SCARPETTA

It took a few chapters for me to 'get into' this book - but i'm glad i stayed with it as i really enjoyed it in the end.

Scarpetta and Benson are married, Lucy seems to have setlled down and it looks as though love is in the air for her, with someone stable and with no no real baggage.. Marino (who i must admit i really like) has stopped drinking and is trying to redeem himself.

Scarpetta is asked to go to New York to assess a suspected killer being held in a psychiatric hospital, a little person (dwarf) Oscar Baines is accused of killing his girlfriend he maintains his innocence whilst claiming to being stalked and that someone is trying to take over his mind, he insists that he be examined by Scarpetta as he is so paranoid, she is the only person he can trust.

By going to New York, Scarpetta puts herself in danger and soon becomes the target of what soon turns out to be a serial killer.

Once you get into the story it gets really gripping, although i guessed the killer, well before the end, i have to admit, this book is definitely a lot better than her previous ones, more like the old Cornwell, lets hope the improvement continues.

Well worth reading.

Amazing Christian fiction

the-shack

Synopsis from Amazon:

Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his great sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.

Against his better judgement he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.

In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant THE SHACK wrestles with the timeless question, 'Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?' The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!


Well, what a brave thing to do, and a very unique way of portraying the Gospel message. This is a deep book, which I think I'm going to have to read again.

The story follows Mack, who experiences a horrendous event in his life when his daughter is abducted, presumed murdered. With sadness and guilt all around, Mack struggles through life, wondering about God and His role to play in all this. When Mack heads back to the shack he has a truely amazing experience with God, and he receives many answers from God.

Well, I loved it. I was gripped right from the start. I loved how God was portrayed and the way the Christian message is written. I thought there were a lot of unexpected answers to these seemingly impossible questions, such as"where is God in suffering"? But Young addresses these questions and gives very clear answers.

I guess the only problem was there is so much to take in, but I am looking forward to reading it again. This book has made me want to enter a deeper relationship with God.

I think people will find this book completely unrealistic and not be satisfied with God or the answers Young gives in this book, and that is a shame. I think people need to read this book with an open mind and think about what has been written before forming an opinion on the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, what a good read.

10/10

Preposterous plot, but excellent book

It is a truism that all authors operating in the historical crime genre will eventually write a story involving sewers. This is Sansom's. In fairness it must get progressively more difficult to think of plots in each of the volumes in a series of such novels. The author solves his dilemma by throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the fourth Shardlake book. However, he can write and has a grasp of period detail which is plenty convincing enough to carry lay readers along. This reader at least therefore was carried along strongly enough with the flow to overlook the extremely unlikely route we were taking.

The Consequences of Love and Its Lack in a Novel Where Crime Outpaces the Investigation

Adam Dalgliesh fans will feel wonderfully rewarded by a deep and long look at his work in diligently investigating this case while attempting to balance his life to leave room for his love of Emma Lavenham. You'll end the book wondering about how that balance might change in future books. These thoughts in many ways make for a better mystery than solving the murder.

The Private Patient is more about love, its effects, and the harm it costs to not receive and give it . . . than about crime, detection, or justice. As with The Lighthouse, Baroness James has created deeply etched new characters while turning her on-going characters into ever-more real seeming personalities.

While many novelists are only too quick to paint a victim as harmless or harmful and bump them off, Baroness James gives us a complex portrait of a woman, investigative journalist Rhoda Gradwyn, whose youth scarred both her face and her psyche. As a result, she uses her slashed face as a mask to hide behind . . . and to keep people away on her own terms. She becomes good at ferreting out the secrets of others and displaying those hidden scars for a large pay day.

With the death of her abusive father and her mother's plan to remarry, Gradwyn realizes she doesn't need the scar any more and seeks one of the most expensive and highly regarded plastic surgeons, George Chandler-Powell, to repair her face. But she decides that there might be stories involved, and her meddling brings forth counter forces that lead to her death.

Strangled in her patient suite, steps from the nurse's bedroom, it begins to appear that an insider is involved. But no one remembers meeting Gradwyn before. What's the motive?

AD is dispatched to work on the case shortly after a call comes from number ten. Why is this case so important?

The murderer wore gloves so forensic clues aren't going to solve this case. Carefully examining opportunity and motive should narrow down the list of suspects. But more events occur faster than AD can untangle the clues he uncovers. As a result, the book is more of a crime story accompanied by a police procedural where the detective trails the killer too slowly rather than a classic mystery in which the brilliant detective solves everything by pulling a rabbit out of the hat.

