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Morris Bellamy breaks into the writer’s house with a view to stealing a stash of notebooks that could contain an as-yet unpublished novel.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…
Tag: book-review
‘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…
‘Afua’ by Karl Drinkwater and Christoffer Petersen
My Review (4 stars out of 5) This is the second book I’ve read by Karl Drinkwater, though I’m not familiar with Christoffer Petersen’s work. Set in the Lost Solace universe, this is a sci-fi story featuring a strongminded heroine in the form of Afua. A fairly short read, the world of Lost Solace is…
‘The Detective Gone Gray’ by Jake Needham
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…
‘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…
‘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…
A New Way to Find Great Books Online
A little while ago, Ben Fox of Shepherd got in touch with me, asking if I’d be interested in recommending some of my favourite reads, while at the same time promoting one of my own books. The service is free for authors, so I gave it a go. Last week my page on Shepherd was…
‘Killing Plato’ by Jake Needham
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Putting his past behind him, former lawyer Jack Shepherd spends his working life teaching at a Thailand college. But an apparently chance encounter in a Phuket bar brings him face to face with an infamous criminal who seeks Jack’s legal expertise. Indicted for murder, Plato Karsarkis needs someone…
‘Cause of Death’ by Patricia Cornwell
My Review (4 stars out of 5) Kay Scarpetta finds herself quite literally in deep water when the body of an investigative reporter is found in the Elizabeth River. Digging into the reasons for the man’s death, Scarpetta is already suspicious about the odd phone call reporting the death before the police were notified. Along…
