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Book Review “Our Kind of Traitor” by John Le Carré

Posted on September 25, 2010
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Few could argue that John Le Carré is a highly accomplished author; he has his own unique style, one that is often powerful, engaging and occasionally ponderous. “Our kind of Traitor” is another fine example of Le Carré’s writing and will most certainly leave you satisfied if not exhausted!

As I settled down to reading his latest offering, I cleared my schedule, turned off the mobile and made sure there were no distractions – I even switched off my twitter feed just in case some random comment caught my attention and delayed my Le Carré journey. Temptation would not get the better of me!

One thing you do not do with Le Carré is rush. Due to its complex nature, concentration is imperative. You gorge on the narrative, word by word, sentence by sentence, page by page; “Our Kind Of Traitor” is no different.  Set aside a few days and you won’t regret it.

The story evolves slowly, much like a bottle of vintage wine. The prose is there to be admired and savoured. I found myself having to re-read certain sections, such was its complexity but I stuck at it and worked my way through the early pedestrian stages. For me, the pace intensified once the story arrived at the French Open final between Federer and Soderling – I never looked back.

The story begins in Antigua. We are introduced to a pair of “innocents” Gail and Perry, an ordinary couple on holiday in a luxury Caribbean resort famed for its tennis. Perry is an amateur tennis player whose claim to fame is his membership to Queens Club in London, Gail his partner is a young barrister and shares his passion for the sport.

Little did they know at the time but when the pair are introduced …

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The Reversal by Michael Connelly (book review)

Posted on September 22, 2010
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For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved courtroom dramas; in fact I’ll go as far to say I grew up on them. There’s just something enticing and thrilling about a good antagonising duel between prosecutor and defence lawyers, both hell-bent on achieving what they see as a just verdict for their clients. Available in the United States from October 5th.

For obvious reasons I can’t remember most of them but a few stick out for me! Take “Murder One” starring Daniel Benzali for example, a classy production and if I recall it made huge waves both in the UK and the US – we won’t talk about the follow up series! We also have JAG (Catherine Bell and David James Elliot), part humour, part drama, and part Navy! Law & Order deserves a mention and finally who could ever forget the classics “A Few Good Men” and “12 Angry Men” – courtroom royalty at its defining best!

This leads me on nicely to Michael Connelly’s “The Reversal”, a wonderfully written tense drama that for the greater part is set in Los Angeles County CCB and its courtrooms.

Jason Jessup was convicted of killing 12 year old [Melissa Landy] in 1986 and has spent the last 24 years on death row in San Quentin State Prison. Following numerous appeals from his isolated cell, Jessup finally gets the break he’s looking for and his guilty verdict is overturned due to new DNA evidence. The District Attorney’s office decides to retry the case, turning to Mickey Haller the prominent defence lawyer who has never prosecuted a case in his illustrious career.

Haller is reluctant to take on the case at first believing he is nothing more than a scapegoat in the eyes of the DA.…

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The Attenbury Emeralds by Jill Paton Walsh (book review)

Posted on September 20, 2010
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I approached “The Attenbury Emeralds” by Jill Paton Walsh with a great sense of anticipation and eagerness, for I have always shared an affinity with all things “whodunit” and the 1920’s angle further whetted my appetite. I began with a cautious optimism but soon realised I would not be disappointed.

Lord Peter Wimsey was an intelligence officer in the Great War. He returned home shell-shocked, struggling to come to terms with ordering soldiers under his command over the top to a certain death, such was the brutality of World War 1. Such was his condition it would take years before he would be introduced to society.

The aristocratic Wimsey was introduced to us by Dorothy L Sayers in 1923 when she wrote “Whose Body”, Lord Peter investigating a naked body and a financier who appears to be missing under strange circumstances.

In 1998 Jill Paton Walsh, who by now is no stranger to Wimsey’s adventures, won critical acclaim for her completion of Sayers’s unfinished “Thrones, Dominations”. “A Presumption of Death” followed four years later and “The Attenbury Emeralds” is her third novel featuring the amateur sleuth, Walsh taking us back to his very first case in 1921.

Sitting at home in the library Lord Peter, together with his wife (the novelist Harriet Vane) and their trusty servant Bunter, reminisce over his very first case of the missing Emeralds.

When Lord Attenbury held an engagement party for his daughter Charlotte, it was decided that she would wear the emeralds to the celebration. A cautious Attenbury, hired local police to ensure the safe return of the emeralds, unfortunately their presence failed to avoid the inevitable. The “King Stone”, the largest gem in the collection, went missing minutes before the party began; it heralded a complete house …

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Worth Dying For by Lee Child (book review)

Posted on September 19, 2010
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Astounding, brilliant, magnificent and dynamic – just some of the superlatives that best describe Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series. His latest offering “Worth Dying For”, out at the end of September incidentally, is another jaw dropping sure fire hit and one you’ll fail to put down. Available in the United States 19th Oct.

The 15th Jack Reacher novel moves on from the explosive end in “61 Hours”, leaving South Dakota our maverick hitches south making his way to the wilds of Nebraska.

