Nick's bookshelf: all en-US Fri, 11 Apr 2025 10:07:45 -0700 60 Nick's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Soot 34729486
Later, in November, a clever but impoverished young gentleman called Fletcher Rigge languishes in the debtor's prison, until a letter arrives containing a bizarre proposition from the son of the murdered man. Rigge is to be released for one month, but in that time, he must find the killer. If he fails, he will be incarcerated again, possibly for life.

And so, with everything at stake, and equipped only with copies of the distinctive silhouettes, Fletcher Rigge begins his search across the snow-covered city, and enters a world of shadows...]]> 342 Andrew Martin 1472152433 Nick 1 The author obviously knows his stuff and his research into York of that era seems very knowledgeable and detailed. However, it feels like he started with that and then tried to wrap a story around it. The story is that of a murder of an artist of “shades� and of Fletcher Rigge, pulled out of debtors prison to investigate. Much here about the educated society of the time with quite a look at the arts, dance, literature, plays and so on.
But Rigge is hard to warm to, the story not strong enough and it did become a chore to keep ploughing through to an underwhelming end.]]> 3.17 2017 Soot
author: Andrew Martin
name: Nick
average rating: 3.17
book published: 2017
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves:
review:
Where do I even begin? This is set mainly in York about 1799, in essence it is a murder mystery told through a series of letters and diary extracts.
The author obviously knows his stuff and his research into York of that era seems very knowledgeable and detailed. However, it feels like he started with that and then tried to wrap a story around it. The story is that of a murder of an artist of “shades� and of Fletcher Rigge, pulled out of debtors prison to investigate. Much here about the educated society of the time with quite a look at the arts, dance, literature, plays and so on.
But Rigge is hard to warm to, the story not strong enough and it did become a chore to keep ploughing through to an underwhelming end.
]]> <![CDATA[In Too Deep (Jack Reacher, #29)]]> 204432624 The gripping new Jack Reacher thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling authors Lee Child and Andrew ChildReacher wakes up, alone, in the dark, handcuffed to a bed in a makeshift hospital room. His few possessions are gone. He has no memory of getting there. The last thing he can recall is the car he had hitched a ride in getting run off the road. The driver was killed. The people who staged the attack assume Reacher was the driver's accomplice and patch up his wounds as they plan to make him talk. A plan that will backfire spectacularly . . .]]> 324 Lee Child 0593725808 Nick 2
Sadly, as many have noted, Andrew Child can’t write Reacher, his style is different and he can’t get into Reacher’s character at all. This book, if it was a first book by an author, would sink in mediocrity, there is so little to enjoy here.

Reacher gets caught up in a dodgy gang when he is in an accident and then finds himself chained up. The gang are involved in a ludicrous caper that you will not understand or care about. The FBI get involved and react at the pace of a snail when in any sort of reality they would have been helicoptering in. In the meantime, Reacher is, sadly, blundering around quite a small area being rather dull.

Honestly little to enjoy here, I am astonished, utterly astonished, that some people have this five stars. They can’t have read the same book that I did.]]> 3.65 2024 In Too Deep (Jack Reacher, #29)
author: Lee Child
name: Nick
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves:
review:
Not the worst of the Reacher books, but dreadful for so many reasons.

Sadly, as many have noted, Andrew Child can’t write Reacher, his style is different and he can’t get into Reacher’s character at all. This book, if it was a first book by an author, would sink in mediocrity, there is so little to enjoy here.

Reacher gets caught up in a dodgy gang when he is in an accident and then finds himself chained up. The gang are involved in a ludicrous caper that you will not understand or care about. The FBI get involved and react at the pace of a snail when in any sort of reality they would have been helicoptering in. In the meantime, Reacher is, sadly, blundering around quite a small area being rather dull.

Honestly little to enjoy here, I am astonished, utterly astonished, that some people have this five stars. They can’t have read the same book that I did.
]]> <![CDATA[Into the Gray Zone (Pike Logan, #19)]]> 212081521
While on a routine security assessment in India, Taskforce operator Pike Logan foils an attempted attack on a meeting between the CIA and India’s intelligence service. Both government agencies believe it’s nothing more than a minor terrorist attack, but Pike suspects that something much more sinister is at play. After another terrorist operation at the Taj Mahal, he begins to believe that outside powers are attacking India in the gray zone between peace and war, leveraging terrorist groups for nothing more than economic gain. But the separatists conducting the operations have their own agenda.

After a massive slaughter and kidnapping of hostages during an elaborate Indian pre-wedding party, two global powers are destabilized, and only Pike Logan and his team can de-escalate the tension by rescuing the captives. What follows is a race against the clock that winds through the bustling markets of Old Delhi, the luxurious resorts of Goa, and the epic halls of the Taj Mahal. It will take everything that Logan and the taskforce have to foil an intricate plot that leaves countless lives in the balance.]]> 464 Brad Taylor 0063222086 Nick 5 The Taskforce are a black ops team assigned to murky tasks and to resolve issues that normal units can’t address. Here the team are tasked to an easy babysitting job which bumps into a Chinese agenda to gain control of critical minerals. Logan and his team know something is amiss but are not sure who has an agenda and how to address it and, how do they convince their oversight process to let the off the leash?
Clever stuff here. A number of conflicting agendas and different perspectives here and it all works into a complex and interesting plot. Supported by proper characterisation for both Pike’s team and their opposition and different locations.
Brad Taylor is a proper thriller writer and delivers yet another quality page turner.

Sent from my iPad]]> 4.21 2025 Into the Gray Zone (Pike Logan, #19)
author: Brad Taylor
name: Nick
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves:
review:
Pike Logan and the “Taskforce� in their 19th novel. To my shame, I’ve missed a few of these and that’s something I need to rectify as this is a well written and exciting series.
The Taskforce are a black ops team assigned to murky tasks and to resolve issues that normal units can’t address. Here the team are tasked to an easy babysitting job which bumps into a Chinese agenda to gain control of critical minerals. Logan and his team know something is amiss but are not sure who has an agenda and how to address it and, how do they convince their oversight process to let the off the leash?
Clever stuff here. A number of conflicting agendas and different perspectives here and it all works into a complex and interesting plot. Supported by proper characterisation for both Pike’s team and their opposition and different locations.
Brad Taylor is a proper thriller writer and delivers yet another quality page turner.

Sent from my iPad
]]> <![CDATA[The Assassin's Shadow (Legends of the Shadow #1)]]> 223922745 They say Locan A’Shadow is the greatest assassin who ever lived.

They say he faced down dragons and the armies of an undead king.

And every word of it is true.

Locan was once the deadliest man in the Dominion. Now he’s a nobody—a stranger living quietly at the edge of the world. And that’s just how he likes it.

But when bandits raid his home in the night, killing and burning, Locan is forced to reveal his skill with a blade.

A vicious enemy ordered the attack—someone Locan thought he killed years ago. But the vampire Solis Deadhand is alive. And far to the north he is building an empire of blood and magic.

Locan is no hero. He always laughed at the stories people told about his adventures. But there are evils he cannot ignore. And grudges that can never be forgotten.

He marches into the wilderness, through haunted forests and snow-capped mountains, with an idealistic young noble and a beautiful elf sorcerer by his side.

As they draw ever closer to the vampire’s realm, Locan must step out of the shadows. He might not be a hero. But to save his world from centuries of darkness, he must become a legend.

An absolutely thrilling epic fantasy adventure that will leave you breathless. If you love Joe Abercrombie, Jay Kristoff, and John Gwynne you won’t be able to put this down.]]> 442 R.S. Moule 1836184824 Nick 4 A slightly feckless young royal sneaks off to follow his dream of finding a legendary assassin. In doing so (and finding him rather too easily) he becomes involved in a battle against evil that threatens the whole world.
Lots of familiar tropes but in fairness to the author there are slight twists. Our hero doesn’t become a skilled warrior overnight, his companions are suspicious of him and our assassin is not that great a guy. So not a tight band of warriors!
There is slightly confusing world building where you have to accept or assume lots, but once it gets going this is a fun read.]]> 3.97 The Assassin's Shadow (Legends of the Shadow #1)
author: R.S. Moule
name: Nick
average rating: 3.97
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
review:
First in a fantasy series.
A slightly feckless young royal sneaks off to follow his dream of finding a legendary assassin. In doing so (and finding him rather too easily) he becomes involved in a battle against evil that threatens the whole world.
Lots of familiar tropes but in fairness to the author there are slight twists. Our hero doesn’t become a skilled warrior overnight, his companions are suspicious of him and our assassin is not that great a guy. So not a tight band of warriors!
There is slightly confusing world building where you have to accept or assume lots, but once it gets going this is a fun read.
]]> Nemesis (Orphan X, #10) 211004916 No greater friend. No deadlier enemy.

Evan Smoak is a highly trained former government assassin who has survived for years by keeping his circle to a few trusted confidants and a strict code he calls "The Ten Commandments." But when Evan suddenly finds himself at odds with his oldest friend, all the rules he lives by shatter--and the consequences are murderous.

Tommy Stojack might be Evan's best friend in the world. He's a gifted gunsmith who has created much of Evan's own weapons and combat gear. But now, he has apparently crossed one of Evan's hardest lines and their argument explodes into open warfare. Now Evan has no choice but to track and face down his only friend.

In the meantime, Tommy has left town in order to honor his own promise to help a dead friend's son. While Tommy is fighting to save the son with everything he's got, Evan arrives with vengeance in mind.

But as deadly as the former Orphan X is, there is an even more dangerous threat about to arrive on the scene. The only question left is will any of them get out alive.]]> 464 Gregg Hurwitz 1250871743 Nick 3 The blurb suggests a battle between Orphan X and his friend Tommy, his armourer. But in reality it ends up with a tale about morality and knowing who you are. Well intentioned but sadly not thrilling.
Tommy takes a bunch of rural wasters under his wing while Orphan X thinks they, and Tommy should pay for what they have done to innocent people. But the story is slow and lacking in the violence and strategy we would expect from the series. Slightly dull and predictable is not what you expect from this series, but that’s what you get here.
Hopefully this is just a blip.]]> 4.18 2025 Nemesis (Orphan X, #10)
author: Gregg Hurwitz
name: Nick
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves:
review:
Sadly this is possibly the worst of a great series. The author takes his great set of characters and doesn’t quite know what to do with them.
The blurb suggests a battle between Orphan X and his friend Tommy, his armourer. But in reality it ends up with a tale about morality and knowing who you are. Well intentioned but sadly not thrilling.
Tommy takes a bunch of rural wasters under his wing while Orphan X thinks they, and Tommy should pay for what they have done to innocent people. But the story is slow and lacking in the violence and strategy we would expect from the series. Slightly dull and predictable is not what you expect from this series, but that’s what you get here.
Hopefully this is just a blip.
]]> Traitor 216951900 To change the course of the Russia-Ukraine war, an SAS hero must find the best of best.
Then prepare for the worst . . .

