It seems it may no longer be possible to be “well-read”, although much depends on how you define the term. Once, a reader who had read Shakespeare, Milton and works by a few of their contemporaries could claim to be well-read. Now, there are so many new books published each month that it sometimes feels […]
I like narratives with a distinctive voice. That said, I find narrators with a truly distinctive voice can take a bit of getting used to. My first perusal of the opening pages of Ken Bruen’s ‘Purgatory’ didn’t inspire me to read further and I let most of the month slip by, reading other things, until […]
I’m always interested in the reasons writers choose to adopt pseudonyms. Crime novelist Agatha Christie published six “romance” novels as Mary Westmacott; adult sci-fi legend Isaac Asimov wrote a series of YA novels as Paul French; and, of course, Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling was recently unmasked as Robert Galbraith, author of ‘The Cuckoo’s […]
Why are libraries constantly having book sales these days? Once upon a time I’m sure they had sales bi-annually or every quarter, but these days – much like the high street – the sales seem to be on constantly. This means bad things for my overcrowded bookshelves which this week became reluctant hosts to another […]
Recently my reading group tried some books by Reginald Hill. I didn’t think the book I read was especially gripping or well-written but I knew that in 1995 Hill had won the Crime Writers’ Association Cartier Diamond Dagger for Lifetime Achievement and thought I should give the author another try. I decided to read one […]
When I first heard about this on the TV Book Club I was intrigued and immediately added it to my Amazon wish list. Fast-forward a few months and I was delighted to receive it as a birthday gift. This is S. J. Watson’s first novel and can best by described as a psychological thriller. What’s […]
David Hewson has worked as a journalist for most of his life and has written several travel and crime fiction books. This is the second book in a crime series which features Detective Nic Costa and is set in Rome. Personally, I didn’t find the title or the brilliant green cover appealing and only read […]
Sophie Hannah is a published poet and an established crime fiction author. ‘Lasting Damage’ is her sixth psychological crime thriller and is similar in style and approach to her previous offerings. Now you see it… At 1.15am, after waiting for her husband to fall asleep, Connie Bowskill begins to watch a virtual tour of a […]
The image of an animal’s skull on the cover promised mystery and death. Add that to a recommendation by Val McDermid and I was quite happy to read Bauer’s debut crime novel. The idea: writing to a serial killer Bullied at school, ignored by teachers and overlooked at home, Steven Lamb is not enjoying his […]
What would you do to protect your child? An overly dramatic title, a grim cover picture and the fact that this was a seriously hefty hardback (536 pages) were overlooked as I read the intriguing blurb for my crime reading group’s latest pick. What’s it about? As a shocking story grips the newspapers in Brighton, […]