for that.

As I continued reading, page after page was full of heartache for a young lad lost in a world full of turmoil. Gloria would sit waiting for the postman to deliver her Gyro and then immediately spend it not on the children but herself.

There was never enough food for the kids and they were banned from using the downstairs toilet after dark for fear they would steal what food was available in the fridge. A bucket would be placed on the landing (upstairs) and …

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Van Gogh painting stolen in Cairo – not recovered

Posted on August 22, 2010
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Watching Sky News last night, I was stunned to see the “Breaking News” ticker streaming across my screen in High Definition – “Van Gogh painting stolen, 2 arrested at airport”.

I haven’t long finished reviewing Daniel Silva’s “The Rembrandt Affair” where the main storyline surrounds art theft around the world, the story for obvious reasons held me captive as I searched for more information.

Initial reports from Farouk Hosni (Egypt’s culture minister) suggested the canvas along with two Italian suspects had been recovered at Cairo international but these claims now appear to be wrong. The canvas however is still missing.

The painting worth $50m (£32m) – known as both Poppy Flowers and Vase And Flowers – was “cut from its frame” at the Mahmoud Khalil Museum on Saturday, Mr Hosni said

The state news agency Mena reported that visitors to the exhibition had been investigated, and the Italian couple had aroused suspicion after they were seen visiting a toilet and then rapidly leaving the premises.

Italy’s Ansa news agency said the two Italians were young and had been part of a tour group visiting the gallery.

It is not clear whether the pair are still under arrest.

Interestingly the same painting was previously taken from the same museum in 1978, but recovered a decade later in Kuwait.

The work, measuring 30cm by 30cm(1ft by 1ft), and depicting yellow and red flowers, is believed to have been painted by Vincent Van Gogh in 1887, three years before his death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Poppy Flowers is significant because it represents a turning point in van Gogh’s painting style, said Conor Jordan of Christie’s auction house in New York.

“It shows him assimilating the influences of the French avant-garde after having arrived in 1886 (from Amsterdam), absorbing as …

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Cheryl Cole happy and Gamu Jazz’s the X Factor

Posted on August 22, 2010
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It was good to see Cheryl Cole back on our screens last night following her serious fight against Malaria last month. I’ve always been indifferent to Cheryl’s multiple appearances on tv and in the papers but I have to admit, over the last year or so, I’ve warmed up to the Geordie girl and would probably miss her style on X Factor if she had been forced to quit.

The X Factor Final 12 – Spoiler Here

Louis Walsh on the other hand – I wouldn’t miss at all! I’d love to see him replaced, he’s nothing more than a Leprechaun – or is that disparaging to Leprechaun’s?!!

In today’s paper “The People” it runs an exclusive report on Cheryl’s new found happiness following her split from husband Ashley, the 27-year-old insists that she has never been happier.

Cheryl’s first Official book is launched next month titled “Through My Eyes“.

She told The People: “I’ve got so much to look forward to in the next few months. I’ve never felt happier.”

Cheryl has now fully recovered from the disease that left her hospitalised. Friends said that the singer now feels ready to move on from the pain of her marriage break-up.

A source said: “Cheryl’s saying I feel like I’ve turned my life around.

“She says she’s looking at doors opening for her in her life over the next few months. She is excited about starting this whole new chapter in her life.

“It’s great to see her looking and feeling good again after all that she’s been through.

“She is talking excitedly about starting work on The X Factor again and the release of a pop single.”

They added: “But she seems particularly relieved about the way her divorce is progressing. There is no time frame here. …

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No Way Down by Graham Bowley – Book Review

Posted on August 20, 2010
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I’ve never climbed in my life, never had any intention of climbing and probably never will; quite a bold statement considering the subject matter on review! Don’t get me wrong I don’t have anything against climbing; in fact, I have a great deal of respect and admiration for mountaineers who risk their lives in the name of adventure and dreams. “No Way Down:Life and Death on K2”, written by New York Times journalist Graham Bowley, looks back on that fateful day in early August 2008 when so many lives were lost ascending and descending K2.

K2, along with Everest has always captured my imagination and until I read this book I was always under the distinct impression that the pinnacle of any mountaineering career was to conquer Everest, the highest mountain on earth it stands to reason it’s the hardest to climb. However, as Bowley writes it appears that K2 is a tougher and more dangerous climb despite being 778 feet lower than Everest.

“Yet K2′s deadliness was part of the attraction. For a serious climber with ambition, K2 was the ultimate prize. K2 had retained an aura of mysteryand danger and remained the mountaineer’s mountain. Only 278 people had ever stood on K2′s summit, in contrast to the thousands who made it to the top of Everest.”