From No.1 bestselling SAS hero Chris Ryan comes TRAITOR, the brand new 2024 action thriller ripped straight from the headlines.
______________________

A year after his older brother made the ultimate sacrifice, Sergeant Major Luke Carter, decorated hero of 22 SAS, is sent to Australia on a recruiting job. His select two candidates from the SASR for a highly sensitive mission on foreign soil.

But when a sudden crisis threatens to derail the plan, Carter and his new colleagues find themselves forced into action on a high-stakes operation. One that has the potential to change the course of the war in Ukraine.

So begins a deadly game of predator and prey, moving from the streets of Minsk to the cliffs above the Black Sea. And a final showdown with the biggest target of all . . .

PRAISE FOR NO.1 BESTSELLING SAS HERO CHRIS

'Ryan writes with the authority of a man familiar with every nuance of the regiment's tactics, training, weapons and equipment' - SUNDAY TIMES

'Nobody takes you to the action better than Ryan' - EVENING STANDARD

'Intelligent and enthralling' - FINANCIAL TIMES

'The action comes bullet-fast' - T HE SUN

'Fearsome and fast-moving' - DAILY MAIL ]]> 341 Chris Ryan Nick 2 A team made up of SAS and Australian SAS soldiers is tasked with assassinating key Kremlin figures to disrupt Putin’s control in Russia. The tasks get more and more ridiculous and the characters more unbelievable as the book goes on, especially the U.K. spooks working with the team. The author tries to throw in twists but doesn’t really follow through with them and likewise seems to run out of ideas towards the end of the book.
Not quite awful enough to get one star, but very close.]]> 4.14 Traitor
author: Chris Ryan
name: Nick
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves:
review:
This is utterly dreadful, Ryan’s worst book by a long way. Slow, illogical and way too short.
A team made up of SAS and Australian SAS soldiers is tasked with assassinating key Kremlin figures to disrupt Putin’s control in Russia. The tasks get more and more ridiculous and the characters more unbelievable as the book goes on, especially the U.K. spooks working with the team. The author tries to throw in twists but doesn’t really follow through with them and likewise seems to run out of ideas towards the end of the book.
Not quite awful enough to get one star, but very close.
]]> Tom Clancy Act of Defiance 197510788
US intelligence says there's something going on in Russia. While their land forces have been decimated by corruption and incompetence, the Navy seems to be pouring money into some secret project. 

Analysts are stumped, until the knot is untangled by one particularly bright young woman at the Office of Naval Intelligence--Katie Ryan, the youngest daughter of President Jack Ryan. Like her father, she sees patterns where other don't, and she's determined that the Russians are about to launch a super missile sibmarine, the Belgorod. 

Now the race is on to determine where the sub is and whether it poses a threat to the continental US.]]> 559 Brian Andrews 0593422880 Nick 5
Strong links to Rhe Hunt for Red October here, and young Katie Ryan as an intelligence analyst does a good impression of her Dad when he was at the CIA.
A Russian super sub goes rogue and looks to reset world power. President Ryan, the Campus team and Katie Ryan have to do whatever they can to stop nuclear catastrophe.
Good characters, a good plot and great linkage back to the brilliant Hunt For Red October. The very definition of an excellent techno thriller. Delighted the co-authors are doing the next one too.

]]> 4.64 2024 Tom Clancy Act of Defiance
author: Brian Andrews
name: Nick
average rating: 4.64
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves:
review:
I enjoyed this a lot, probably the best post Clancy novel since Mark Greaney stopped writing them. Yep, one or two continuity errors with the established series, but a major bonus is pretty much a lack of Jack Jr. Thank Goodness.

Strong links to Rhe Hunt for Red October here, and young Katie Ryan as an intelligence analyst does a good impression of her Dad when he was at the CIA.
A Russian super sub goes rogue and looks to reset world power. President Ryan, the Campus team and Katie Ryan have to do whatever they can to stop nuclear catastrophe.
Good characters, a good plot and great linkage back to the brilliant Hunt For Red October. The very definition of an excellent techno thriller. Delighted the co-authors are doing the next one too.


]]> Survive (Cascade #1) 31679453 Being locked in a military cell was Zach’s world, until the world ended.

A group of ex-military try to survive and make sense of a post-apocalyptic world destroyed by unimaginable creatures, while dealing with their own dark pasts.]]> 216 Phil Maxey Nick 2 A group of military prisoners (ie skilled) find all their prison doors open and find themselves in a post apocalyptic world where normal creatures have evolved into something�.else.

So, our new gang venture into a mainly devastated world where evolved creatures want to kill them, mankind is no longer the dominant species. No real explanation or logic (Why would something small grow so big etc).

Interesting premise re the characters and their skill sets, but the scenario is just daft. I won’t be bothering with any more.]]> 4.07 Survive (Cascade #1)
author: Phil Maxey
name: Nick
average rating: 4.07
book published:
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves:
review:
A post apocalyptic novel with an interesting start but goes in a somewhat daft direction.
A group of military prisoners (ie skilled) find all their prison doors open and find themselves in a post apocalyptic world where normal creatures have evolved into something�.else.

So, our new gang venture into a mainly devastated world where evolved creatures want to kill them, mankind is no longer the dominant species. No real explanation or logic (Why would something small grow so big etc).

Interesting premise re the characters and their skill sets, but the scenario is just daft. I won’t be bothering with any more.
]]> <![CDATA[The Outcast Mage (The Shattered Lands, #1)]]> 212924113 A mage bereft of her powers must find out if she is destined to save the world or destroy it in this glittering debut fantasy perfect for fans of Andrea Stewart, James Islington, and Samantha Shannon.

In the glass city of Amoria, magic is everything. And Naila, student at the city's legendary academy, is running out of time to prove she can control hers. If she fails, she'll be forced into exile, relegated to a life of persecution with the other magicless hollows. Or worse, be consumed by her own power.

When a tragic incident further threatens her place at the Academy, Naila is saved by Haelius Akana, the most powerful living mage. Finding Naila a kindred spirit, Haelius stakes his position at the Academy on teaching her to harness her abilities. But Haelius has many enemies, and they would love nothing more than to see Naila fail. Trapped in the deadly schemes of Amoria's elite, Naila must dig deep to discover the truth of her powers or watch the city she loves descend into civil war.

For there is violence brewing on the wind, and greater powers at work. Ones who could use her powers for good� or destroy everything she's ever known.]]> 464 Annabel Campbell 0316580821 Nick 4
A slightly slow start as the world building is gradual and expands as the book develops.
We start in a city protected by a magical dome. Its inhabitants are either those with magical powers or those with none (“Hollows�). Naila is a young girl who has magic but can’t bring it to the fore. The most powerful mage in the city takes on her training, but this is interrupted by city politics, hidden agendas and secrets.
Just as Naila starts to discover she has a different type of magic she is forced to flee the city and finds there is more to her world and her power than she ever suspected.

This packs in quite a lot, maybe “slightly� too much, but it is engaging and a good start to a series. Enjoyed this.]]> 3.77 2025 The Outcast Mage (The Shattered Lands, #1)
author: Annabel Campbell
name: Nick
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves:
review:
An entertaining fantasy debut.

A slightly slow start as the world building is gradual and expands as the book develops.
We start in a city protected by a magical dome. Its inhabitants are either those with magical powers or those with none (“Hollows�). Naila is a young girl who has magic but can’t bring it to the fore. The most powerful mage in the city takes on her training, but this is interrupted by city politics, hidden agendas and secrets.
Just as Naila starts to discover she has a different type of magic she is forced to flee the city and finds there is more to her world and her power than she ever suspected.

This packs in quite a lot, maybe “slightly� too much, but it is engaging and a good start to a series. Enjoyed this.
]]> <![CDATA[Houston Night: The 12th Jack Nightingale Supernatural Thriller]]> 222414360


So when a young woman embarks on a killing spree in a Houston mansion, Nightingale is the perfect choice to intervene.



But there is nothing that Nightingale can do to stop the slaughter. And there is worse to come. More killings. More bloodshed. More young women with murderous intentions.



The killings aren’t random - a demon from Hell is orchestrating the massacres as part of a diabolical scheme. And the only way that Nightingale can stop the carnage is to put his own soul on the line.







PRAISE FOR THE JACK NIGHTINGALE SERIES



'Written with panache, and a fine ear for dialogue, Leather manages the collision between the real and the occult with exceptional skill' Daily Mail.



'Another great thriller from Stephen Leather but this time with a devilish twist!' James Herbert.



‘A stunning masterclass in darkness from a ferocious talent who excels in putting the devil in the details� Daily Record.



'A wicked read� Anthony Horowitz]]> 305 Stephen Leather Nick 5
A long awaited instalment in a consistently great series. Jack is called in by his somewhat mysterious benefactor Josh Wainwright to look into some mass killings by teenagers that seem impossible and implausible. These are actually the start of something that might change the world forever and even Wainwright is under threat. Jack will need help from both friends and a familiar foe if he can stop this one.

Clever stuff as always. I like the dynamics between Jack and Wainwright as you are never quite sure what Wainwright stands for, he is an occultist but yet not evil and prepared to send Jack into situations to fight the bad stuff. It’s an interesting dynamic as is the interest of Jack’s nemesis Proserpine and her multi layered agendas.

It’s a great gore laden read and will rightly delight fans of the series.]]> 4.45 Houston Night: The 12th Jack Nightingale Supernatural Thriller
author: Stephen Leather
name: Nick
average rating: 4.45
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves:
review:
A gift for fans of the author’s darker side. Jack Nightingale is back.

A long awaited instalment in a consistently great series. Jack is called in by his somewhat mysterious benefactor Josh Wainwright to look into some mass killings by teenagers that seem impossible and implausible. These are actually the start of something that might change the world forever and even Wainwright is under threat. Jack will need help from both friends and a familiar foe if he can stop this one.

Clever stuff as always. I like the dynamics between Jack and Wainwright as you are never quite sure what Wainwright stands for, he is an occultist but yet not evil and prepared to send Jack into situations to fight the bad stuff. It’s an interesting dynamic as is the interest of Jack’s nemesis Proserpine and her multi layered agendas.

It’s a great gore laden read and will rightly delight fans of the series.
]]> <![CDATA[Nobody’s Fool (Detective Sami Kierce #2)]]> 217394492 In this stunningly twisty thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Harlan Coben, a secret from former Detective Sami Kierce’s college days comes back to haunt him. His memory is clear, but all these years later, the facts don’t add up…which is something he cannot ignore.

Sami Kierce, a young college grad backpacking in Spain with friends, wakes up one morning, covered in blood. There’s a knife in his hand. Beside him, the body of his girlfriend. Anna. Dead. He doesn’t know what happened. His screams drown out his thoughts—and then he runs.

