Well plotted, this one, and speaks to our primal fear of defenceless babies been taken. None of the characters seem quite real, but then this isn’t the sort of book you read for deep characterisation. It’s all about the plot, baby. And there are some quite awesome twists and turns. Great fodder for a long […]
Latest Reviews
An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena
A good one if you’re after the sort of swift, atmospheric read Lapena is the master of. Heavy on fast paced plotting; not so thorough on creating three dimensional characters. The setting is a plush, out of the way hotel in the Catskills with no internet connectivity. It’s all quite lovely for the ten guests […]
Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy
Be warned; this novel is much more profound, and therefore much more disturbing, than your average thriller. Two American familes on a cruise meet up with an Argentinian family; between them they have six children. In an unnamed Central American country an onshore excursion turns disastrous when all their children go missing. Their story intersects […]
The Drowned Boy by Karin Fossum
When a 16 month old boy apparently drowns in a pond, Chief Inspector Sejer feels something is not quite right with the story provided by the drama queen mother, but how to prove it? This is Scandinavian writer Karin Fossum’s eleventh book in a series involving Chief Inspector Sejer, but my first taste of it. […]
A Quiet Life by Natasha Walter
Quietly lovely, this book is slow and well written, rich in character. Though ostensibly about spies, it’s not at all a thriller, but rather a study of the real cost of leading double lives.
Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah
Who doesn’t love a good country house party where someone is violently despatched into the afterlife? Hannah hits her stride with this second Agatha-Christie-like outing, wisely keeping it more simple than in The Monogram Murders. Always charming to be back in the company of Hercule Poirot, everyone’s favourite Belgian export. Not including chocolate.
The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah
Written in the style of Agatha Christie with the fastidious Hercule Poirot investigating, this little murder mystery almost convinces. The ending, however, is so convoluted you may come away glad that someone knows how the murders occured and who the murderer is, even if it’s not you. Hannah is trying a little too hard. I […]
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
Many people I respect have been enchanted by this novel, but sadly I’m not one of them. Perry succeeds in creating a fairly creepy atmosphere on the late nineteenth century moors but it goes nowhere and the main characters just aren’t that interesting. You might like it. I didn’t much.