Jump to content

Ian's reading 2014


ian

Recommended Posts

Nemesis by Jo Nesbo

 

 How do you catch a killer when you're the number one suspect? A man is caught on CCTV, shooting dead a cashier at a bank. Detective Harry Hole begins his investigation, but after dinner with an old flame wakes up with no memory of the past 12 hours. Then the girl is found dead in mysterious circumstances and he beings to receive threatening emails: is someone trying to frame him for her death? As Harry fights to clear his name, the bank robberies continue with unparalleled savagery...

 

My thoughts

 

This book had sat patiently on my TBR pile for so long now, that I have no memory of where I got hold of it. I've read a couple of other Jo Nesbo's - actually the book before & after this, which was a bit silly of me. I've enjoyed the other books, but, although I still enjoyed this one, I didn't feel as connected to the story. There were several passages in the first couple of chapters I had to read a few times before I could understand them. Also disapointing was the fact that I guessed the identities and motivation of both the murderer and the bank robber after about 3 chapters in.

 

Having said all that, these books aren't just a straight crime read: like Ian Rankin's Rebus books, they are an opportunity for the writer to explore various themes - in this case revenge. In that respect, the book held my interest. So, I'm only going to deduct one point for failing to keep the end from me. 4/5

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 117
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

A Question of Identity - Susan Hill

 

How do you catch a killer who doesn't seem to exist?

 

One snowy night in the cathedral city of Lafferton, an old woman is dragged from her bed and strangled with a length of flex.

 

DCS Simon Serrailler and his team search desperately for clues to her murderer. All they know is that the killer will strike again, and will once more leave the same tell-tale signature.

 

Then they track down a name: Alan Keyes. But Alan Keyes has no birth certificate, no address, no job, no family, no passport, no dental records. Nothing.

 

Their killer does not exist.

 

My Thoughts

 

Ok, my fault. I picked this up from the communal coffee room at work having not read anything by Susan Hill before. I also didn't realise that this was book 7 of a series.

 

I struggled with this book. Partly that's because I needed to have read the previous books. The characters are dumped, fully formed into your lap with not much in the way of explanation as to what's happened before. As a result, I found that a lot of the femaile characters tended to merge into each other, so I had to keep going back over what I'd read to distinguish them again. Still, that's down to me not reading the other books first.

 

However, this was a crime book right? Well, it seems to take an awful long time to get going. It takes nearly a quarter of the book before murder actually takes place, and even then the investigation seems more of a sub-plot to the happenings of the lead investigator's family. It also becomes very obvious who the murderer is, due to there being not many characters to choose from!

 

I was left with the  impression that Susan Hill wants to write about the female Serrailler family members, rather than Simon: the writing comes much more to life when I was reading those parts of the book. I will read more Susan Hill - but not necessarily any more of this series. 3/5

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy this book :(. I think books should make it clear on their covers they are part of a series, particularly if they can't be read as a stand-alone. I hope your next book will be more enjoyable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And just to annoy myself a bit more, took a book which has sat on my TBR pile for over a year, only to find I'd already read it!

 

Oh well, I've now started on "Hard News" by Jeffery Deaver. Now this is part of a series, but at least I've read all the others!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry - just realised I haven't reviewed my last book!

 

The Overlook by Michael Connelly.

 

When a physicist is murdered in LA it seems the killer has no fear of publicity, leaving the body on The Mulholland overlook, a site with a stunning view over the city. And when it's discovered that the victim turned over a quantity of a lethal chemical to his killer before he died, Harry knows he has more than just a single death to worry about.

 

Alongside the forces of Homeland Security, Harry realises he must solve the murder or face unimaginable consequences

 

My Thoughts.

 

I've read lots of Michael Connelly books, so you pretty much know what you are going to get. This is in the Harry Bosch series. If you've not read any, it's not too important if you read them in order - any points that come up are fairly well explained. This is a good murder story. The plot whips along at a cracking pace, without seeming to lose anything in detail. I was halfway through this before I realised. On the negative side, this does seem to be a very short book, so I was left feeling that I wanted a bit more. Because of that, I do feel I need to drop a point on my score - 4/5

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Hard News by Jeffery Deaver

Rune seems to have finally made the first real step towards her dreams - she has secured a job working for a major network news department. From there, her career as a budding documentary maker can really take off.