Twenty-two years later, Kierce, now a private investigator, is a new father who’s working off his debts by doing low level surveillance jobs and teaching wannabe sleuths at a night school in New York City. One evening, he recognizes a familiar face at the back of the classroom. Anna. It’s unmistakably her. As soon as Kierce makes eye contact with her, she bolts. For Kierce there is no choice. He knows he must find this woman and solve the impossible mystery that has haunted his every waking moment since that terrible day.

His investigation will bring him face-to-face with his past—and prove, after all this time, he’s nobody’s fool.]]> 352 Harlan Coben 1538756358 Nick 5
So Sami does what he does best, investigate. And this time ropes in his students to help.
It all comes together nicely, he’s a good character and Harlan Coben always knows how to write a great story. Often these types of story are marred by the central character doing stupid things and not telling people what’s going on, but not here. Sami does seek help and advice when needed and generally never does things that will frustrate and annoy the reader.
Mr Coben is a great writer who delivers another treat for his many fans.]]> 4.10 2025 Nobody’s Fool (Detective Sami Kierce #2)
author: Harlan Coben
name: Nick
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:
The second book to feature Sami Kierce (Fool me Once being the first). There are some elements from that book that roll over but here we find ex detective Sami lecturing on crime to private citizens. An appearance from his past starts an investigation into his own situation and that of a girl who was missing for 15 years and found with no memory. Can there be some sort of link?

So Sami does what he does best, investigate. And this time ropes in his students to help.
It all comes together nicely, he’s a good character and Harlan Coben always knows how to write a great story. Often these types of story are marred by the central character doing stupid things and not telling people what’s going on, but not here. Sami does seek help and advice when needed and generally never does things that will frustrate and annoy the reader.
Mr Coben is a great writer who delivers another treat for his many fans.
]]> The Enigma Girl 212650709 A masterclass in espionage thriller fiction from the heir to John le Carre for fans of Mick Herron, Charles Cumming and David McCloskey. Meet disgraced MI5 agent Slim Parsons, a character who - like Lisbeth Salander - will sear your soul

Slim Parsons is all but burned.

Her last deep cover job for MI5 ended with a life-and-death struggle on a private jet that caused her to go on the run from both the deadly target and her angry bosses in the Security Service. They say that violence comes too easily to her; that she's bordering on delinquent and unsuitable for the roll of an MI5 operative.

Yet she is recalled and asked to infiltrate a news website that's causing alarm in the highest circles. It is staffed by a group descended from wartime codebreakers operating from an unassuming office block near Bletchley Park. Operation Linesman looks like a come down, the curtain on a brilliant career in the shadows. However, she accepts the assignment on condition that the Security Service searches for her missing brother.

Linesman turns out to be anything but simple. Her personal loss, her previous deep cover role, and a threat to MI5 itself from her original target come together in a three-way collision.

And all the while she is watched by someone even deeper in the shadows than she is.]]> 448 Henry Porter 0802164439 Nick 5
I liked this a lot, Slim was a strong willed female character with an interesting edge and the plot involving access to secret information was an interesting one. I thought it all came together rather well and would be delighted to read more of Slim’s adventures.]]> 3.92 The Enigma Girl
author: Henry Porter
name: Nick
average rating: 3.92
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:
Slim is a female British Intelligence agent working for a small team. She is tenacious and willing to do anything that gets the job done. This makes her ideal for long term undercover work, but her last job went wrong and she’s done a runner. Located by her old team she is brought back into the fold for a critical job�.

I liked this a lot, Slim was a strong willed female character with an interesting edge and the plot involving access to secret information was an interesting one. I thought it all came together rather well and would be delighted to read more of Slim’s adventures.
]]> The Ministry of Time 199798179 A time travel romance, a spy thriller, a workplace comedy, and an ingenious exploration of the nature of power and the potential for love to change it all: Welcome to The Ministry of Time, the exhilarating debut novel by Kaliane Bradley.

In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats� from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible—for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time.

She is tasked with working as a “bridge�: living with, assisting, and monitoring the expat known as �1847� or Commander Graham Gore. As far as history is concerned, Commander Gore died on Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, so he’s a little disoriented to be living with an unmarried woman who regularly shows her calves, surrounded by outlandish concepts such as “washing machines,� “Spotify,� and “the collapse of the British Empire.� But with an appetite for discovery, a seven-a-day cigarette habit, and the support of a charming and chaotic cast of fellow expats, he soon adjusts.

Over the next year, what the bridge initially thought would be, at best, a horrifically uncomfortable roommate dynamic, evolves into something much deeper. By the time the true shape of the Ministry’s project comes to light, the bridge has fallen haphazardly, fervently in love, with consequences she never could have imagined. Forced to confront the choices that brought them together, the bridge must finally reckon with how—and whether she believes—what she does next can change the future.

An exquisitely original and feverishly fun fusion of genres and ideas, The Ministry of Time asks: What does it mean to defy history, when history is living in your house? Kaliane Bradley’s answer is a blazing, unforgettable testament to what we owe each other in a changing world.]]> 339 Kaliane Bradley 1668045141 Nick 2 The U.K. Government has found a way to pluck people from the past (those who will not be missed and would have no impact on the time-line) and once in the “current� time are assigned minders to help study them and integrate them into society. Our main characters are Commander Gore (plucked from an 1847 doomed Arctic expedition) and his “bridge�/minder.
So a fish out of water story with a formal naval officer from 1847 coming to terms with “today�, a love story (of COURSE they hook up) and flashbacks to Gore’s time on the ice. And there is something else going on and some odd agendas.
For me, too much of the dull stuff and nowhere near of the interesting stuff. As the reader you will immediately ask yourself the questions that none of the characters do, i.e, why people were being brought from the past, what is the plan/purpose, why only a handful are brought back, can time travel go both ways�..etc etc. Towards the end we get some flimsy answers and some mild twists.
But as I said, far too much focus on the dull stuff and far too light on that that should have been interesting.
Disappointing.]]> 3.54 2024 The Ministry of Time
author: Kaliane Bradley
name: Nick
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:
was looking forward to this, bright engaging cover, interesting premise and so many great reviews. So why did I find it an ordeal?
The U.K. Government has found a way to pluck people from the past (those who will not be missed and would have no impact on the time-line) and once in the “current� time are assigned minders to help study them and integrate them into society. Our main characters are Commander Gore (plucked from an 1847 doomed Arctic expedition) and his “bridge�/minder.
So a fish out of water story with a formal naval officer from 1847 coming to terms with “today�, a love story (of COURSE they hook up) and flashbacks to Gore’s time on the ice. And there is something else going on and some odd agendas.
For me, too much of the dull stuff and nowhere near of the interesting stuff. As the reader you will immediately ask yourself the questions that none of the characters do, i.e, why people were being brought from the past, what is the plan/purpose, why only a handful are brought back, can time travel go both ways�..etc etc. Towards the end we get some flimsy answers and some mild twists.
But as I said, far too much focus on the dull stuff and far too light on that that should have been interesting.
Disappointing.
]]> Wool - Holston (Wool, #1) 12287209
Or you'll get what you wish for.]]> 56 Hugh Howey Nick 4
At the heart of this is a story about society, hope, control and structure. Every few generations comes a thinker and a questioner and Jules is one and she will cause turmoil for everybody as she seeks the truth. And so the truth unravels and that might be the worst thing that could happen.

It’s a thoughtful and well written novel that does make you think a bit. It also makes you understand the motives of all the characters involved, you can see why they are doing what they do and there is a logic to it. Not much of a cheerful note in this, but it remains a powerful book and well worth picking up.
]]> 4.14 2012 Wool - Holston (Wool, #1)
author: Hugh Howey
name: Nick
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves:
review:
Wool is an interesting and claustrophobic novel. It is what you might call a post apocalypse story but set with the boundaries of a silo within which generations of survivors know it as their only world, one heavily controlled, and where exiting means a toxic death. The exceptions are ‘cleaners� those sentenced to death who leave the silo to clean the external sensors until such time as they die from the toxins. The Silo is a place where you don’t ask questions, they will lead to your death and if you ask too many questions, everyone will die.

At the heart of this is a story about society, hope, control and structure. Every few generations comes a thinker and a questioner and Jules is one and she will cause turmoil for everybody as she seeks the truth. And so the truth unravels and that might be the worst thing that could happen.

It’s a thoughtful and well written novel that does make you think a bit. It also makes you understand the motives of all the characters involved, you can see why they are doing what they do and there is a logic to it. Not much of a cheerful note in this, but it remains a powerful book and well worth picking up.

]]> Wolf Six (Wolf Six #1) 220888881 ‘Another excellent stripped-back, razor-edge thriller from Alex Shaw� - New York Times bestselling author James Swallow

Killing for a living is easy, living for a reason is much harder

Meet Ruslan Akulov.

In the shadowy world of assassins for hire, he is known as ‘Wolf Six�.

A Ukrainian raised in Moscow, conscripted into Russia’s most covert Special Forces unit ‘The Werewolves�, Akulov is full of loathing for the country that built and then broke him. The only rules he follows now are his own.

Unable to shake the guilt of his past, Akulov has made it his business to seek out those who prey upon the innocent. The name Wolf Six is legendary - whispered by those who know it with fear. But when Akulov accidentally thwarts the armed robbery of a Chicago Bank, he pits himself against both the Russian Bratva and the CIA, setting into motion a spiralling sequence of events which will bring his past back to haunt him, and potentially turn his future to ashes�

His mission of retribution takes him from Chicago to Kyiv, to Havana and back into the US, where Akulov must stop at nothing if he is to remain alive. No simple mission, even for the world’s deadliest assassin.

Perfect for fans of Tom Wood, Vince Flynn and Mark Greaney, this is an explosive action thriller you won’t be able to put down.]]> 288 Alex Shaw 1836783973 Nick 4 4.29 Wolf Six (Wolf Six #1)
author: Alex Shaw
name: Nick
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves:
review:
Fans of Mark Greaney’s Grey Man and Tom Wood’s Victor the Assassin will love this. Wolf Six is a freelance assassin but his origins are rooted in a top Spetsnaz unit. Highly trained by the Russians, his sympathies are with his Ukrainian origins. Wolf Six is very dangerous indeed. A moderately simple assignment goes wrong and suddenly hidden agendas and mysterious entities come into play. Can an apex predator survive being hunted? It’s a non stop thriller, action, locations with no time to rest for either the reader or poor old Wolf Six. The current war in Ukraine takes a slight background here which was odd given the locations of the story and the origins of those involved but the author knows the area well and has obviously chosen to focus on the small picture. I’ve read all Alex Shaw’s books and enjoyed them all, he writes action thrillers extremely well and without a drop in quality. This is obviously set up for a series and I look forward to the next one.
]]> Unleashed 215031856 Shattering the mould of the modern prime ministerial memoir and written in his inimitable style, Boris Johnson’s Unleashed is an honest, unrestrained and deeply revealing book by the politician who has dominated our times.

