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pipread

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  1. Book no.12 (on kindle) Truth Dare Kill - Gordon Ferris From the Publisher Truth Dare KILL - Gordon Ferris The war's over. But no medals for Danny McRae. Just amnesia and blackouts; twin handicaps for a private investigator with an upper-class client on the hook for murder. It gets harder: newspaper headlines about a Soho psychopath stir grisly memories in Danny's fractured mind. As the two bloody sagas collide and interweave, Danny finds himself running for his life across the bomb-ravaged city. Will his past catch up with him before his enemies? And which would be worse? Fast-paced post-war noir, with grimly accurate London setting. After enjoying The Hanging Shed by Gordon Ferris so much I decided to look for other books by him and found Truth Dare Kill. It is apparently the authors first novel and has Danny McRae, a private investigator as its main character. The story is set in post war london. The characters are well written and the atmosphere of the places and people of London so soon after the war were in my opinion, captured well. Gordon Ferris is a good story teller and the book had enough twists and turns to keep me turning the pages even after I guessed the 'villain' of the piece. Again I can see Danny McRae in a series of books and I'm sure the character will continue to develop and grow. I think I'm going to have to download the follow up book now! Off to the kindle store I go.
  2. Thanks Kidsmum I really like the easy flowing style of his writing, I read it on the kindle but I think it's only just being released in book form. If you get it I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
  3. I've finished Truth Dare Kill - gordon Ferris an easy but good crime thriller. Yesterday I bought Mrs Fry`s Diary - Mrs Stephen Fry I saw this on amazon and resisted temptation but couldn't resist it in the shop with 60% off! it looks as though it will be very amusing as one would expect from stephen Fry.
  4. Book no. 11 (on Kindle) The Hanging Shed - Gordon Ferris from Amazon Glasgow 1946. The last time Brodie came home it was 1942 and he was a proud young man in a paratrooper's uniform. Now, the war is over but victory's wine has soured and Brodie's back in Scotland to try and save childhood friend Shug Donovan from the gallows. Everyone thought Donovan was dead, shot down in the war. Perhaps it would have been kinder if he had been killed. The man who returns from the war is unrecognisable: mutilated, horribly burned. Donovan keeps his own company, only venturing out for heroin to deaden the pain of his wounds. When a local boy is found raped and murdered, there is only one suspect. Donovan claims he's innocent but a mountain of evidence says otherwise. Despite the hideousness of the crime, ex-policeman Brodie feels compelled to try and help his one time friend. Working with advocate Samantha Campbell, Brodie trawls the mean streets of the Gorbals and the green hills of western Scotland in their search for the truth. What they find is an unholy alliance of troublesome priests, corrupt coppers and Glasgow's deadliest razor gang, happy to slaughter to protect their dark and dirty secrets. As time runs out for the condemned man, the murder tally of innocents starts to climb. When Sam Campbell disappears, it's the last straw for Brodie, and he reverts to his wartime role as a trained killer. It's them or him - Once I started this book I found it hard to put down! The only slight problem I had was deciphering some of the Glaswegian slang! that did nothing to put me off the story though. Set in Glasgow soon after the end of WW11, I thought the author made very believable descriptions of the places and the atmosphere of the time. I found the characters to be strong and well written, and I can imagine a series of books with Brodie as the central character. This was a good crime thriller with many unexpected twists and turns, a real page turner. 9/10 I've all ready downloaded and started reading another book by this author, Truth Dare Kill - Gordon Ferris
  5. I hope you enjoy The Hanging Shed as much as I did when you read it I've just downloaded and started another book by the same author Truth Dare Kill.
  6. Book no.10 (on kindle) Remix - Lexi Revellian from amazon Caz Tallis restores rocking horses in her London workshop. When shabby but charismatic Joe and his dog turn up on her roof terrace, she is reluctantly drawn into investigating a rock star’s murder from three years before – an unsolved case the police have closed. Somebody is prepared to kill to prevent it being reopened – and is Caz's judgment clouding as she falls in love? REMIX is a feel-good page turner, that you won't want to put down until you reach the satisfying ending. I downloaded this to my kindle after reading the mainly 5 star reviews and for 49p I couldn't really go wrong. However after the first couple of chapters I really started to struggle with it. It took about a week for me to read a quarter of the book and with my mojo seriously threatening to go AWOL, I decided to abandon it. Will I return to it? Unlikely - I think it's just not for me.