However, nothing in Rune's life is ever that simple. She quickly becomes fascinated by the brutal murder of the network boss, and just as swiftly comes to the conclusion that the guy in the frame for the crime must be innocent. This, despite the mountain of evidence against him. But, trying to prove his innocence starts to become hazardous to her own health when a hitman comes to town with her name on a contract...

Fulls of twists and turns, and with a incredibly engaging central character, this is classic Deaver...

 

My Thoughts

Classic Deaver? Hmm, not so sure about that. This is one of his earlier books, written, I think, in 1991 and is the final book (for now?) in a trilogy of books about Rune.

So, if you have read any Deaver, you know what to expect - twists within twists! This is no exception. However, whereas in the other two books (and you probably do need to have read the others first) I found Rune's naivety at the outside world endearing, it was just pushing the boundary of annoying. Still, the plot is good, and those trademark twists are there.  And, you have to say, Deaver has the ability to describe New York so that you feel you are there. The ending feels very abrupt, almost like he just decided he couldn't be bothered to write more. As such, it feels unfinished, like there should be a follow up book. Well, there isn't one yet. 4/5

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll just do a little update, as I will be going on holiday on Friday, and I'm not sure that I will get another chance to update before I go away. I'm pretty certain that I won't finish my current book "trust your eyes" by Linwood Barclay by then.  I'm about halfway through it, and I'm struggling. Characters are good, storyline is good, but this middle section is just soooooo slow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have lots of fun on your holiday! Take lots of pictures. :)

Edited by Devi
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh bother! I hope it picks up its pace soon. 

 

Where are you guys going? I hope you have a fantabulous time!  :friends3:

 

We are going to Cornwall (right down in the South-west of the UK). I'm not sure the weather will be too great, but it will be really good to get away from it all for a week!

 

I hope you have fun on your holidays :). Shame to hear you're not really enjoying the book as much as you'd like. I hope it gets better.

 

Thanks, Athena - I hope so too, don't want to be taking a duff book on holiday!

 

Have lots of fun on your holiday! Take lots of pictures. :)

 

I will, there are some fantastic views in that part of the world. I will try to do them justice!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I had to abandon "Trust your Eyes" in the end. Not only was the pace too slow, but I reached a point where the murder victim changed. Now I realise that this was a device to shock me, but, as I was already struggling with the book anyway, it was the final straw. I really didn't want to take a book on holiday with me that I wasn't enjoying, so I've had to leave it.

 

As it happens, it didn't matter, as I read all of about 10 pages while I was away. There was simply too much else going on for me to concentrate on reading, which isn't something that has ever happened before. I did buy one book though; a collection of short stories by Daphne Du Maurier called "The Birds", the title story of which is the inspiration for the HItchcock film. That's gone on the TBR pile and for now I'm reading "The Sunday Philosophy Club" bu Alexander McCall Smith.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hope you enjoy your new book :)! Have you ever read anything by Alexander McCall Smith before? I have several of his books on my TBR.

 

I read "The No1 ladies Dectictive agency" and really enjoyed it. I'm about halfway through this one now, and although it's a bit slow, it is quietly funny and thought-provoking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read "The No1 ladies Dectictive agency" and really enjoyed it. I'm about halfway through this one now, and although it's a bit slow, it is quietly funny and thought-provoking.

I have that one on my TBR. I'm glad to hear you're liking the book :).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ugh- I dislike birds :giggle2: no offence if you have one, we live with one.

Anyway, glad you have a good holiday and I'd like to read The Birds too, I've seen the film and it's really creepy.  I didn't know it was based on a short story!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith

 

Amateur sleuth Isabel Dalhousie is a philosopher who also uses her training to solve unusual mysteries. Isabel is Editor of the Review of Applied Ethics - which addresses such questions as 'Truth telling in sexual relationships' - and she also hosts The Sunday Philosophy Club at her house in Edinburgh. Behind the city's Georgian facades its moral compasses are spinning with greed, dishonesty and murderous intent. Instinct tells Isabel that the young man who tumbled to his death in front of her eyes at a concert in the Usher Hall didn't fall. He was pushed.

 

With Isabel Dalhousie Alexander McCall Smith introduces a new and pneumatic female sleuth to tackle murder, mayhem - and the mysteries of life. As her hero WH Auden maintained, classic detective fiction stems from a desire for an uncorrupted Eden which the detective, as an agent of God, can return to us. But then Isabel, being a philosopher, has a thing or two to say about God as well.