Underlying everything in the book is Johnson’s belief that the UK is an extraordinary country and should have an exceptional future.

From trouncing Ken Livingstone in the London mayoral race in 2008 to becoming Prime Minister, he takes readers through all the big decisions during his time in power and the reasons he took them. The challenges and crises, how they were resolved � or not � and how he nearly died from Covid. Riots, knife crime, bikes, buses, the London Olympics and so much more. He writes about his role in Brexit and the constitutional sea-change that took place in British politics in 2019 � with his landslide election victory and the massive expansion in the groups that think of themselves as Conservative.

This is the reality as he saw unvarnished, uncensored, unleashed.]]> 761 Boris Johnson 0008618216 Nick 1 I hoped there might have been some genuine insight, some interesting perspectives on political characters and how he interacted with them. A bit of self introspection and Mea Culpa would have explained his thinking and actions. But no, this is typical Johnson, nothing is his fault and the truth is like a distant relative he doesn’t like to visit.
His writing style is boisterous and engaging, but there genuinely is no substance or revelation. All of the scandals and incompetence he was central to are ignored or brushed over, you will learn nothing from this book. Sadly it is apparent that Johnson has not learned anything from his experience, except it was always someone else’s fault.
A waste of time.]]> 3.95 Unleashed
author: Boris Johnson
name: Nick
average rating: 3.95
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/12/23
shelves:
review:
This is Johnson’s somewhat skewed version of his time in politics, mainly London Mayor through to Prime Minister, so, no real mention of his upbringing, his ex wives, numerous affairs and how many children he has produced.
I hoped there might have been some genuine insight, some interesting perspectives on political characters and how he interacted with them. A bit of self introspection and Mea Culpa would have explained his thinking and actions. But no, this is typical Johnson, nothing is his fault and the truth is like a distant relative he doesn’t like to visit.
His writing style is boisterous and engaging, but there genuinely is no substance or revelation. All of the scandals and incompetence he was central to are ignored or brushed over, you will learn nothing from this book. Sadly it is apparent that Johnson has not learned anything from his experience, except it was always someone else’s fault.
A waste of time.
]]> Knife Edge 18947775 January 1970, and the final chapter in the Blackwood history appears to have closed with the murder in Cyprus of Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Blackwood, and the subsequent sale of the ancestral home. Disillusioned and grieving for his distinguished father, Lieutenant Ross Blackwood believes there is no future for him in the Corps. The Royal Marines have been reduced in strength, and their role in a modern world, after so splendid a tradition, diminished to policing and paperwork.



But Ross remains a Blackwood and a Royal Marine, and the loyalty and dedication of a Blackwood to the Corps sustain him from vicious guerilla warfare in Malaysia through the moral and political minefields of Northern Ireland, where one man's terrorist is another's patriot, to the South Atlantic, and a conflict as bloody as it is unpredictable.



And he learns, as every Blackwood has before him, that jungle or moor, insurrection or invasion, mere courage is not enough. Survival and victory balance on the knife edge of destiny.

]]> 337 Douglas Reeman Nick 1 We see Ross Blackwood through three different conflicts amid much tedious falling in love with every female he meets. Even the action scenes are oddly told, sections needing re-reading to ensure understanding while wincing at some really clunky dialogue.

One to avoid.]]> 4.09 2004 Knife Edge
author: Douglas Reeman
name: Nick
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2004
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/12/14
shelves:
review:
A very disappointing end to the author’s Royal Marine saga, featuring a number of generations of the Blackwood family. Really feels like Douglas Reeman just ran out of steam with a series that has been quite good, but finishes with the dull thud of a damp squib.
We see Ross Blackwood through three different conflicts amid much tedious falling in love with every female he meets. Even the action scenes are oddly told, sections needing re-reading to ensure understanding while wincing at some really clunky dialogue.

One to avoid.
]]> <![CDATA[Dead Before Dawn (Amos Carver, #1)]]> 128044869
Ex-special forces operator, Amos Carver is being framed for murder.

Carver hasn't killed anyone. At least not for a few years, and certainly not in some backwoods Georgia town. He would never harm the person they're accusing him of murdering. But nobody believes him. And no one is willing to help prove otherwise.

The town might look almost dead. It might look like it's barely clinging to life. But it's very much alive. Rotten to the core. And the unknown forces running it want him dead.

They can come. They can try. But there's not a chance in hell Carver is going down without a fight.]]> 539 John Corwin Nick 3
Carver, our mysterious ex special forces type hero is a blend of lethal and astonishingly lacking in situational awareness while lacking any real characterisation. But, once you tune into its shortcomings, it is a fast paced and easy read thriller. Yeah, a Reacher clone, but the recent Reacher books have been so poor it’s hard to be offended.]]> 4.44 2023 Dead Before Dawn (Amos Carver, #1)
author: John Corwin
name: Nick
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/12/07
shelves:
review:
Takes a while to tune into this. It’s very much a Jack Reacher type thriller, set in small town, plenty of bad guys and a mystery and, of course a helpful female officer. Told in annoying mini paragraphs of two or three sentences. Took a lot of getting used to.

Carver, our mysterious ex special forces type hero is a blend of lethal and astonishingly lacking in situational awareness while lacking any real characterisation. But, once you tune into its shortcomings, it is a fast paced and easy read thriller. Yeah, a Reacher clone, but the recent Reacher books have been so poor it’s hard to be offended.
]]> <![CDATA[Absolute Threat (Jake Mercer #1)]]> 205666626 156 Jack Mars Nick 2 In a nutshell, the US Secret Service is trying to protect the President from some highly trained and capable terrorists. Jake Mercer is in charge of protecting the President and tracking down the bad guys. He does this by exchanging banter with his female colleague, falling in love with the President’s daughter, not using resources available, not seeing the obvious and making bad decisions.
It’s nonsense and infuriating for the reader who will feel a lot brighter than Jake Mercer.]]> 4.11 Absolute Threat (Jake Mercer #1)
author: Jack Mars
name: Nick
average rating: 4.11
book published:
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/12/02
shelves:
review:
Oh dear, this is not great.
In a nutshell, the US Secret Service is trying to protect the President from some highly trained and capable terrorists. Jake Mercer is in charge of protecting the President and tracking down the bad guys. He does this by exchanging banter with his female colleague, falling in love with the President’s daughter, not using resources available, not seeing the obvious and making bad decisions.
It’s nonsense and infuriating for the reader who will feel a lot brighter than Jake Mercer.
]]> <![CDATA[Blood Sacrifice: The gritty, gripping World War 2 historical crime thriller (The Warsaw Quartet)]]> 213846408
The murder of a German officer appears to provide an opportunity. For the victim is a man with multiple identities and one of those is a wealthy ghetto Jew. The hunt for the murderer draws Kalisz into the chaos of the ghetto, only to find a new, perilous mission awaiting him. SS death squads are not the only enemy the Jews fear. Can Kalisz catch the killer known as The Cannibal before he strikes again?

With time running out, it becomes a question of survival amid the blazing ghetto ruins as the Nazis make their final attack.

The chilling second thriller in the Warsaw Quartet by Douglas Jackson, perfect for readers of Simon Scarrow and Chris Lloyd.]]> 317 Douglas Jackson 1804366153 Nick 5 4.45 Blood Sacrifice: The gritty, gripping World War 2 historical crime thriller (The Warsaw Quartet)
author: Douglas Jackson
name: Nick
average rating: 4.45
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves:
review:
Warsaw 1943 Nazi Germany has occupied the city, terrible things are happening to the Jewish population in a scenario where they are being robbed, starved and sent to the camps. Dark and desperate times. Kalisz is a Polish cop working with the Germans. Very few people know he is actually working secretly for the Polish resistance, but is in a position where the Nazis don’t fully trust him and the majority of Poles think he is a traitor. He’s working against the Nazis but constantly on the cusp of being discovered or killed as a traitor. Investigating the death of a German officer with multiple identities he has to contend with a serial killer and helping get arms into a defiant and starving population. Author Douglas Jackson nails this. Great for fans of Philip Kerr but this is no idle copy of that great series. Here the horrors of what happened in Warsaw are blended with the oppression of those caught in the middle of it all. Douglas Jackson is already an established and talented author and this is his second novel set in wartime Warsaw, and we are lucky enough to have two more books to come.
]]> <![CDATA[Untouchable (Joe DeMarco, #18)]]> 214339565 In the latest pulse-pounding thriller from Edgar and Barry Award finalist Mike Lawson, beloved Washington DC “troubleshooter� Joe DeMarco finds himself assigned an impossible case: help take down the President of the United States.

Brandon Cartwright was a rich guy worth a couple billion bucks—inherited, of course—meaning he hadn’t worked a day in his life. But he sure knew how to party, and the people he rubbed shoulders with were all sorts of rich and famous: politicians and movie stars and British royalty and Russian oligarchs. So when Brendan Cartwright is executed in his own home, the cops quickly conclude that he was most likely killed by one or more of the rich, powerful people he partied with.

But when John Mahoney, the former Speaker of the House, emerges from a clandestine meeting with the head of the National Archives, he learns there’s evidence suggesting that the President of the United States was somehow involved with Cartwright’s death. Mahoney needs someone who can investigate from the shadows—enter Joe DeMarco, Mahoney's fixer.

DeMarco is no stranger to hunting down some of the very worst people Washington D.C. has to offer. In fact, he’s made a career of it. But as evidence continues to point towards the President, DeMarco is faced with an impossible situation: investigating a man who is quite literally untouchable.]]> 320 Mike Lawson 0802164455 Nick 5 4.23 2025 Untouchable (Joe DeMarco, #18)
author: Mike Lawson
name: Nick
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves:
review:
The ever dependable Mike Lawson gives us a new Joe DeMarco thriller. Demarco is a fixer for the John Mahoney, Former Speaker of The House, and gets all of the off the book jobs. Asked to look into something that suggests something is rotten at the very top of US Government he attracts the interest of some very dangerous people. Luckily he knows some dangerous people himself, but that might not be enough�.. As usual, DeMarco ambles through things wishing he was playing golf, the story and characters happen around him. Emma, his rather talented and enigmatic friend is her usual stand out self, a brilliant character. DeMarco looks the part but usually is slightly lazy and rarely thinks outside the box, Emma however likes to kick the hornet’s nest. Topical story told with Mr Lawton’s usual character driven and observational style. I am a massive fan of all his books and he never fails to deliver, he certainly deliver here. Great stuff.
]]> <![CDATA[Twelve (The Danilov Quintet, #1)]]> 3678443
City after city has fallen to the advancing French, and it now seems that only a miracle will keep them from Moscow itself. In desperation, Aleksei and his comrades enlist the help of the Oprichniki--a group of twelve mercenaries from the furthest reaches of Christian Europe, who claim that they can turn the tide of the war. It seems an idle boast, but the Russians soon discover that the Oprichniki are indeed quite capable of fulfilling their promise ... and much more.

