Category: Blog

Blog, Mary Russell by Laurie R King, Reviews, Series Reviews

REVIEW: The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King (Mary Russell #14)

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REVIEW: The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King (Mary Russell #14)

Series: Mary Russell

Book Number: 14

Read this book for: Sherlock Holmes pastiche, period piece, Sherlock Holmes backstory/origin stories, references to original Holmes material, driving plot

Quick Review: Another brilliant novel in the series, and a must-read for anyone who wonders about Mrs. Hudson, even if you’ve never read any of the other Russell novels!

***

Mary Russell had never thought much about Mrs. Hudson and her reasons for following Sherlock Holmes to Sussex to act as his housekeeper in his retirement… until a man claiming to be her son walks into her life and points a gun at her. Why is Mrs. Hudson so faithful to Holmes? And what secrets does her past hide that have now returned to put her in danger?

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Blog, Reviews, Series Reviews

REVIEW: The Blackhouse by Peter May (Lewis Trilogy #1)

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REVIEW: The Blackhouse by Peter May (Lewis Trilogy #1)

Series: Lewis Trilogy (Fin Macleod)

Book Number: 1

Read this book for: in-depth, richly detailed character backstory, character-driven mystery, location as character

Quick Review: A deeply detailed read that focuses more on character than on the actual mystery, but with characters so compelling that you want to read more.

***

Fin Macleod is sent back to his home on the Isle of Lewis that he left long ago to investigate a murder that bears similarities to a case he was working on in Edinburgh. It ends up as a voyage away from his recent personal troubles, but the investigation of the murder in the Outer Hebrides brings him closer to the events of his past that nearly destroyed his life.
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Blog, Reviews

REVIEW: Twisted River by Siobhán MacDonald

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REVIEW: Twisted River by Siobhán MacDonald

Series: N/A

Book Number: N/A

Read this book for: suspenseful thriller, an intimate look at the tensions in domestic life, small-scale and realistic life portrait

Quick Review: An excellent debut novel, with an intense and intimate narrative. Very hard to put down!

***

Two families who each have their own domestic issues participate in a house swap – from a luxury home in Manhattan to a house in Limerick, Ireland. Both families hope that the vacations will serve to repair their relationships. Instead, the holiday exposes deadly and dangerous secrets. Neither family will come out of this vacation the same. Continue reading “REVIEW: Twisted River by Siobhán MacDonald” →

Blog, Reviews

REVIEW: The Widow by Fiona Barton

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REVIEW: The Widow by Fiona Barton

Series: N/A

Book Number: N/A

Read this book for: page-turning suspense, psychological thriller, modern police procedure

Quick Review: Suspenseful, fairly tight and intense – the deep examination of one couple’s lives and the lies they tell makes for a read that’s hard to put down.

***

With the death of her husband, Jean Taylor no longer needs to be the same woman who lied to the police for her husband for years. She’s ready to tell the whole story, but what really is the truth? Continue reading “REVIEW: The Widow by Fiona Barton” →

Blog, Mary Russell by Laurie R King, Reviews, Series Reviews

REVIEW: The Marriage of Mary Russell by Laurie R King (Mary Russell #13.5)

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REVIEW: The Marriage of Mary Russell by Laurie R King (Mary Russell #13.5)

Series: Mary Russell

Book Number: 13.5

Read this book for: quick read, Sherlock Holmes pastiche, perfect characterizations, intelligent writing, a quick smile

Quick Review: If Sherlock Holmes was to ever get married, this is precisely how it would happen. Even if you aren’t yet a fan of the series, you should read this novella.

***

Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes embark on an undertaking that proves to be far more adventurous than Russell was expecting – particularly as it is their wedding!

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Blog, Matthew Shardlake by CJ Sansom, Reviews, Series Reviews

REVIEW: Dissolution by CJ Sansom (Matthew Shardlake #1)

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REVIEW: Dissolution by CJ Sansom (Matthew Shardlake #1)

 

Series: Matthew Shardlake

Book Number: 1

Read this book for: historical mystery, medieval mystery, whodunnit

Quick Review: While not always surprising, this was an interesting blend of history (religious and political) and the elements of a Christie-style whodunnit.

