My Review (5 stars out of 5) A diplomatic reception at a Bangkok university would normally be pretty tiresome, but when a lone gunman appears, the scene becomes one of mass murder. Former detective Sam Tay – now feeling his age and worrying about the future – is approached by Interpol to help with the…
Author: colingarrow
‘The Cursed Writer’ by Holly Hepburn
My Review (5 stars out of 5) In her basement office within the Baker Street Building Society, Harriet (Harry) White has been given the job of responding to mail addressed to Sherlock Holmes. A telegram asking for the great detective’s help prompts Harry to investigate. A nephew of the author Philip St John is convinced…
‘Earth to Moon’ by Moon Unit Zappa
My Review (4 stars out of 5) (Audiobook) Oldest daughter of musician Frank Zappa and his wife Gail, Moon Zappa tells the story of her life from childhood to adulthood. She delves into her film career, her sudden celebrity status following her inclusion on one of her father’s records, and her often bizarre relationship with…
‘The House on Devil’s Lane’ by SL Ireland
My Review (4 stars out of 5) When she meets cabbie Steve, young mum Kat Riley sees him as a means of escaping both her family and her own troubled past. Taking her baby, she sets off for a picturesque cottage in the Durham countryside. But the house on Derville’s Lane reveals its own dark…
‘Mystic River’ by Dennis Lehane
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Three childhood friends – Sean, Dave and Jimmy – are thrown together again when the daughter of one of them is murdered. Now a cop, Sean is part of the investigation and finds himself regurgitating an incident from the past involving Dave, while Jimmy struggles to get his…
‘Bedlam’ by LJ Ross
My Review (5 stars out of 5) While lecturing in the US, forensic psychologist and criminal profiler Dr Alexander Gregory is invited to help the New York State Homicide Squad. The wife of a notorious Mafia boss has been admitted to a private psychiatric hospital. The FBI is concerned she won’t be able to follow…
‘Wild’ by Cheryl Strayed
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Cheryl Strayed’s story of an 1100-mile solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail that helped her to rebuild her life after her divorce and the death of her mother. From the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State, Cheryl faced everything from rattlesnakes and bears, to…
‘You Are Dead’ by Peter James
My Review (5 stars out of 5) A disturbing case sets Detective Superintendent Roy Grace on the trail of a serial killer. Someone is targeting young women who all have similar features. Bizarrely, those bodies that have been recovered have been branded with the words, ‘U R Dead’. Following the abduction of Logan Somerville, Grace…
‘A Boundary of Stones’ by Millie Thom
My Review (5 stars out of 5) In the 1660s, bubonic plague sweeps through the Derbyshire village of Eyam. New rector, William Mompesson and his family, must try to work with the community to combat the disease but his faith is at odds with that of the people and their Puritan rector Thomas Stanley. Eventually,…
‘A Divided Life’ by Bryan Forbes
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Writer, director, and actor Bryan Forbes has contributed much to British film-making, and in this informative autobiography he recounts insights into the industry, including his time as head of production for EMI at Elstree. I’ve long been a fan of Bryan Forbes as an actor and director, though…