Unnerved by the fact that so few can accomplish so much, Aleksei remembers those childhood stories of the voordalak. And as he comes to understand the true, horrific nature of these twelve strangers, he wonders at the nightmare they've unleashed in their midst....

Full of historical detail, thrilling action, and heart-stopping supernatural moments, Twelve is storytelling at its most original and exciting.]]> 480 Jasper Kent 0593060644 Nick 2 3.57 2008 Twelve (The Danilov Quintet, #1)
author: Jasper Kent
name: Nick
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2008
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves:
review:
An interesting premise here, 1812 and as Napoleon heads towards Russia, twelve very dangerous individuals are tasked to help slow them down. No spoiler to advise that the “Twelve� are vampires and the Russians have invited evil into their defence. So far so good, but oddly the book lacks both pace and tension. As I said, the premise and history is interesting, chaos in which the actions of the Twelve can go unnoticed. The group of Russians who have brought them in realise their mistake but how do you stop twelve vampires? Harder going than it should have been, probably won’t bother with the rest of the series.
]]> Shagged, Married Annoyed 60029469 Be the first to pre-order Sh**ged. Married. Annoyed. from Chris and Rosie Ramsey, stars of the phenomenally successful chart-topping podcast.

SH**GED
Saturday nights out on the tiles, undying crushes, dating like it's a competitive sport, awkward tales of dating woes, one-night stands, the walk of shame, ghosting, tears and break-ups.

MARRIED
Finding 'the one', meeting their parents, first holidays and romantic weekends away, engagement rings, big moment proposals, wedding bells, the hen do, the stag, the much anticipated - and feared - best man speech, the honeymoon of a lifetime.

ANNOYED
Who stacks a dishwasher like this? Empty milk cartons placed back into the fridge, pregnancy, sleepless nights, toilet seats up, toothpaste everywhere, less and less frequent date nights, DIY weekends, divorce.

Whether you're sh**ged, married, annoyed, or, all of the above, Chris and Rosie Ramsey, hosts of the number one podcast, write hilariously and with honesty about the universal highs and lows of life, dating, relationships, arguments, parenting and everything in between.]]> Chris Ramsey Nick 2 Nothing overly deep but easy reading.
]]> 4.00 2020 Shagged, Married Annoyed
author: Chris Ramsey
name: Nick
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves:
review:
One for fans of their podcast and TV show. Lighthearted husband and wife banter as they “talk� to each other through the pages. Some amusing stories from their own lives and also some from their podcast.
Nothing overly deep but easy reading.

]]> <![CDATA[Grayshade (The Gray Assassin, #1)]]> 32813962
For ten years the assassin Grayshade has eliminated threats to the Order of Argoth, the Just God. The Acolytes of Argoth are silent and lethal enforcers of the Order’s will within the sprawling city of Cohrelle, whose own officials must quietly bow to the Order’s authority while publicly distancing themselves from its actions.
Grayshade is the supreme executor of the Order’s edicts, its best trained and most highly respected agent. But when a mission doesn’t go as planned, Grayshade starts to question the authority and motives of his superiors; and as he investigates, he soon finds himself the target of the very Order he once served without question. Now it will take all of Grayshade’s skill, intuition, and cunning to find the answers he seeks…if he can stay alive.]]> 199 Gregory A. Wilson 1772700444 Nick 3 Grayshade is an assassin as part of a religious order, taking out those who are deemed as not worthy or upsetting the balance. On a job he hears something strange and sees something even stranger and his life changes forever.
It is set (in a slightly claustrophobic manner) in a small city, so it is very medieval “urban� with not too much sense of a larger world or deep world building. It’s an easy read, you kind of know where it’s going and you know you are not going to be overly taxed, but the journey is still quite fun.
]]> 4.00 Grayshade (The Gray Assassin, #1)
author: Gregory A. Wilson
name: Nick
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/11/12
shelves:
review:
Grayshade is a familiar fantasy. Very much sitting in the area of Assassin’s Creed and those computer games that are a mixture of role play and puzzle solving, this is easy and fun reading.
Grayshade is an assassin as part of a religious order, taking out those who are deemed as not worthy or upsetting the balance. On a job he hears something strange and sees something even stranger and his life changes forever.
It is set (in a slightly claustrophobic manner) in a small city, so it is very medieval “urban� with not too much sense of a larger world or deep world building. It’s an easy read, you kind of know where it’s going and you know you are not going to be overly taxed, but the journey is still quite fun.

]]> <![CDATA[Death at the Sign of the Rook (Jackson Brodie, #6)]]> 203164357 The stage is set. Marooned overnight by a snowstorm in a grand country house are a cast of characters and a setting that even Agatha Christie might recognize � a vicar, an Army major, a Dowager, a sleuth and his sidekick - except that the sleuth is Jackson Brodie, and the ‘sidekick� is DC Reggie Chase.

The crumbling house - Burton Makepeace and its chatelaine the Dowager Lady Milton - suffered the loss of their last remaining painting of any value, a Turner, some years ago. The housekeeper, Sophie, who disappeared the same night, is suspected of stealing it.

Jackson, a reluctant hostage to the snowstorm, has been investigating the theft of another The Woman with a Weasel, a portrait, taken from the house of an elderly widow, on the morning she died. The suspect this time is the widow’s carer, Melanie. Is this a coincidence or is there a connection? And what secrets does The Woman with a Weasel hold? The puzzle is Jackson’s to solve. And let’s not forget that a convicted murderer is on the run on the moors around Burton Makepeace.

All the while, in a bid to make money, Burton Makepeace is determined to keep hosting a shambolic Murder Mystery that acts as a backdrop while the real drama is being played out in the house.

A brilliantly plotted, supremely entertaining, and utterly compulsive tour de force from a great writer at the height of her powers.]]> 320 Kate Atkinson 0385547994 Nick 5 Brodie is looking into the theft of a painting, at the same time another painting has been stolen from a Manor House, surely there can’t be a connection? And there happens to be a murder mystery event at the Manor House, what could possibly go wrong?

All of Kate Atkinson’s brilliance is on show here, proper characters, gentle humour and a storyline that is as entertaining as the denouncement. Fantastic to see Reggie back being irritated by Brodie as he drifts through her ordered world.]]> 3.69 2024 Death at the Sign of the Rook (Jackson Brodie, #6)
author: Kate Atkinson
name: Nick
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/10/16
shelves:
review:
Number five in the Jackson Brodie series. These are less mystery thrillers as a journey through characters and perspectives with thrills or murder very much almost peripheral. I love the fact that Jackson ages from book to book, so his experience and world view also changes despite him not really being the centre of attention.
Brodie is looking into the theft of a painting, at the same time another painting has been stolen from a Manor House, surely there can’t be a connection? And there happens to be a murder mystery event at the Manor House, what could possibly go wrong?

All of Kate Atkinson’s brilliance is on show here, proper characters, gentle humour and a storyline that is as entertaining as the denouncement. Fantastic to see Reggie back being irritated by Brodie as he drifts through her ordered world.
]]> <![CDATA[Blood of the Bear: An epic Viking tale of valour and comradeship (Fire Born Book 5)]]> 211810260
Duke Widukind, leader of the Saxon rebels, is sheltering in the North, beyond Karolus’s reach. He hopes to persuade Bjarki Bloodhand � once a famous berserker, but now a father and family man � and his fierce sister the shield-maiden Tor, to join his revolt against tyranny.

But Bjarki has eloped with Widukind’s sister Edith, who was betrothed to Abbio the Crow. In revenge, Abbio uses seithr to strike at Bjarki � a powerful spell to drive him insane. Can Bjarki resist the long slide into madness? And will Widukind finally liberate Saxony from the Franks?

A Viking epic of rebellion and revenge, perfect for fans of Matthew Harffy and Giles Kristian.]]> 339 Angus Donald 1804362344 Nick 5 But before long he is convinced to join the Saxon rebellion against the Franks and their new fangled Christianity. The Franks are using violence and to enforce their religion and the Saxons are using violence to stand for their old ways and Pagen Gods. No real good guys here sadly. But from the Saxon point of view, having a famous warrior and berserkr on their side would be a bit of a bonus. But how to get him out of retirement�?
In this Bjarki is the character everything happens around, he is hampered by a strange illness and, as usual, it is his sister that carries the story. The politics of the time and the power of the forces supporting Christianity are key here, an interesting period we don’t hear much about but that allows the author leeway to weave fiction and history into a thrilling story.
]]> 4.39 Blood of the Bear: An epic Viking tale of valour and comradeship (Fire Born Book 5)
author: Angus Donald
name: Nick
average rating: 4.39
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/10/11
shelves:
review:
The fifth and final book in this very entertaining series. Bjarki Bloodhand, viking and “berserkr� is living a peaceful life with his wife and kids, not much need of the two bear spirits living within him. His sister, Tor, is out raiding while he focuses on fatherhood and being the local leader.
But before long he is convinced to join the Saxon rebellion against the Franks and their new fangled Christianity. The Franks are using violence and to enforce their religion and the Saxons are using violence to stand for their old ways and Pagen Gods. No real good guys here sadly. But from the Saxon point of view, having a famous warrior and berserkr on their side would be a bit of a bonus. But how to get him out of retirement�?
In this Bjarki is the character everything happens around, he is hampered by a strange illness and, as usual, it is his sister that carries the story. The politics of the time and the power of the forces supporting Christianity are key here, an interesting period we don’t hear much about but that allows the author leeway to weave fiction and history into a thrilling story.

]]> <![CDATA[Threat Vector (Jack Ryan Jr, #4; Jack Ryan Universe, #15)]]> 15985392
The Campus has been discovered. And whoever knows they exist knows they can be destroyed. Meanwhile, President Jack Ryan has been swept back into the Oval Office—and his wisdom and courage are needed more desperately than ever.

Internal political and economic strife has pushed the leadership of China to the edge of disaster. And those who wish to consolidate their power are using the opportunity to strike at long-desired Taiwan, as well as the Americans who have protected the tiny nation.

Now, as two of the world’s superpowers move ever closer to a final confrontation, President Ryan must use the only wild card he has left—The Campus. But with their existence about to be revealed, they might not even have a chance to enter the battle before the world is consumed by war.]]> 835 Tom Clancy 0399160450 Nick 4
In Threat Vector the Chinese are the bad guys, advancing a shooting war over the South China Sea with cyber warfare to weaken and confuse the US. So while Jack Ryan sr does things at a Presidential level, son Jack Jr is involved with "The Campus" an off the books intelligence and assassination organisation. So both Jacks follow their own paths to the same conclusion, the US is under attack and even The Campus might be exposed....