Nebraska is flat and cold – it’s winter time!

Jack Reacher has a knack for finding trouble. He doesn’t go looking for it, trouble finds him – it’s that simple. A nomad and a drifter, Reacher is high on moralistic values and tries to do the right thing no matter what the cost. It’s these principles that continually land him in high adventure and low company.

The Duncans rule the town, slowly but surely they’ve sucked the heart and soul out of the farming community – they own the trucking services, the harvesting and the suppliers. If the town had police, they’d own them too, the clan is powerful and dangerous.

The local farmers are stuck, lifeless and without a say in how things are run – the Duncans rule everything. De-spirited over time, the farmers are frightened and with nowhere to run, fight eludes them; they’ve given in, bowing to each and every whim the Duncans desire.

Reacher arrives at a desolate crossroads and makes his way to the only motel in town, Hotel Apollo has seen better days; so has the owner.  After checking in he makes his way to the bar and drinks stewed coffee; not the best he’s had but it’s hot. The only other person drinking is the local …

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Shadows in the Street by Susan Hill (book review)

Posted on September 16, 2010
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Shadows in the Street is Susan Hill’s fifth novel in the Simon Serrailler series which follows the trials and tribulations of the Detective and his family in Lafferton.

Lafferton is a Cathedral town and in recent times has seen an increase in the number of prostitutes found walking the streets. They have started to encroach on the centre of town, an unwritten taboo broken by the introduction of pimps and the trafficking of younger working girls.

Serrailler is on an extended holiday on the remote island of Taransay (most famous for the television series Castaway in 2000). Miles from nowhere and without a mobile phone signal the detective is enjoying a quiet vacation following his draining stint with The Special Incident Flying Task force (SIFT).

The island is a sedate haven far removed from the manic turmoil of SIFT. Gentle walks across the island, a small community and warm log fires help rejuvenate his energy levels. That is until he receives an urgent call from Lafferton calling him back following the murders of two prostitutes.

Shadows in the Street is an intensive character driven novel, well written and although  a crime fiction novel I felt the investigation played a secondary role to character and story building. This is by no means a negative but if you are looking for an  detective led storyline then this may not be up your street.

Hill introduces us to numerous characters via short, sharp and intensely descriptive vignettes; they never appear rushed and add a wonderful depth to the book. Hill’s style is mesmerising and assured pulling the reader in to the grim dark world of prostitution effortlessly.

Abi’s character, a young mother of two and prostitute, desperate to leave the game and move on to better things, surprised me. I didn’t think I’d …

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No Turning Back by Marcus Sakey (book review)

Posted on September 14, 2010
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To use the popular vernacular, “it came from left field” accurately describes “No Turning Back” by Marcus Sakey – I was completely shocked and surprised at its ingenuity, style and pace. It was a breath of fresh air that I honestly didn’t expect.

I read the premise and wasn’t convinced it was my kind of book. Four people, strangers at one time in their lives met and formed the Thursday Drinking Club; it blossomed from humble beginnings into bi weekly get-togethers that included Saturday brunches and Cubs games in the summer. Their lives going nowhere, they were in a rut, always looking for excuses to meet up.

Every Thursday night the foursome met at Rossi’s, a bar-slash-restaurant where Alex worked as a bartender. Ian is a trader, partial to the lure of the white powder and his habit appears to be intensifying. Mitch, a doorman at the Continental Hotel has had his fill of ignorant guests and Jenn, the last of the four is a travel agent who can’t afford to travel to any of the exotic places she persuades her clients to visit.

Truth be told they are all at a crossroads, no one is completely satisfied, something has to give – that much is inevitable. Alex is called into his boss’s office; he spots what appears to be an enormous amount of cash in the safe and casually suggests to his friends they steal the money. What could go wrong, the plan was fool proof, no one would get hurt and their crime untraceable. It was the perfect crime.

The plotline is very well crafted and there is a distinguishable line drawn between good and bad, right and wrong. The characters are believable and although I initially found the strike it rich plan slightly implausible I …

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Deadlock by Sean Black – (Book Review)

Posted on September 12, 2010
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When I first cast my eyes on “Deadlock” by Sean Black, I have to admit I was taken in hook, line and sinker by the cover. It’s one of the most atmospheric and demanding covers I’ve seen for some time.  A black, dark cover, caged high fences and enough barbed wire to ensure no one escapes and a lone man looking towards a solitary blinding light. Welcome to Pelican Bay – Super Max prison!

I know one “cover” doesn’t make a summer but it heightened my anticipation tenfold and I was eager to see if the story could match the quality of the graphic art on display! Round one to the publishers, methinks it had the desired effect!

The tag line for the book “One prisoner, one bodyguard, and one week to stay alive” although enticing, doesn’t cover half the book; there’s so much more to this story.  Ryan Lock is ex-army (special forces) and not a man to be messed with. In a similar vein to Jack Reacher (Lee Child) and Joe Hunter (Matt Hilton) – Lock is a security consultant who generally gets called in to do the jobs no one else can do.