  7. I couldn't help but wonder why that chapter alone was so boring, I guess Oscar Wilde just got carried away!
  8. Hi charm Thanks, I've been pretty lucky so far, my kindle has definately helped, it's so easy to click and have the book downloaded in seconds! I've been looking at your reviews on the Karen rose books, think I'll get 1 or 2 to try they sound like my cup of tea!
  9. Book no.9 The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson Millenium Trilogy book 2 from Amazon One of Larsson's key achievements as a writer was to create an innovative kind of heroine for the crime novel. His unconventional sleuth, the highly intelligent computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, is a confrontational young woman, whose Goth accoutrements sometimes alienate those around her (except the individuals she opts to have sexual relations with – strictly, that is, according to the rules she lays down). In the second book in the Millennium sequence, The Girl Who Played with Fire (as in its its predecessor), Lisbeth's closest ally is the older journalist Mikael Blomqvist, even though she has abruptly ended her emotional relationship with him. Lisbeth has left all she knows behinds her and has begun a relationship with a gauche young lover. But after a grim revenge run-in with a man who has abused her, she becomes a suspect in three murders, and is the subject of a nationwide search. Blomqvist, however, is convinced of her innocence (he has just been responsible for a blistering report on the sex trafficking industry in Sweden), and is determined to help her – whether she wants his help or not. What can I say about this book that hasn't all ready been said? It is quite long and maybe the editing isn't the best but I can forgive that for such a great read. Like the 1st in the trilogy I found this a real page turner from beginning to end and I think Lisbeth is a brilliant creation. I look forward to reading the 3rd part very soon. 9/10
  10. It certainly is amazing! glad you enjoyed it. I read it a few weeks ago and I still keep thinking about the characters, I even find myself wondering how they're getting on at times!
  11. Book no.8 Bye Bye Baby - Allan Guthrie (a novella) from Amazon When a seven-year-old boy disappears after school, the case is handed to Detective Frank Collins. He's been looking to lead a high-profile case for a while, and sets out determined to prove his worth. But the missing schoolboy is only a trigger for another crime. Someone is intent on exploiting the boy's grief-stricken mother. And they have plans for Frank Collins too. A quick, easy and simple read with a twist or two to keep you guessing. I'm not sure whether I found the writing 'to simple' really, or whether it's the fact that this was a short book but I was slightly disappointed. I quite enjoyed the story which has an unusual plot and a rather sad, underlying subject, I think I'll try this author again sometime because he deserves another chance. 6/10
  12. I've just finished The Hanging Shed - Gordon Ferris I downloaded it to my kindle for £1 and it was a bargain!I found it a real page turner and will keep a look out for more books by this author.
  13. I don't use the library as much as I used to, but now and again I go online and reserve a book that I fancy reading, only 50p per reservation - what a bargain! So much goes on in libraries for all age groups it would be criminal to lose the service so I'm going to make a real effort to use my local library on a regular basis again.
  14. I had those same reservations! I worried that I might get the kindle and not use it, but like many others the opposite is true, I have to make myself read a "proper" book now I love the kindle and haven't had any problems with it at all. Hope you enjoy yours just as much.
  15. Hi Janet I've been very happy with all the books I've read in January, I just hope I continue to be so lucky. Regarding Room for a book discussion, I think as its a quite unique, quick, fairly easy and light read it would make a good choice. It is a serious subject and is very thought provoking, I personally think there's plenty of discussion material. Whatever you decide I'd definately recommend you read it, I've read 2 or 3 books since Room but I still keep thinking of it.
  16. I started The girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larssonlooking good so far. I've been toying with the idea of buying the first couple of Jo Nesbo books they sound good so I probably will get them even though I don't actually need them yet.