Also known as The Savage Mountain, K2 has a peak elevation of 8,611 metres (28,251 ft) and is part of the Karakoram Range located on the border between China and Pakistan. Thomas Montgomerie made the first survey of the Karakoram from Mount Haramukh, some 130 miles (210 km) to the south, and sketched the two most prominent peaks, labelling them K1 and K2. For every four people who have reached the summit, one has died trying.

One thing that …

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The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva – book review

Posted on August 18, 2010
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There’s something strangely satisfying about reading a good book. If you’re lucky, you can escape into a world full of intrigue and imagination, resting only for a brief second when you turn the page and continue on your journey of discovery. “The Rembrandt Affair” is one such book. Buy Now

It’s been six months since Gabriel Allon, an Israeli spy and art restorer, faced Russian arms dealer Ivan Kharkov. He has for all intents and purposes retired from “the office” and settled for the quiet life in a small Cornish seaside cottage with his beautiful wife Chiara, but how long will this retirement last?

“The Rembrandt affair” is a suspenseful and fast flowing thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat until its climax. The book, by Daniel Silva is the 10th novel in the long running Gabriel Allon series – it is however my first introduction to the master spy and art restorer. I certainly won’t leave it so long next time!

Set in various cities and countries across the globe including Israel, London, Iran, Amsterdam and Switzerland this truly is a globetrotting affair that sucks you in from the opening scenes in Glastonbury.

An unknown stranger follows a well-connected art restorer (Christopher Lidell) back to his studio, and what transpires sets about a chain of events that will leave you breathless and wanting more. A single painting is stolen (Portrait of a young woman) but at what cost? Julian Isherwood (London Art Dealer) is deeply concerned at the painting’s theft and seeks out the help of an old friend; Allon.

Gabriel Allon is reticent to take on the new case, even though it’s a favour for a dear friend but following a discussion over dinner with Chiara the pair embarks …

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Berlin at War: Life and Death in Hitler’s Capital – Roger Moorhouse book review

Posted on August 16, 2010
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Most of us have at one time or another read about the atrocities that occurred during World War 2, few of us witnessed the War first hand and even fewer still were living in Berlin at the time. Roger Moorhouse’s book “Berlin at War: Life and Death in Hitler’s Capital 1939-1945” gives the Berliner a voice, for so long seldom heard outside of the epicentre of Nazi power.

Berlin at War is a fascinating, sympathetic and well balanced account of what it was like to live in Berlin from the outbreak of war in 1939 to its conclusion in 1945. One thing that is evident from the outset, the level of research it has taken to put such a book together is nothing short of miraculous.

We hear from a variety of sources, some named, some anonymous that include the then British Ambassador to Germany (Sir Neville Henderson) and Adolf Hitler’s valet Heinz Linge. Berliner’s were apathetic to war in 1939 and even though news had broken that Germany were fighting Poland most citizens believed peace would be close at hand and went about their daily routines. An air of apathy surrounded the city; no one believed the skirmishes with Poland would lead to war. However when war was eventually declared, it was greeted with eerie silence and incredulity. Buy Now

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and we are well aware of the final ultimatum issued by Neville Chamberlain’s government which eventually led to all-out war. Hitler’s interpreter Paul Schmidt took the ultimatum to his Fuhrer:

“Hitler sat immobile, gazing before him. He was not at a loss, as was afterwards stated, nor did he rage as others allege. He sat completely silent and unmoving. He turned to Ribbentrop who had remained standing at the window. What now?

…

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Cut and Run by Matt Hilton book review

Posted on August 16, 2010
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Earlier this month I read the first couple of instalments of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series namely “Die Trying” and “The Killing Floor”.  Both wonderful fast paced novels they whetted my appetite for all things Reacher, but with a small backlog of reviews waiting to be read I put that thought on hold.

On the 19th August, Matt Hilton’s new novel “Cut and Run” will be published, the fourth instalment of his hero Joe Hunter. Hunter has been compared to Jack Reacher by the media due to the non-stop action and with that in mind I was keen to see what all the fuss was about.

“Cut and Run” begins at a frenetic pace and doesn’t let up until its conclusion, Joe Hunter it appears is more than a match for Child’s Jack Reacher! I couldn’t put the book down; the writing is so fluid that I finished the book in two sittings over one day!

A killer has stolen Joe Hunter’s identity and killed in his name. His aim? To make life as complicated as possible for Hunter and those he holds dear. Hunter, armed with a small arsenal and two close friends, sets about proving his innocence after Rickard’s numerous attempts to frame him. Apart from hunting Rickard, Hunter uses all his experience to track down the mastermind behind the attacks.

