My Review (5 stars out of 5) (Audiobook) In 1942, Hitler’s armies are sweeping across Europe. In North Africa, Rommel has beaten back the British Eighth Army and stands ready to overrun Egypt, Suez, and the oil fields of the Middle East. The British come up with a desperate plan to infiltrate enemy lines and…
Author: colingarrow
‘Old Rage’ by Sheila Hancock
My Review (5 stars out of 5) (Audiobook) Actor and writer Sheila Hancock writes about her life from (and before) 2016, recalling incidents from her childhood, her long acting career and her marriage to actor John Thaw. But she also talks a lot of about politics, Covid, lockdown, racism and the difficulties of getting old.…
‘Chasing Her Shadow’ by Joy Mutter
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Actor Wilhelm Schreiber lives in London with his Italian wife and their sons. But the growing rivalry between siblings Wolfgang and Conrad, soon takes a dangerous turn. I’ve read most of this author’s books so am familiar with her penchant for those classic literary themes, murder and lust.…
‘Get Carter’ by Ted Lewis
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Back home for his brother’s funeral, Jack Carter wants to know what happened. Told that Frank was found dead and drunk in a car at the bottom of a cliff, mob-enforcer Jack knows his sibling was no great drinker. Instructed by his gangster bosses Gerald and Les to…
‘The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It’s Broken’
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Most of us, at some point in our lives, either ourselves or one of our loved ones, will go through the experience of having to appear in a criminal courtroom. Written anonymously by a barrister, this book brings to light some of the cases where justice doesn’t work…
Giving up the Ghost – the Agony of an Unfinished Novel
Like many writers, I’m a big fan of Stephen King, and have taken on board most of his advice about storytelling, character development and the routine of writing. However, his suggestion that ‘Stopping a piece of writing just because it’s hard, either emotionally or imaginatively, is a bad idea,’ doesn’t always work for me. Having…
‘Finders Keepers’ by Stephen King
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Obsessed with the books of author John Rothstein, Morris Bellamy breaks into the writer’s house with a view to stealing a stash of notebooks that could contain an as-yet unpublished novel. Years later, as Bellamy is coming to the end of a jail sentence, schoolboy Pete Saubers discovers…
‘The Stepford Wives’ by Ira Levin
My Review (4 stars out of 5) In the town of Stepford, Connecticut, the population appears happy with their lot – satisfied husbands and beautiful house-proud wives. Moving to the town with her husband, Joanna Eberhart finds the perfect image projected by the women is a little too much to take. Along with her new…
‘The Best of Me’ by David Sedaris
My Review (5 stars out of 5) This is a collection of David Sedaris’s best stories. From the absurd and the bizarre, to the touching and profound, we learn about his family, his relationships, and his often-hilarious insights into the human condition. I’ve read several of this author’s books already so, unsurprisingly, some of these…
‘The Mirror and the Light’ by Hilary Mantel
My Review (5 stars out of 5) England, May 1536. Following the execution of Anne Boleyn, Thomas Cromwell continues his climb to power and wealth, while Henry VIII settles into a brief marriage with Jane Seymour. Cromwell strives to keep his head unparted from his body, dealing with threats of invasion, plots against himself and…
