All the Reviews

You hear these rumours, and they can panic a person.  "Christopher Brookmyre has gone straight with his latest book."  I was twitchy.  How could he (either to his readers or to himself)?  Surely the man cannot possibly have lost his acute sense of the bizarre, his sly, dry and clever sense of humour.  Could he?  Of course not.  Daft idea.  WHERE THE BODIES ARE BURIED might be a police procedural, crime fiction based book, but it's classic Chris(topher) Brookmyre from the start to the end.  How could it not be!  Glasgow Policing 101 - as explained to one of the main characters ... Read review

I remember reading the first book in what is now one of my favourite series quite a few years ago, I really really hoped that the author felt better about life once they'd finished.  I think the same sort of reaction to THE BROTHERHOOD bodes well for what I hope is going to be an ongoing series.

Mind you, you can't help but wonder if Yvette Erskine's going to be able to get back into Tasmania for research purposes if a few of the upper echelon characters in THE BROTHERHOOD are recognisable real people!  

THE BROTHERHOOD is a debut book which promises quite a ... Read review

THE SIREN'S STING is the second Stevie Duveen novel from Miranda Darling, following on from THE TROIKA DOLLS.

These books are thrillers, featuring Stevie who works as a risk assessor in the personal / company protection game. Starting off much where the first book ended, Stevie has been assigned to mind a temperamental opera star travelling on a luxury cruise near Somalia when pirates strike. Helping drive off this attack, there's something a little odd about how easily the pirates withdraw. But there's not a lot of time to consider that until later, as Stevie undertakes ... Read review

Okay so I'm a bit of a fan - which after two books is quite an achievement.  It's probably a little bit to do with the basic premise of genealogy being used to solve crimes (family tree research being an investigation in its own right after all), but mostly it's because Dan Waddell really can tell a bit of a tale.

There is a serial killer theme to BLOOD ATONEMENT, although initially it's only Detective Grant Foster who sees the parallels between the death of Katie Drake, and the disappearance of her 14 year old daughter, and a case 3 years earlier.  But do not let that ... Read review

I've been meaning to pick up KILLING JODIE since a friend, who knows her True Crime mentioned the book in glowing terms.  I can see what she meant.  This book probably told me more about the frustrations of investigating crimes and illustrated the dedication of members of Police more than any other True Crime book I've read in a while.  It also provides a very poignant reminder that murder can devastate the lives of more than just the immediate victim(s).

The book is the story of the investigation into the activities of one Daryl Suckling.  Accused of rape and kidnap, the ... Read review

Jockey McAuley is 15 years old, with no idea what he's going to do with his life, when he somehow or other ends up working for Mr Hardaker at Paton Electrical.  His job - well it's odd.  It's mostly to shadow Mr Hardaker and watch / listen and remember everything that happens.  Somewhere in the background there's something going on at Paton Electrical though.   There's reference to "the Phoenix affair", there's police, there's the owner of the factory in his wheelchair, there's great big cars, a secretary, canteen gossip and Ludo.  Ludo is Fred Paton's nurse or companion, or something ... Read review

It's been a Long Time since I was a young adult - or whatever it was that they called us in those days.  I should declare I'm not 100% sure I know why I was reading a book that's so obviously for young adults as LIAR is.  I should also declare that I'm profoundly and very dogmatically allergic to some aspects of the "fantastic".  I am, however, not completely opposed to the entire "other", the mystical or inexplicable (otherwise a couple of my all time favourite books are completely unfathomable), but I am twitchy about these things.  Very very twitchy.

LIAR is therefore ... Read review

CROSSKILL is another of my Wyatt series rereads - just because I want to.

This book, in particular, really takes on the bad guys.  Wyatt may not immediately seem to have much of a moral conscience when it comes to taking other people's money - but he does think honour amongst thieves is important.  Especially where his money is concerned.

As with all the Wyatt series, Wyatt plays a lone hand, with just a little help (and hindrance) from his friends.  But when trouble arrives it hits him from all sides.  Wyatt will, of course triumph in the end.  There will be ... Read review

Read this book for our f2f bookclub meeting this weekend.  Unfortunately I'm going to miss that gathering now, so I'm waiting to hear what reports himself brings back from everyone else - as I think it's going to be quite a discussion.

JOE CINQUE'S CONSOLATION isn't a "traditional" true crime book.  What starts out as feeling like a genuine attempt on the part of the author to understand the case, the participants (victim and perpetrator(s)), quickly becomes an analysis of why this is such an elusive and frankly, bizarre case.  Anu Singh, the woman ultimately convicted of ... Read review