  17. All The Pretty Girls - J. T. Ellison Synopsis (from Waterstones) This is an electrifying debut packed with hold-your-breath suspense. When a local girl falls prey to a sadistic serial killer, Nashville homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson and her lover, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, find themselves in a joint investigation pursuing a vicious murderer. The Southern Strangler is slaughtering his way through the Southeast, leaving a gruesome memento at each crime scene - the prior victim's severed hand. Ambitious TV reporter Whitney Connolly is certain the Southern Strangler is her ticket out of Nashville; she's got a scoop that could break the case. She has no idea how close to this story she really is - or what it will cost her. As the killer spirals out of control, everyone involved must face a horrible truth - that the purest evil is born of private lies. I found this an exciting story and a real page turner, it was a quick and easy read that kept me wanting to read more. I thought the main characters were well written and although I guessed the murderer quite early it didn't spoil the book for me. 8/10
  18. I've started book number 7 of the year, reading on the kindle All The Pretty Girls - J T Ellison a debut novel and halfway through the book finding it a good thriller.
  19. Book number 6 this month, Paul O'Grady - At My Mothers Knee ... and other low joints from Waterstones Synopsis Paul O'Grady is one of Britain's very best loved entertainers. He is known and adored by millions, whether as the creator of the acid-tongued Blonde Bombsite, Lily Savage, or the presenter of the fantastically successful, award-winning "Paul O'Grady Show" on Channel 4. Now, in his own unique voice, Paul O'Grady tells story of his early life in Irish Catholic Birkenhead that started him on the long and winding road from mischievous altar boy to national treasure. It is a brilliantly evoked, hilarious and often moving tale of gossip in the back yard, bragging in the corner shop and slanging matches on the front doorstep, populated by larger-than-life characters with hearts of gold and tongues as sharp as razors. "At My Mother's Knee" features an unforgettable cast of rogues, rascals, lovers, fighters, saints and sinners - and one iconic bus conductress.It's a book which really does have something for everyone and which reminds us that, when all's said and done, there's a bit of savage in all of us... I'd had this book sitting on the shelf for months after it was given to me by a friend who read it but said she was disappointed in it, that put me off it really. However at christmas I was given the follow up book as a gift, so thought it was time I picked it up and read it! I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading of Paul O'Gradys life from the ages of 5 - 18, there were so many laugh aloud moments in the book when he spoke of his mum and his catholic upbringing and the mischief he got into that I found it a real page turner. The stories are told with the humour one expects from the author and you can hear him speaking loud and clear with his distinctive voice and manner. The stories of his mother and the things she said and did reminded me of my mum in many ways, only I couldn't tell the tales half as well as he does. Really enjoyed it and I look forward to reading part 2 very soon. 8/10
  20. I finished Room - Emma Donoghue really enjoyed it, not sure what to read next
  21. I had to giggle when I read this Hope your getting over it now! I'm finding it hard to tear myself away from my kindle (never thought I'd hear myself say that!) I've read 3 books on it in quick succession so now I'm going to force myself to read a 'proper' book, might have to hide the kindle first though.
  22. Room - Emma Donoghue from Amazon Synopsis Jack is five. He lives with his Ma. They live in a single, locked room. They don't have the key. Jack and Ma are prisoners. Room is a book I've been thinking of getting for a while and after reading Tunns review I couldn't put off getting it any longer! It is written through the voice and perspective of 5 year old Jack, we hear of the happy, secure and solitary life he leads with "Ma" in "Room" We feel his excitement and joy and his frustrations in what to him is a normal life, we also feel the unsettling tension that creeps into the story. There were times that this story was a tear jerker, at other times it was touching and heart warming. The two main characters were brilliantly drawn and I found it impossible not to care for them both. I thought this was an excellent book, it has certainly left me thinking about Jack and Ma and the situation they were in. 10/10
  23. Hi bobblybear it was brilliant in my opinion and if you read and enjoy it you'll probably like Therapy by the same author
  24. I finished Splinter - Sebastian Fitzek such a good thriller, I look forward to more of his work being translated into english, otherwise I'll have to take a crash course in german I have now started Room - Emma Donoghue and I'm enjoying it so far I've also brought The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest - Steig Larsson not a bad weekends work!
  25. Book no. 5 this year is Room - Emma Donoghue (on kindle)
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