It's the Clancy style of old (before he...er..'lost it') with the blend of geo-politics and human agents and intelligence on the ground. And both Jacks have more logical characters this time, Senior shows leadership while Junior is less of an action hero and more considered and logical. And it works.

Once the action hots up, the pages started to fly by in a very enjoyable thriller.

If Clancy and his advisors have any sense, they will be begging Greaney to write another.]]> 4.14 2012 Threat Vector (Jack Ryan Jr, #4; Jack Ryan Universe, #15)
author: Tom Clancy
name: Nick
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/10/08
shelves:
review:
Mark Greaney's second effort in writing Tom Clancy's books for him. And this is an improvement on the excellent Locked On. While it is a shame that Clancy no longer writes 'his' books, in Mark Greaney they have found a very good writer who is able to take the Clancy style and give it his own voice.

In Threat Vector the Chinese are the bad guys, advancing a shooting war over the South China Sea with cyber warfare to weaken and confuse the US. So while Jack Ryan sr does things at a Presidential level, son Jack Jr is involved with "The Campus" an off the books intelligence and assassination organisation. So both Jacks follow their own paths to the same conclusion, the US is under attack and even The Campus might be exposed....

It's the Clancy style of old (before he...er..'lost it') with the blend of geo-politics and human agents and intelligence on the ground. And both Jacks have more logical characters this time, Senior shows leadership while Junior is less of an action hero and more considered and logical. And it works.

Once the action hots up, the pages started to fly by in a very enjoyable thriller.

If Clancy and his advisors have any sense, they will be begging Greaney to write another.
]]> <![CDATA[The Great When (The Long London Quintet, #1)]]> 206101580 From the New York Times bestselling author and legendary storyteller Alan Moore, the first book in an enthralling new fantasy series about murder, magic, and madness in post-WWII London.

Dennis Knuckleyard is a hapless eighteen-year-old who works and lives in a second-hand bookstore. One day, his boss and landlady, Coffin Ada, sends him to retrieve some rare books, one of which, Dennis discovers, should not exist. A London Walk by Rev. Thomas Hampole is a fictitious book that appears in a real novel by another author. Yet A London Walk is physically there in his hands, nonetheless.

Coffin Ada tells Dennis the book comes from the other London, the Great When, a version of the city that is beyond time. In the Great When, epochs blend and realities and unrealities blur, while concepts such as Crime and Poetry are incarnated as wondrous and terrible beings. But, Coffin Ada tells Dennis, if he does not return the book to this other London, he will be killed.

So begins Dennis' adventure in Long London. Delving deep into the city's occult underbelly and tarrying with an eccentric cast of sorcerers, gangsters, and murderers, Dennis finds himself at the center of an explosive series of events that may endanger both Londons.

Mystical, hilarious, and magnificently imagined, The Great When is an unforgettable introduction to the consciousness-altering world of Long London.]]> 315 Alan Moore 1635578841 Nick 2 Set in the 40’s an orphaned kid finds evidence in a book of an alternative London (The Great When). This is a book that will put him in danger and kick off his adventures.
I’m sorry to say I found it barely readable. Long winded prose and descriptions and very few characters worth caring about. And slow. So very slow. Nothing of any real interest or pace kicks in until the second half, by which time you have almost given up.
Moore is a genius but this shows more self-indulgence than the expected brilliance.
]]> 3.57 2024 The Great When (The Long London Quintet, #1)
author: Alan Moore
name: Nick
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves:
review:
I was very much looking forward to this, an author with a history of inventive brilliance and a setting of alternative Londons. But�
Set in the 40’s an orphaned kid finds evidence in a book of an alternative London (The Great When). This is a book that will put him in danger and kick off his adventures.
I’m sorry to say I found it barely readable. Long winded prose and descriptions and very few characters worth caring about. And slow. So very slow. Nothing of any real interest or pace kicks in until the second half, by which time you have almost given up.
Moore is a genius but this shows more self-indulgence than the expected brilliance.

]]> <![CDATA[A Tide of Black Steel (Age of Wrath, #1)]]> 204593499 From the international bestselling author Anthony Ryan comes the spectacular first novel in a new epic new fantasy trilogy inspired by Norse mythology. A new age has dawned. An age of blood and steel. An age of wrath. The land of Ascarlia, a fabled realm of bloodied steel and epic sagas, has been ruled by the Sister Queens for centuries. No one has dared question their rule. Until now.

Whispers speak of longships of mysterious tattooed warriors, sailing under the banners of a murderous cult of oath-breakers long thought extinct. A tide of black steel that threatens to vanquish all in its path.

Thera of the Blackspear, favoured servant of the Sister Queens, is ordered to uncover the truth. As Thera sails north, her reviled brother, Felnir, sets out on his own adventure. He hopes to find the Vault of the Altvar � the treasure room of the gods � and win the Sister Queens� favour at his sister’s expense.

Both siblings � along with a brilliant young scribe and a prisoner with a terrifying, primal power � will play a part in the coming storm.

The Age of Wrath has begun.]]> 560 Anthony Ryan 0316574589 Nick 4
Much of this is set at sea, so expect sea trips, sea battles and interesting landing spots. Quite a large (and sometimes confusing) cast of characters are presented to us just as a bunch of bad guys are coming from out of the unknown. The author is moving his characters together, many with slightly different agendas and a hint there there may be a lot more at play than you suspect.

It does have a slow start, but the action and tension then does ramp up as do the links to the previous series. This is good stuff as you would expect from an author who knows the art of writing action packed fantasy.]]> 4.11 2024 A Tide of Black Steel (Age of Wrath, #1)
author: Anthony Ryan
name: Nick
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves:
review:
An unexpected continuation of The Covenant trilogy, it’s set about 30 years ahead of that and in a different part of the world. It will enhance your enjoyment if you have read the trilogy, but it’s not entirely necessary.

Much of this is set at sea, so expect sea trips, sea battles and interesting landing spots. Quite a large (and sometimes confusing) cast of characters are presented to us just as a bunch of bad guys are coming from out of the unknown. The author is moving his characters together, many with slightly different agendas and a hint there there may be a lot more at play than you suspect.

It does have a slow start, but the action and tension then does ramp up as do the links to the previous series. This is good stuff as you would expect from an author who knows the art of writing action packed fantasy.
]]> <![CDATA[Peacekeeper (Major Ariane Kedros, #1)]]> 8448100 first in a brand new action-packed military science fiction series

meet major ariane kedros—daring pilot, decorated soldier, war criminal.

Fifteen years ago, Ariane Kedros piloted a ship on a mission that obliterated an entire solar system. Branded a war criminal, she was given a new identity and a new life in order to protect her from retribution.

But now, twelve of Ariane’s wartime colleagues are dead� assassinated by someone who has uncovered their true identities. And her superiors in the Autonomist army have placed her directly in the assassin’s line of fire on a peacekeeping mission that will decide the fate of all humanity…]]> 340 Laura E. Reeve 1440643474 Nick 2 4.02 2008 Peacekeeper (Major Ariane Kedros, #1)
author: Laura E. Reeve
name: Nick
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2008
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/09/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[When The Sky Was Protected (Grace Bryant, Federal Air Marshal Book 1)]]> 24561946 Eight hours away from a desk job, Federal Air Marshal Grace Bryant has never had to put her life on the line or take anyone else’s. Yet if Grace is going to get off this hijacked plane alive, she will have to use everything she’s ever learned.
The bloody, traumatic terrorist attack is far from the end of the story, though. Back on the ground, Grace cannot rest till she has pursued the many loose ends that the incident left hanging, including the bizarre death of another Federal Air Marshal on the flight. All is definitely not as it appeared to be, even to those who, like her, were there. Faced with limited facts and obstruction from her higher-ups, Graces pushes for the truth even as her life careens to the edge of insanity through post traumatic stress disorder. Through it all, with the support of family, friends, and loyal colleagues, Grace discovers the truth behind what happened in the sky that momentous day and uncovers who is really responsible.]]> 332 Madison J. Doherty Nick 3
So, a good first time effort from the author and (providing there is an on-going lack of romance!!) I would probably pick up a follow on. Not bad at all.


Merged review:

Interesting one this, a thriller about a female air-marshal and an attempted hi-jacking on a transatlantic flight. A few things are covered here, how the incident is dealt with, the mistakes made and the stress of the aftermath. I liked the fact this felt very real and there was a lack of action heroes launching into gun battles. The plot stretches into the background and inconsistency of the event and I confidently predicted where the plot was going and who the bad guys were. I will give away no spoilers except to say I was wrong and this ended up in a direction I wasn’t expecting, so credit to the author there! Credit also to the author for a well-researched book and very real characters. And of course for a plot that works and avoids the obvious. I’ve read that this has an element of romance to it, and that would (I have to confess) be enough to have made me avoid this, but I am pleased to say that while there are relationships in this it didn’t feel ‘romantic� to me.

So, a good first time effort from the author and (providing there is an on-going lack of romance!!) I would probably pick up a follow on. Not bad at all.]]> 3.92 2014 When The Sky Was Protected (Grace Bryant, Federal Air Marshal Book 1)
author: Madison J. Doherty
name: Nick
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves:
review:
Interesting one this, a thriller about a female air-marshal and an attempted hi-jacking on a transatlantic flight. A few things are covered here, how the incident is dealt with, the mistakes made and the stress of the aftermath. I liked the fact this felt very real and there was a lack of action heroes launching into gun battles. The plot stretches into the background and inconsistency of the event and I confidently predicted where the plot was going and who the bad guys were. I will give away no spoilers except to say I was wrong and this ended up in a direction I wasn’t expecting, so credit to the author there! Credit also to the author for a well-researched book and very real characters. And of course for a plot that works and avoids the obvious. I’ve read that this has an element of romance to it, and that would (I have to confess) be enough to have made me avoid this, but I am pleased to say that while there are relationships in this it didn’t feel ‘romantic� to me.

So, a good first time effort from the author and (providing there is an on-going lack of romance!!) I would probably pick up a follow on. Not bad at all.


Merged review:

Interesting one this, a thriller about a female air-marshal and an attempted hi-jacking on a transatlantic flight. A few things are covered here, how the incident is dealt with, the mistakes made and the stress of the aftermath. I liked the fact this felt very real and there was a lack of action heroes launching into gun battles. The plot stretches into the background and inconsistency of the event and I confidently predicted where the plot was going and who the bad guys were. I will give away no spoilers except to say I was wrong and this ended up in a direction I wasn’t expecting, so credit to the author there! Credit also to the author for a well-researched book and very real characters. And of course for a plot that works and avoids the obvious. I’ve read that this has an element of romance to it, and that would (I have to confess) be enough to have made me avoid this, but I am pleased to say that while there are relationships in this it didn’t feel ‘romantic� to me.

So, a good first time effort from the author and (providing there is an on-going lack of romance!!) I would probably pick up a follow on. Not bad at all.
]]> <![CDATA[House Standoff (Joe DeMarco #15)]]> 56481291 A D.C. fixer heads to Wyoming on a personal mission in the new novel from the Edgar Award-finalist and "reliably excellent writer" (Seattle Times).