The story is a gripping one involving lots of memorable characters, sympathetic and unsympathetic motives, and damaged personalities ill equipped to deal with human stress and conflict. To me, the best crime and mystery books are as well developed and interesting as a well-written novel . . . independent of the mystery. By that standard, this is an excellent book.

I found it annoying to have the police investigation be so ineffectual. It made the book seem a bit pointless in a way. I graded the book down one star to express by disappointment in this regard.

You, however, may not mind . . . in which case this will be a clear winner for you.

Edge of your seat

This book will, like all other Roy Grace novels, keep you hooked right from page one. With this book, Peter James goes international and writes a detective story that crosses the world. The story of Ronnie re-inventing himself in the days following 9/11 is bad taste, but it serves to remind us what an evil character he is. Totally O.T.T. and a chapter every 4 pages, you will never want your commute to end! Not as good as 'Looking Good Dead' though.

A challenge to bullying swaggering power

I have just finished reading"A Most Wanted Man". It took me a couple of days of after-work reading but I really wish that I had taken it in one long gulp. The pleasure would have been even greater: it is a superbly written story that shrieks out a challenge to injustice and double-dealing and the swaggering, bullying use of power.

In terms of execution, there are sentences and phrases that pull you up short while you register the absolute exactitude of the description of the emotion or experience that Le Carre has put on paper. In terms of plotting it couldn't be better - taught, not a step misplaced, just enough to let the reader see the path without revealing the destination. In terms of finale, although you know early on and in the way of the world, it's not going to turn out well for someone, the ending is so unexpected (but so right) that it's one of the few books that I have ever read that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

Not bad, not great

I finished reading the book about 15 minutes ago after having been reading it for around 3 days. It is certainly not the greatest book. It has 500 pages and until around page 150, I was really bored, but I realise obviously that a writer has to set the scene. I read on with hope that the rest would not be as boring.

Whilst it is not such a great thriller, in that it is not really a page turner and exciting, I like the way Grisham writes. Also, the main issue in itself was intriguing - that of a public vote to elect Justices for the Supreme Court of Mississippi, politicising the judiciary, which brings up many issues, and having studied law I find the legal issues brought up in this book quite interesting. Other issues that are interesting are the questionable views of the majority of the people in Mississipi as portrayed by Grisham in that they are against gay marriage in the name of Christianity and other views that you don't seem to come across everyday in Britain - like their obsession with owning guns - and it is interesting to compare our culture with theirs.

I have not regretted reading this book, it has not been a waste of my time -only spending three days on it and I got it half price, but at the same time, I would not recommend it as there are many greater books out there including other ones that Grisham has written. But if you are interested in certain above mentioned issues, then I recommend it.

Thriller on simmer

No, it's not very exciting. No. it's not surprising. No, the plot doesn't exactly rip along. So why is it so compelling? The writing is superb, the detail is amazing and the characters, even the minor ones, so lovingly drawn. The setting is magical in a very ordinary way and the storyline doesn't do what conventional noves do. It wasn't what I expected, but I can't wait for the next one. Hopefully that will come with the Times £2.99 offer as well (just a hint if any Times literary editors read this stuff!).

A gripping portrayal of 14th Century England

Although a sequel to"Pillars of the Earth," this fast-paced novel is set so much further ahead in time that it is enjoyable in its own right. The intricate intertwining of the lives of the disparate characters is full of surprises, and this well-researched book gives a feel of the social and economic impact of the Black Death.

Never gathers pace

I have read all Mcnab's books including the Nick Stone series and I feel this was this the Most disapointing. The action takes ages to get going, and before you know it your half way through and nothing exciting has happened. and when it does it is in short bursts with lots of waffle in between.

I love all the other books but I think maybe McNab has become abit Lazy and is relying on his name to sell. I hope the next book is a return to form.

Very stressful and irritating

Please please do NOT waste your money on this book! I have read every Martina Cole book and I have never been so frustrated in all my life. I have never skipped pages and I am three quarters of the way through it and don't even want to finish it. We all know Imelda is a bad person but how many times has Martina got to tell u! Is she so stuck for a story line that everything has to be explained over and over again? I'm sure if you go to any charity shop, there will be dozens!

Sorry Martna, I feel you've let your readers down BIG TIME. Maybe you should try and write another Lady Killer with a character like George because you are well past your sell by date when it comes to 'dangerously thrilling'.

I am going to finish the book and then maybe turn to become an alcoholic because I feel so annoyed.

I wanted to rate this book 0 out of 5 but I was not allowed.