Lock receives a call from assistant US attorney Jalicia Jones offering him a last minute protection job in California and along with Ty, his trusted partner, the pair are “convicted” and sent to the notorious Pelican Bay Super Max prison to babysit a man known only as “Reaper” a leading member of the Aryan brotherhood gang. Only the Warden knows their true identity.

The premise of the book stems from the brutal murder of ATF agent Ken Prager and his young family in the opening salvos of the book. Jalicia Jones receives a collect call from Reaper offering information on the murder …

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“So cold the river” by Michael Koryta – book review

Posted on September 5, 2010
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A man in a bowler hat, a haunting violin and a bottle of curious sulphuric tasting water. Did I mention water? Whatever you do, don’t drink the water. I repeat; don’t drink the water!

“So cold the river” by Michael Koryta is a hypnotic and hauntingly chilly tale following one man’s attempt to chronicle a family’s childhood history in West Baden, Indiana. It’s very hard to categorize into one genre as so many themes are utilized in this 528 huge page turner. Horror, thriller, Crime and supernatural forces are all present in a stunning story of murder, greed and deceit.

Eric Shaw, a has-been cinematographer formerly of Los Angeles and now Chicago, has resorted to making small videos for funerals at the bequest of grieving families. Shaw is approached by Alyssa Bradford at the end of her sister’s funeral and offers him a job to investigate/document her father in law’s (Campbell Bradford) family, long since forgotten.

The video is to be a celebration of his life, one she wants completed before he dies so that the family as a whole can enjoy with him. Shaw accepts not only the $20,000 offer but an ancient blue bottle of Pluto mineral water.

The bottle had never been opened and belongs to Campbell Bradford, the 95 year old multi-millionaire who lies dying in a lonely hospital room. Although hidden away, and until this point had never left Bradford’s side, Alyssa Bradford sensed its importance. The blue bottle sparks a chain of events that would lead to a destructive and devastating conclusion.

Shaw, estranged from his wife Claire, makes his way to the adjoined Midwest towns of West Baden and French Lick armed with a camera and the curious, foul tasting bottle of Pluto Water. Shortly before he embarked on the drive …

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Sacred Treason by James Forrester – book review

Posted on September 2, 2010
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Set in 1563, four years into the reign of Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603), the last of the Tudor dynasty, Sacred Treason delves deeply into troubled England during times of political and religious unrest.

Written by historian James Forrester [The Pen name of Ian Mortimer], Sacred Treason surprised me. I know it’s an often overused cliché but I couldn’t put the book down. I was instantly transported back to Elizabethan times, deep in the heart of a cold and rain soaked London, I never left until the book’s conclusion – to be honest I’m not sure if I’ve actually left the muddy streets of London such was its mesmerizing hold!

Highly contagious, the book flows from beginning to end, the characters all lending a sense of realism as a battle between right and wrong, good and evil and Catholics v Protestants played out.

At the forefront of the plot is the highly respected William Harley, Clarenceux King of Arms and hero of a fascinating tale of treason, murder and an unrelenting quest for justice. As the rain and snow fell in a bitterly cold December my imagination ran riot making a mockery of my senses. This is what books are all about.

Although set in the mid to late 16th century I had to keep reminding myself of the deep, black darkness that would have surrounded London under restrictions of curfews. We are so used to bright street lamps illuminating the darkest of streets in the 21st century but as William Harley and his enemies walked the streets of London they had no such luxury. This obviously had its many benefits and drawbacks but if you were an angry Herald trying to avoid the gaze of the constabulary and watchmen it would certainly …

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The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor – book review

Posted on August 30, 2010
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The Anatomy of Ghosts is the new spooky and historical novel by Andrew Taylor, set late in the 18th century it’s a tale of ghosts, privilege and abuse in Jerusalem College, Cambridge. An old fashioned crime fiction novel, the plot is cleverly intertwined with a variety of sub plots throughout building to a crescendo at the book’s conclude.

The characters, as you would expect are plentiful and Taylor spends a great deal of time ensuring that the main characters have a wonderful colour and depth.

When I first picked up the book to review for Penguin, it took me a few chapters to find the true pace of the book and all its idiosyncrasies that comes with the old English style it is written in.

With this in mind I found the beginning a little confusing and had to revisit the first two chapters to make sure I understood what had happened!

Let me assure you this is far from a negative, I have never read a period book before and I’m certain the old style confused the left side of my brain!

John Holdsworth has lost everything; his wife Maria who drowned in the Thames, child Georgie and his business – the later ruined by candlelight fire destroying the majority of his valuable books.  Taylor’s magnificent narrative captures the essence of period Cambridge, the sights, sounds and smells of the time truly coming alive. Forced to lodge with the Farmer’s in the house he had previously shared with his wife, Holdsworth struggles to come to terms with his predicament.

Following publication of his very own “Anatomy of Ghosts” Holdsworth receives a curious offer from Lady Anne Oldershaw to rehabilitate her sick son Frank and to take stock of her late husband’s library. The offer sets in motion a …

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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 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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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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