When someone close to him is shot dead in a roadside motel in a small Wyoming town, Joe DeMarco shirks his responsibilities as the Speaker of the House's fixer to make sure the authorities are doing everything they can to catch the killer. He soon realizes that the rural area is dominated by Hiram Bunt, a wealthy rancher with an obstructionist streak who's willing to take on the federal government at gunpoint and seems to have a number of politicians under his thumb.

But Bunt isn't the only one in the way. DeMarco also learns that his friend―a woman he was once in love with―had unearthed explosive secrets during her time in the backwoods, and that the deputy in charge of the investigation may be ignoring leads to preserve a secret of his own. Surrounded by people willing to kill to maintain the status quo, DeMarco launches his own investigation into a growing list of intertwining suspects. And being DeMarco, he concludes that breaking the law to uncover the truth is the best way to ensure that justice is done . . .

"[A] consistently entertaining, well-crafted series." --Booklist

"A charmingly likable character." --Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of the Rizzoli & Isles novels

"A writer who gets everything right." --The Plain Dealer]]> 267 Mike Lawson 0802158579 Nick 4 What I loved was this was typical Jack Reacher territory, upset the locals, beat lots of people up and root out the secrets. But no, this is Mike Lawson. As DeMarco investigates, he kind of blunders into things without realising and causes ripples within the community. As a disruptive influence he changes the dynamics within the town while thinking he is doing a good thing and honouring the memory of his friend.
The author has a true skill of putting you in the heads of his characters so you feel their motivations and agendas, but he does so with gentle humour and observation.
This is a more than welcome addition to the series and I am grateful to the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read it.
]]> 4.36 2021 House Standoff (Joe DeMarco #15)
author: Mike Lawson
name: Nick
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves:
review:
Joe DeMarco is a fixer for the Speaker of the House, but in this he goes off-piste when an author friend of his is murdered in a small Wyoming town. DeMarco feels the need to go to the town and see if the investigation is being taken seriously. Sadly this is a town with strong characters and hidden agendas.
What I loved was this was typical Jack Reacher territory, upset the locals, beat lots of people up and root out the secrets. But no, this is Mike Lawson. As DeMarco investigates, he kind of blunders into things without realising and causes ripples within the community. As a disruptive influence he changes the dynamics within the town while thinking he is doing a good thing and honouring the memory of his friend.
The author has a true skill of putting you in the heads of his characters so you feel their motivations and agendas, but he does so with gentle humour and observation.
This is a more than welcome addition to the series and I am grateful to the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read it.

]]> <![CDATA[Seventeen (Last Man Standing #1)]]> 61951587 You'll never know my name.

But you won't forget my number.

Behind the events you know are the killers you don’t. When diplomacy fails, we're the ones who gear up. Officially we don’t exist, but every government in the world uses our services. We’ve been saving the world, and your ass, for one hundred years.

Sixteen people have done this job before me. I am Seventeen. The most feared assassin in the world. But to be the best, you must beat the best. My next target is Sixteen, just as one day Eighteen will hunt me down. It’s a dog-eat-dog world and it gets lonely at the top. Nobody gets to stay for long. But while we're here, all that matters is that we win.

Visceral, cinematic and wildly addictive, 𱹱Գٱ will keep you on the edge of your seat and live long in the memory. ԳپEighteen comes along�]]> 444 John Brownlow 0369720490 Nick 4 As I started reading this I was reminded of the Tom Wood ”Victor� series and was worried it would follow the same plot lines. But no, this quickly turns into a game of cat and mouse between two deadly assassins. Plenty of tradecraft and background stuff in here wrapped into a very entertaining plot. It’s clever stuff and there are plenty of satisfying “reveals� and strong side characters.
Clever, page turning thriller.

Merged review:

Seventeen is a top tier assassin, not someone you want coming after you.
As I started reading this I was reminded of the Tom Wood ”Victor� series and was worried it would follow the same plot lines. But no, this quickly turns into a game of cat and mouse between two deadly assassins. Plenty of tradecraft and background stuff in here wrapped into a very entertaining plot. It’s clever stuff and there are plenty of satisfying “reveals� and strong side characters.
Clever, page turning thriller.]]> 3.98 Seventeen (Last Man Standing #1)
author: John Brownlow
name: Nick
average rating: 3.98
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves:
review:
Seventeen is a top tier assassin, not someone you want coming after you.
As I started reading this I was reminded of the Tom Wood ”Victor� series and was worried it would follow the same plot lines. But no, this quickly turns into a game of cat and mouse between two deadly assassins. Plenty of tradecraft and background stuff in here wrapped into a very entertaining plot. It’s clever stuff and there are plenty of satisfying “reveals� and strong side characters.
Clever, page turning thriller.

Merged review:

Seventeen is a top tier assassin, not someone you want coming after you.
As I started reading this I was reminded of the Tom Wood ”Victor� series and was worried it would follow the same plot lines. But no, this quickly turns into a game of cat and mouse between two deadly assassins. Plenty of tradecraft and background stuff in here wrapped into a very entertaining plot. It’s clever stuff and there are plenty of satisfying “reveals� and strong side characters.
Clever, page turning thriller.
]]> <![CDATA[We Solve Murders (We Solve Murders, #1)]]> 203956647 A brand new series. An iconic new detective duo. And a puzzling new murder to solve...

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favorite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.

Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn’t stay still long enough for habits or routines. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job...

Then a dead body, a bag of money, and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a lethal enemy?

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 059365322X.]]> 400 Richard Osman Nick 4 This is a light hearted romp as a retired detective, an elderly thriller writer and the detective’s daughter in law, try to stay ahead of the law and the bad guys while trying to solve a series of murders.
Fun characters and a light touch and you feel the author is enjoying fleshing out his new characters. Is it as good as the Murder Club books? No, but that’s because those books have a degree of pathos, they are elderly characters nearing the end of life’s journey and that is a clever and consistent undercurrent to the books. We solve murders is just a character driven romp, ex detective Steve being the best, ambling through life seeking as dull a routine as possible.
It’s light and easy fun, short chapters, large print and not overly wrong. Not Murder Club, but you can’t deny the author knows how to entertain.]]> 4.06 2024 We Solve Murders (We Solve Murders, #1)
author: Richard Osman
name: Nick
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves:
review:
The long awaited non Thursday Murder Club book from Mr Osman.
This is a light hearted romp as a retired detective, an elderly thriller writer and the detective’s daughter in law, try to stay ahead of the law and the bad guys while trying to solve a series of murders.
Fun characters and a light touch and you feel the author is enjoying fleshing out his new characters. Is it as good as the Murder Club books? No, but that’s because those books have a degree of pathos, they are elderly characters nearing the end of life’s journey and that is a clever and consistent undercurrent to the books. We solve murders is just a character driven romp, ex detective Steve being the best, ambling through life seeking as dull a routine as possible.
It’s light and easy fun, short chapters, large print and not overly wrong. Not Murder Club, but you can’t deny the author knows how to entertain.
]]> <![CDATA[The Masquerades of Spring (Rivers of London #0.2)]]> 202969855
Meet Augustus Berrycloth-Young - fop, flaneur, and Englishman abroad - as he chronicles the Jazz Age from his perch atop the city that never sleeps.

That is, until his old friend Thomas Nightingale arrives, pursuing a rather mysterious affair concerning an old saxophone - which will take Gussie from his warm bed, to the cold shores of Long Island, and down to the jazz clubs where music, magic, and madness haunt the shadows...]]> 165 Ben Aaronovitch 147322442X Nick 2 4.15 2024 The Masquerades of Spring (Rivers of London #0.2)
author: Ben Aaronovitch
name: Nick
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/09/19
shelves:
review:
Very disappointed with this. What made Rivers of London so good was not just strong characters and clever plots, but that London almost became a character too. The more the author moves away from London based stories, the weaker the book. A possible exception being October Man which made Trier sound a fascinating place (it is). You sense Ben Aaronovitch is looking for a new goldmine and thought, “what about a Jeeves and Wooster type pairing set in the Rivers world�? Well, here it is. Gussie is having a perfectly nice time in 1920s New York, away from his past at The Folly. But then Nightingale turns up, needing help tracking down enchanted musical instruments and Gussie is going to have to up his game. So we get a view on homosexuality and racism in New York with a magical quest thrown in for good measure. It just doesn’t work. A New York jazz background could have really worked with cameos from famous locations and musicians (and bring fore New York the way he has done with London). Gussie is a dreadful main character; the Jeeves and Wooster type pairing doesn’t work at all and the plot is borderline lazy. Everything you like about the Rivers of London series isn’t in this book. Worst book yet by a long way.
]]> I Love This Game 41544161 1 320 Patrice Evra 1471170845 Nick 5 4.08 I Love This Game
author: Patrice Evra
name: Nick
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/09/12
shelves:
review:
A compelling autobiography from a talented and passionate player. This is honest and compelling stuff. From a start in French slums and suffering horrific abuse, Evra follows his passion into football and through a number of clubs. Man Utd seemed to be his natural place to express his skills and personality but he also made a significant contribution at Juventus (the training regime was astonishing to read about). Fascinating to read about his time with a French team in crisis, an honest perspective from inside the team. Patrice Evra comes over as a great guy and deserving of the considerable silverware he picked up.
]]> <![CDATA[The Honour of Rome (Eagles of the Empire, #20)]]> 56923195
Fifteen years after Rome's invasion of Britannia, centurion Marco is back. The island is settled now, bustling with commerce. Macro's goal is to help run his mother's Londinium inn, and exploit his land grant. He's prepared for the dismal weather and the barbaric ways of the people. But far worse dangers threaten all his plans.

A gang led by an ex-legionary rules the city, demanding protection money and terrorising those who won't pay up. The Roman official in charge has turned a blind eye. Macro has to act. He needs the back-up of the finest soldier he knows: Prefect Cato. But Cato is in distant Rome. Or is he?

As the streets run red with blood, the army's heroes face an enemy as merciless and cunning as any barbarian tribe. The honour of Rome is in their hands ...]]> 352 Simon Scarrow Nick 3 4.36 2021 The Honour of Rome (Eagles of the Empire, #20)
author: Simon Scarrow
name: Nick
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/12
shelves:
review:
Very much a “filler� book as the author finds ways to get his two main characters back to Britannia in anticipation of it all kicking off in the next book, Death to the Emperor. So, Macro and his wife go to Londinium to join his Mum at the inn they jointly own. Sadly gangs want protection money, and Macro doesn’t think he needs protecting from anyone. So, taking on the gangs and Cato eventually turning up are the theme here. But even a guest appearance from Boudica does not raise this above very average “filler� level.
]]> Gabriel's Moon 209286331 In his most exhilarating novel yet, Britain’s greatest storyteller transports you from the vibrant streets of sixties London to the sun-soaked cobbles of Cadiz and the frosty squares of Warsaw, as an accidental spy is drawn into the shadows of espionage and obsession.