***

Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer working for Thomas Cromwell under the reign of King Henry VIII, is sent to a remote monastery to investigate the grisly death of one of his fellow Commissioners. Can he find out who is responsible for what rapidly becomes a series of deaths, before he becomes the next victim?

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Blog, Hercule Poirot by Agatha Christie, Reviews, Series Reviews

REVIEW: Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot #3)

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REVIEW: Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot #3)

Series: Hercule Poirot

Book Number: 3

Read this book for: quick reads, classic mystery, quintessential detective, classic whodunnit puzzles

Quick Review: A quick and simple read with a lovely selection of classic Christie puzzles, although not essential canon Poirot reading.

***

A series of short cases solved by the brilliant deductive powers of Hercule Poirot: from the mystery of the absurdly cheap flat to a locked room murder, a pharaoh’s curse to a mysterious robbery at sea, and even the abduction of a prime minister. See Poirot at work as he tests his mind against these fascinating puzzles.

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Blog, Jan Reyna (Faroes Novels) by Chris Ould, Reviews, Series Reviews

REVIEW: The Blood Strand by Chris Ould (Jan Reyna (Faroes Novels) #1)

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REVIEW: The Blood Strand by Chris Ould (Jan Reyna (Faroes Novels) #1)

Series: Jan Reyna (Faroes Novels)

Book Number: 1

Read this book for: enjoyable characters, procedural accuracy, atmospheric writing, realistic mystery, Scandanavian/Nordic Noir

Quick Review: Absolutely must read. From the bleak atmosphere to the realistic characters and procedure to the perfect slow increase of tension across the piece, THE BLOOD STRAND abandons the usual overblown nature of a thriller to create an incredibly satisfying, subtle read.

To Be Released: February 16, 2016

***

Having left his home in the Faroe Islands as a very young child, Jan Reyna considers himself mainly a British detective. When he returns to the Faroes for the first time in many years to visit his estranged father who has just suffered a major stroke, he discovers a suspicious set of circumstances surrounding the man. Combined with a newly-discovered body and having been asked for input by local detective Hjalti Hentze, he finds himself learning more about his long-lost family’s secrets than he may have ever wanted to know. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Blood Strand by Chris Ould (Jan Reyna (Faroes Novels) #1)” →

Blog, Harry Hole by Jo Nesbo, Reviews, Series Reviews

REVIEW: The Bat by Jo Nesbo (Harry Hole #1)

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REVIEW: The Bat by Jo Nesbo (Harry Hole #1)

Series: Harry Hole

Book Number: 1

Read this book for: dysfunctional detective, romantic subplot, interesting characters, in-your-face action, Scandanavian/Nordic Noir

Quick Review: While unsubtle and taking more after the style of an American TV thriller than it’s Nordic Noir cousins, THE BAT is a quick, readable and diverting thriller that ticks all the boxes of its genre.

***

Harry Hole is a Norwegian detective out of his element in Australia, investigating the death of a Norwegian national. Although he isn’t really supposed to be involved, he discovers a string of linked murders, and ends up the de facto leader of an investigation into a serial killer whose identity is almost impossible to pin down. Hole has to try to fight his own demons off long enough to catch the murderer, forever changing his own life in the process.

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Blog, Reviews

REVIEW: Human Remains by Elizabeth Haynes

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REVIEW: Human Remains by Elizabeth Haynes

Series: N/A

Book Number: N/A

Read this book for: a unique killer, tight and realistic procedural details, interesting concept, beautiful slice-of-life realism

Quick Review: Absolutely read this book; it’s a non-standard mystery that is a beautifully-rendered, realistic portrait of life as much as an interesting, twisted story.

***

Lonely police analyst Annabel discovers a decomposing body in the house next door to hers, prompting her to start an investigation of her own into a spike in the number of similar bodies being found in their town. Convinced that there is something sinister in the jump in numbers, she fights to get the police interested before she becomes a victim herself. Continue reading “REVIEW: Human Remains by Elizabeth Haynes” →