 

My thoughts

It took me quite a while to realise I was going to like this book. I'd read the first book in the No1 Ladies decective series, so I had, probably unwisely, expected something similar. But, whereas the Ladies dectective books (at least the one I have read) is quite exhuberant, and distinctly African in its tone, this book is more sober and considered. More Scottish. And there was my first inkling that I was really going to like this book. You have to admire any writer who is able to make books "feel" that different.

 

Having said that, this book is slow to get going. There are constant references to various philosophers, and the protaganist (Isabel) very often veers off into muses about morals and ethics. The humour here is very dry - so dry I almost missed it, and even now I'm not entirely sure it was there at all. Philosophy isn't a subject I'm very knowledgeable on, so when Isabel spends time thinking about the ethics of privacy, then goes off to follow her niece's boyfriend down the street, is that humour, or am I missing the point?

 

Either way, this is to my mind a slightly different take on the British crime novel, and was very enjoyable. 4/5

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great review! I'm glad you enjoyed the book :). I have the second book in the series, though the first is on my wishlist.

 

I've yet to read the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency books, but I'll be getting the remaining books of the series (that I don't own yet) for my birthday so then I'm able to read the whole series.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne Du Maurier

 

A classic of alienation and horror, The Birds was immortalised by Hitchcock in his celebrated film. The five other chilling stories in this collection echo a sense of dislocation and mock man's dominance over the natural world. The mountain paradise of 'Monte Verità' promises immortality, but at a terrible price; a neglected wife haunts her husband in the form of an apple tree; a professional photographer steps out from behind the camera and into his subject's life; a date with a cinema usherette leads to a walk in the cemetery; and a jealous father finds a remedy when three's a crowd . . .

 

My Thoughts

I bought this book primarily because I wanted to read the title story, but having read a fair bit of other Du Maurier, I knew the other stories, there are six in total, would also be worth reading. I wasn't disappointed. I can't remember too much now about the film version of the Birds, as it been a long time since I last watched it, but I do remember that sense of wrongness that runs throughout the film. These stories also have that. Even though each story starts with familiar surroundings, there is a real feeling of foreboding, almost gothic horror. "Monte Verita" possibly loses some of its impact in the final paragraphs, and "The LIttle Photographer" feels a touch out of place amongst the other stories but these are minor quibbles. On the plus side, the ending of "The Old Man" was such a surprise I laughed out loud and had to read the story again. Very clever. Also Du Maurier writes very convincingly as a male protaganist. Very good stuff and highly recommended. 5/5

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The Never List by Koethi Zan

 

  NEVER GO OUT ALONE AFTER DARK

For years, Sarah and Jennifer kept the Never List: a list of things to be avoided at all costs.

NEVER GET IN THE CAR

But one night, they broke their own rules – with horrifying consequences.

NEVER TAKE RISKS

Sarah has spent ten years trying to forget her terrifying ordeal. But it seems the killer has not forgotten her…

NEVER TRUST ANYONE

 

My Thoughts

I thought this was a very interesting idea - starting a story from its normal finish point - after the protagonist has escaped from their abductor. And there were some good points. The story zips along at a very fast pace. I always wanted to read on. But, there were very few surprises. Sarah suffers from a paralysing fear of going outside, but seems to manage just fine as long as the plot demands it. When it doesn't, she goes back to being paralysed. And there was one huge case . of Deus Ex Machina that did make my roll my eyes. I think this is this writers first novel, so I don't want to appear too negative. Oh well. 3/5

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Never List by Koethi Zan

 

  NEVER GO OUT ALONE AFTER DARK

For years, Sarah and Jennifer kept the Never List: a list of things to be avoided at all costs.

NEVER GET IN THE CAR

But one night, they broke their own rules – with horrifying consequences.

NEVER TAKE RISKS

Sarah has spent ten years trying to forget her terrifying ordeal. But it seems the killer has not forgotten her…

NEVER TRUST ANYONE

 

My Thoughts

I thought this was a very interesting idea - starting a story from its normal finish point - after the protagonist has escaped from their abductor. And there were some good points. The story zips along at a very fast pace. I always wanted to read on. But, there were very few surprises. Sarah suffers from a paralysing fear of going outside, but seems to manage just fine as long as the plot demands it. When it doesn't, she goes back to being paralysed. And there was one huge case . of Deus Ex Machina that did make my roll my eyes. I think this is this writers first novel, so I don't want to appear too negative. Oh well. 3/5

 

Sounds like the sort of book I would enjoy, especially when I've been 'warned' about the few niggles people have had while reading the book. I think I might check if they have copies of the book at the library. Thanks! :) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...