I gave up on the body count after the first few chapters; I knew early on this would be no picnic in the park; indeed this book is at times rather violent! The story takes us from Maine to Florida and on to Columbia where the powerful drug cartels rule. Buy Now

The story is written from two perspectives; Joe Hunter in the first person narrative and Luke …

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Crossfire by Dick Francis (book review)

Posted on August 15, 2010
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The last Dick Francis book I read was “Proof”; published in 1986 I read it sometime in the late 90’s if memory serves me! It was the story of wine merchant Tony Beach who became involved in a murder mystery. A wonderful read and I can’t for the life of me recall why I’ve never read another since!

When Dick Francis died in February 2010 aged 89, he had been working with his son Felix on what was to be their final book together, Crossfire.

Felix Francis is the younger of Dick’s two sons. Over the last forty years Felix has assisted with the research of many of the Dick Francis novels, not least Twice Shy, Shattered and Under Orders. But since 2006, Felix has taken a more significant role in the writing, first with Dead Heat and then increasingly with the bestsellers, Silks and Even Money. Crossfire is the fourth and final novel of this father-and-son collaboration.

Tom Forsyth, captain in the British army, is injured in Afghanistan by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED or roadside bomb). Badly injured, Forsyth spends months in an NHS hospital as he learns to deal with the loss of his Right leg seven inches below his knee. When he is finally discharged from hospital he has nowhere to go and has no option but to return to his childhood home in Lambourn, home to the Kauri Horse Stables owned by his mother and champion trainer.

They have never seen eye to eye and expectedly receives a less than lukewarm reception on arrival from his mother and stepfather. Within days Tom discovers his parents are in trouble and with her horses mysteriously underperforming he sets about investigating the loss of form. He soon discovers his parents are seriously in debt, …

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From The Dead by Mark Billingham – book review

Posted on August 12, 2010
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“From The Dead” is Tom Thorne’s ninth outing and judging by the latest offering his career isn’t over; by a long shot.

Mark Billingham’s novel is my first foray into Thorne’s world, a self assured character who knows what he wants and how to get it.

10 years ago, Alan Langford had everything; a successful “career”, money, palatial house, daughter Ellie and his wife Donna. That all changed when his charred remains were discovered in a burnt-out car set deep in the forest. Donna was found guilty of conspiracy to murder her husband and served ten years in prison. Not only had she paid someone £25,000 to kill her husband but when asked, she formally identified him and sealed her fate.

Three months before her release, Donna receives an anonymous envelope containing a photo of her husband. Langford it appears is very much alive and enjoying the trappings of wealth, but how is it possible? He was dead; it had to be a mistake. Order from Amazon

From The Dead focuses on four main characters, DI Tom Thorne, Alan Langford, his wife Donna and the rookie private investigator Anna Carpenter.

I related to Tom Thorne (as a character) almost immediately, a likeable chap who has a dark, dry sense of humour and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. As the book progressed I found my affinity with Thorne grow, surely a few drinks at the local pub wouldn’t go amiss? He loves his country music especially Bluegrass and as I sat reading, my mind often wondered if he’s heard of Alison Krauss?!

Anna Carpenter is stuck in a rut. She quits her highly paid job at the bank to trap cheating husband in honey traps set up by her boss Frank, a rotund individual who likes …

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Caro Ramsay’s Dark Water – book review

Posted on August 10, 2010
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Dark Water begins at a furious pace. A young woman on her way home from a New Year’s Eve party in 1999, 40 minutes before heralding in the new millennia. Driving conditions are poor and visibility is at a dangerous level on slippery roads. Suddenly a car drives into view and forces her off the road. The time is 23:25.

Caro Ramsay was born and educated in Glasgow. Now in her late thirties, she lives in a village on the West Coast of Scotland with an odd selection of stray dogs including Emily, the demented pit bull terrier. Dark Water is the third book in the Costello/Anderson series it follows Absolution (2008) and Singing to the dead (2009).

One of the main advantages with starting a new book is you really have no idea what you are going to get. We all, as readers, have expectations. However, until you begin the literary journey held within the covers you can never be certain if the pages contain a gripping and well told story or not. Available in Paperback from Penguin.

Dark Water had me from the very first page, the Prologue. It set the scene for the entire book. It was atmospheric, descriptive, suspenseful and gripping.

When a hideously disfigured body is found in the attic of a deserted tenement it began a journey full of discovery and pain that with each turn of the page seemed to multiply. Little do investigating officers DI Anderson and DS Costello know then that the murder would open up old wounds long since closed.