THE must-buy sequel of the year

Having read 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' earlier this year, I couldn't WAIT for the next installment in Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy..
And WHAT a sequel!
Oh my god from the moment the story gets going you won't want to stop reading. I finished it in one weekend it, was that good!
In brief, Michael Blomkvist hasn't seen or heard from Lisbeth Salander since she disappered after their successful partnership on the Vanger case nearly 2 years ago.
But when Salander suddenly hits the national headlines as the prime suspect in three killings, Blomkvist has his doubts, and is compelled to do some of his own research..
What follows is an exciting rollercoaster ride filled at every corner with shocks, twists, and turns.. but most importantly, the answer to the question:
Who is Lisbeth Salander??

Skillful Pseudopigraphy...

A good effort - from my limited experience of Bond books, I can't really tell this apart from one. The plot is interesting and perilous and goes places Bond never went before (e.g. the Soviet Union and Persia). It also has all of the ingredients in the right proportions (girls, guns & glamour), which make for a good action adventure, without lapsing into cliche.

A word on the narrator. Jeremy Northam isn't as good as Rufus Sewell is on the other Bond audio books, but is clear and slightly edgy which make for a well spoken and not dull voice, even if it is not overly brimming with character at times...

My one criticism is that the text is a little crude at various points, which I know the Bond books can be, but this one seemed unnecessarily lecherous in its attempt to make Gorner out to be evil. The whole 'parade' and workers harem do add to the vileness of the baddy, but don't really add much to the plot, other than to make the baddy a bit too much of a Stalinist caricature.

So, all in all, it is good. The best thing about it is that the audio book has a bond song recorded by 'Sal', which wipes the floor with any other bond theme song I've heard since 'Tomorrow never dies'. Can't get it on iLike, but it is a raw and gritty song that makes you wish for a film version...

Don't stop before the end!

A different type of Dick Francis story with racing only appearing to be in the background. However as the saga progresses racing, horses and all things connected with them become very important. At first the dialogue seems to plod, with just the statutory nasty events to keep one interested, towards the second half of the book things hot up in good style keeping my nose glued to the pages until it reached an excellent dramatic ending. As usual the hero starts the book single and living alone, thus giving good scope for some romantic interest. Very enjoyable, I remain a firm Dick Frances fan.

This book is a must!!!!!!

If you have any interest in medieval England, then this book is a must. Sansom interweves fictional and non fictional characters into a fictional and non fictional story line. I'm not going to give a brief explanation of the book's story line, that you can find anywhere on Amazon. Most, if not all of them, highly recommend this book. Just read the book and enjoy!!!!!

Back to his best.

The pages just fly by and before you know it you are on the last page.

His best book in my opinion was The Lincoln Lawyer and this follow up is up there with it.

What were the booker judges thinking?

I read this when I saw that it was listed on the Booker longlist and praised for being an authentic picture of life in Stalin's Terror. I was really shocked that it was longlisted. As a thriller, it somehow manages to be dull and obvious. The murderer is revealed far too early for there to be real suspense. The writing is poor. As a picture of Stalin's Russia it was embarrassingly bad. There was not a single sentence in the book that suggested the author had ever been to Russia, let alone that he could summon up the atmosphere of 1953. The whole thing is a joke. There are elementary mistakes throughout the book - streets and buildings, metro lines in Moscow appear here that did not even exist yet in 1953 - suggesting that the author doesn;t even know how to do elementary research.

Disappointing

Since finishing this book, I've been wondering why it is I was so disappointed. The story is good, it goes without saying that it is well written, but I struggled to finish it. I think a problem was that I just didn't care about any of the characters or what happens to them. I had been looking forward to this book, despite it being a novel without Rebus, but it just didn't work for me.

Don't

There may be a story in there, but -- in translation at least -- this is atrociously written, trite, full of cliches and dead language. It's in the bin.

Very Disappointing!

most of the positive reviews of this book must be coming from C.J.Sansom fans and in fairness the first two and the fourth novel of the Shradlake series are brilliant.
This third sequel though appears to have been part of a publisher's deal that had to be written without the author's heart in it.
The story is dragging on endlessly without many peaks, Shardlake is completely out of his wits and not himself. There are MANY mistakes like one minute he is riding, next sentence he is not, then he decides to wear a dagger in future and only the following sentence he is wearing one without having had the opportunity to obtain it. There are dozens of those minor mistakes which really annoy me especially since they appear within 2 subsequent sentences. This book is badly written and the story of stale. You can safely skip this one and proceed with 4th sequel.