Partickhill police station is on its last legs, DCI Rebecca Quinn is close to retirement and has one big case left in her, solve it and Partickhill’s future is assured, fail and they lose not only the rundown station …

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Peter Robinson’s “Bad Boy” book Review

Posted on August 7, 2010
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I’ve been a fan of gritty TV police dramas for as long as I can remember; Frost, Morse and Rebus to name but three. I have to admit, ashamedly I may add, that until this book landed I had never heard of DCI Banks – after all this is the 20th book in the Banks series!. “Bad Boy” has put paid to all that with this the latest enthralling novel from renowned Yorkshire author Peter Robinson.

The latest news in is that ITV have commissioned a two part pilot series for Peter Robinson’s creation airing in September or October – dates to be confirmed. The ITV pilot will be based on his 2001 book called Aftermath.

Peter Robinson has come a long way since Banks’s inception in 1987 with his debut novel “Gallows View”. From the strength of his latest offering, “Bad Boy”, it’s easy to see why. I have no doubt the DCI Banks franchise will transfer to television effortlessly and with Stephen Tompkinson in the lead role, Left Bank Pictures will be assured of an extended run.

Back to “Bad Boy” – the book begins with DCI Alan Banks on holiday in America retracing the steps of the fictional Sam Spade in San Francisco. Meanwhile on the other side of the pond the team react to an illegal and armed hand gun. Juliet Doyle is a mother in crisis. A long-time friend and an old neighbour of Banks, she has the unenviable dilemma of reporting her daughter to the police. Disappointed to learn that Banks is on holiday, she places her trust in the unknown.

Banks’s daughter Tracy has fallen for the wrong boy. Her flatmate’s boyfriend is good-looking, ambitious, and surrounded by an intoxicating air of mystery. He’s …

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Amazon UK launch new Kindle Book Store

Posted on August 6, 2010
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Great news just in (and it’s about time too) Amazon.co.uk have now launched the UK Kindle Store with the biggest selection and lowest prices of any e-bookstore in the UK.

Over 400,000 books are now available from the UK Kindle Store, including 84 of the 100 Nielsen UK Bestsellers.

The UK Kindle Store features a vast selection of titles – including New Releases and Bestsellers – from UK authors including Terry Pratchett, Ian Rankin, Martina Cole, Sophie Kinsella and Ken Follett. The selection includes exclusives to the Kindle Store such as contemporary classics from the Wylie Agency’s new Odyssey Editions imprint including Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, John Cheever’s The Stories of John Cheever, Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead, and Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man.

Over 170 top UK and international newspapers and magazines are also available in the UK Kindle store for single purchase or subscription. UK titles in this selection include The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Economist, The Independent, The Financial Times and The Evening Standard. Kindle customers can also subscribe to over 9,000 blogs. All subscriptions are auto-delivered wirelessly to Kindle and start with a free 14-day trial.

On July 29, Amazon.co.uk started taking pre-orders for the all-new Kindle featuring a new electronic-ink screen with 50 percent better contrast than any other e-reader, a new sleek design with 21 percent smaller body than the previous Kindle, while still keeping the same 6-inch-size reading area, and a 15 percent lighter weight at just 247 grams (8.7 ounces). The all-new Kindle with Wi-Fi is available for £109 and with Free 3G wireless and Wi-Fi for £149.

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Face of Betrayal (Lis Wiehl) – book review

Posted on August 5, 2010
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Every once in a while a book comes along, unexpectedly, that you just can’t put down despite your best efforts. Life goes out the window as each character magically comes to life and every scene a page turner. Face of Betrayal by Lis Wiehl is that book.

I honestly can’t remember the last time I managed to read my way through an entire novel (320 pages) in one day but the engaging characters and mysterious sub plots had me hooked from the very first chapter. Food yesterday was secondary to a gripping mystery novel of whodunit, betrayal, love and murder.

Lis Wiehl best known for her stint as a Fox News commentator and legal analyst in the United States, teams up with mystery veteran Henry (Buried Diamonds) on a sizzling political thriller.

When 17-year-old Senate page Katie Converse goes missing on her Christmas break near her parents’ white Victorian home in Portland, Ore., law enforcement and media personnel go into overdrive in a search for clues.

Published by Thomas Nelson the book is now available in the US (paper and Kindle versions). The current UK book launch (paperback) is not expected until 6th December 2010.

The novel centres around three friends – Allison Pierce, a federal prosecutor; Cassidy Shaw, a crime reporter; and Nicole Hedges, an FBI special agent – together they are “The Triple Threat Club”.

They discover Katie’s “private” and cryptic blog and despite the best efforts of a 17 year old it doesn’t take Nicole Hedges long to decipher who the young girl was writing about. Senator Fairview is thrust into the limelight with allegations of improper relations surfacing; allegations that threaten to derail his career in the senate.

Was Katie kidnapped, did she run away or was she murdered? It takes a while …

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