Gabriel Dax is a young man haunted by the memories of a every night, when sleep finally comes, he dreams about his childhood home in flames. His days are spent on the move as an acclaimed travel writer, capturing the changing landscapes in the grip of the Cold War. When he’s offered the chance to interview a political figure, his ambition leads him unwittingly into a web of duplicities and betrayals.

As Gabriel’s reluctant initiation takes hold, he is drawn deeper into the shadows. Falling under the spell of Faith Green, an enigmatic and ruthless MI6 handler, he becomes ‘her spy�, unable to resist her demands. But amid the peril, paranoia and passion consuming Gabriel’s new covert life, it will be the revelations closer to home that change the rest of his story. .]]> 272 William Boyd 0241542073 Nick 3 4.10 2024 Gabriel's Moon
author: William Boyd
name: Nick
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/08
shelves:
review:
Set in the Cold War of the 60s, Gabriel is a travel writer with a tragic past. He is enlisted by the Intelligence Service as an occasional courier. He becomes infatuated with his female handler as his simple tasks lead to a world of intrigue and confusion. I love the author’s writing,but was slightly underwhelmed with this one. Normally characters are so fleshed out you feel they are almost family and you are sucked into powerful and expansive stories. But Gabriel is hard to like and makes some decisions that you, as the reader, find unrealistic and distracting. Likewise the plot has aspects that don’t work and the characters are not powerful enough to balance it out.
]]> <![CDATA[The Moscow Vector (Covert-One, #6)]]> 31227
At the same time, a series of government officials around the world are coming down with a mysterious, fast-acting virus with a 100% fatality rate. These deaths are somehow related to the increasing militarism from the new Russian government, headed by the autocratic and ambitious President Victor Dudarev. With few clues and precious little time, Smith and Covert-One must unravel this mysterious plot and find the mysterious figure who stands at the center of it all�
]]> 464 Robert Ludlum 0312990715 Nick 3 4.00 2005 The Moscow Vector (Covert-One, #6)
author: Robert Ludlum
name: Nick
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/01
shelves:
review:
Not much of a nod to Robert Ludlum here, these Covert One books are a long way from the dark conspiracy action of the original author. “Who can you trust� was a strong theme from Ludlum. The Covert One books are more like the Tom Clancy books of late (obviously by different authors) with an off the books US intelligence unit reporting directly to the President. Reading this in 2024 it has themes that resonate today. Russia wants some of its old territories back (including a big chunk of Ukraine) and is using a targeted bio weapon to distract the West while it moves troops to its borders. Can Covert One get the evidence to stop the Russian plot? It’s not bad. Colonel Jon Smith is too good to be true but there are some good female characters and plenty of action.
]]> A Kind of Peace 3271818
Only at a price.

In a world where magic and technology have become intertwined, the Mages of each nation state � the ultimate wizards � have become the ultimate weapons. So what happens when one of them is abducted, and the planet is threatened with a new war that could lead to global annihilation?

The ultimate weapons will meet the ultimate warrior, Simeon 7.

Encountering military might, political machinations, and magical manifestations, those who would oppose him soon find that nothing can break the determination of a warrior on a mission.]]> 303 Andy Boot 1905437021 Nick 3 2.38 2006 A Kind of Peace
author: Andy Boot
name: Nick
average rating: 2.38
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/09/01
shelves:
review:
I’ve had this on my pile for years and it has finally made its way to the top. Not too many reviews for this and those that exist are not favourable. That’s unfair, this is a blend of sci-fi and fantasy probably aimed at the “pulp� market. Set on a planet in conflict, there is magic and technology. A peace agreement looks to change everything, but some see an opportunity for power. Simeon is a basic but determined warrior, when he is set up to fail in his guarding of a Mage, his enemies find they have underestimated him. A quick and easy read, no great depth, but I’m not sure that was the intention.
]]> <![CDATA[The Devil's Hand (Terminal List, #4)]]> 54265145
A new president offers hope to a country weary of conflict. He’s a young, popular, self-made visionary…but he’s also a man with a secret.

Halfway across the globe a regional superpower struggles with sanctions imposed by the Great Satan and her European allies, a country whose ancient religion spawned a group of ruthless assassins. Faced with internal dissent and extrajudicial targeted killings by the United States and Israel, the Supreme Leader puts a plan in motion to defeat the most powerful nation on earth.

Meanwhile, in a classified facility five stories underground, a young PhD student has gained access to a level of bioweapons known only to a select number of officials. A second-generation agent, he has been assigned a mission that will bring his adopted homeland to its knees.]]> 524 Jack Carr 1982123745 Nick 2 4.40 2021 The Devil's Hand (Terminal List, #4)
author: Jack Carr
name: Nick
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/08/25
shelves:
review:
Enjoyed the first three books, the first two were especially good. This one feels very different, oddly the author takes a quite right wing approach and does spend a lot of time educating or preaching to the reader. Takes a while for James Reese to really get stock in, the book is almost a quarter gone before he really comes to the fore. Reece is very much a Mitch Rapp clone here, a lethal killing machine/assassin. But too much explanation and a plot that it feels we have seen before.
]]> The Maze (John Corey, #8) 55892263
Nelson DeMille introduced readers to NYPD Homicide Detective John Corey in Plum Island , who we first meet sitting on the back porch of his uncle’s waterfront estate on Long Island, recovering from wounds incurred in the line of duty.

Six novels later, The Maze opens with Corey on the same porch, having survived new law enforcement roles and romantic relationships—wiser and more sarcastic than ever. Corey is restless and looking for action, so when his former lover Detective Beth Penrose appears with a job offer, Corey has to once again make some decisions about his career—and about reuniting with Beth.

Inspired by and based on the actual and still-unsolved Gilgo Beach murders, The Maze takes us on a dangerous hunt for an apparent serial killer who has murdered nine—and maybe more—sex workers and hidden their bodies in the thick undergrowth on a lonely stretch of beach.

As Corey digs deeper into this case, he comes to suspect that the failure of the local police to solve this sensational mystery may not be a result of their incompetence—it may be something else. Something more sinister.

The Maze features John Corey’s politically incorrect humor, matched by his brilliant and unorthodox investigative skills, along with the shocking plot twists that are the trademark of the bestselling author Nelson DeMille, “the master of smart, entertaining suspense� ( Bookreporter ).]]> 415 Nelson DeMille 1501101781 Nick 2 I’ve read most of the John Corey books and have enjoyed them, a wise-cracking character against the bad guys. Good balance of action and characterisation. So I was looking forward to this.
John Corey is out of work and is convinced to join a PI firm that might be hiding secrets. Corey is non stop snark, written in the first person they are either his “thoughts� or his actual dialogue. Apparently unable to be serious about anything, you will soon be hoping someone will actually shoot him.
Sadly, for well over half the book, nothing happens. Nothing. There is action in the last quarter but you know it is coming, you know where it will occur and you know the outcome. Yawn.
There is a murder mystery hidden in here too, but hoping for a clear resolution will frustrate you like the rest of the book.
Don’t bother, the author has run out of Ideas.]]> 3.37 2022 The Maze (John Corey, #8)
author: Nelson DeMille
name: Nick
average rating: 3.37
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/08/10
shelves:
review:
“America’s greatest living thriller writer� is splashed on the cover. Trading standards should get involved, this is dreadful and has very few…�.thrills.
I’ve read most of the John Corey books and have enjoyed them, a wise-cracking character against the bad guys. Good balance of action and characterisation. So I was looking forward to this.
John Corey is out of work and is convinced to join a PI firm that might be hiding secrets. Corey is non stop snark, written in the first person they are either his “thoughts� or his actual dialogue. Apparently unable to be serious about anything, you will soon be hoping someone will actually shoot him.
Sadly, for well over half the book, nothing happens. Nothing. There is action in the last quarter but you know it is coming, you know where it will occur and you know the outcome. Yawn.
There is a murder mystery hidden in here too, but hoping for a clear resolution will frustrate you like the rest of the book.
Don’t bother, the author has run out of Ideas.
]]> <![CDATA[The Bourne Shadow (Jason Bourne #19)]]> 199926264
It's been over a decade since Nash Rollins recruited a brilliant, talented, but disaffected young man named David Webb to join Treadstone. Webb became the agent known as Cain—and later took on the identity of Jason Bourne.

That violent winter—which included Cain’s first mission for Treadstone—was also a story of betrayal in ways that David never knew. So after the injury that erased Bourne’s whole life, Nash lied about the circumstances of David’s recruitment to Treadstone. He was afraid that learning the truth might drive Bourne out of the agency forever.

But now, when Bourne meets a woman who recognizes him as David Webb, the secrets of those days begin to come out—and Bourne is forced to confront the dangerous ghosts of a past he doesn’t even remember.]]> 392 Brian Freeman 0593716469 Nick 4 Robert Ludlum was a master of the conspiracy thriller and Bourne was his greatest creation. A solid character to be the base of ongoing stories.
Here, Bourne finds an old lover may be in danger and joins his sister in trying to hunt her down. At the same time, a far right group in France is gaining political momentum but also have Bourne in their sights, the added complication of the Treadstone organisation leaves Bourne (as usual) not knowing who to trust.
Good pace and action to this with sufficient twists and turns to keep the reader involved. Minor issue that there is an obvious twist that the reader will suss about 100 pages before Bourne does! For a top operator, he can be very dumb sometimes!
But this is quite good fun.]]> 4.38 The Bourne Shadow (Jason Bourne #19)
author: Brian Freeman
name: Nick
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/08/10
shelves:
review:
The 19th Bourne novel, but the first I’ve read by Brian Freeman. Luckily you don’t need to have read the others to enjoy this.
Robert Ludlum was a master of the conspiracy thriller and Bourne was his greatest creation. A solid character to be the base of ongoing stories.
Here, Bourne finds an old lover may be in danger and joins his sister in trying to hunt her down. At the same time, a far right group in France is gaining political momentum but also have Bourne in their sights, the added complication of the Treadstone organisation leaves Bourne (as usual) not knowing who to trust.
Good pace and action to this with sufficient twists and turns to keep the reader involved. Minor issue that there is an obvious twist that the reader will suss about 100 pages before Bourne does! For a top operator, he can be very dumb sometimes!
But this is quite good fun.
]]> <![CDATA[BLOOD ROSES: How do you find a killer in a city of the dead? (The Warsaw Quartet Book 1)]]> 51946661 506 Douglas Jackson Nick 3 Ideal for fans of Philip Kerr, this is no lazy copy of a Bernie Gunther type story, but this has the same overlay of menace.

1939 and Warsaw has fallen to German occupation as the city becomes accustomed to their new status. Jan Kalisz starts work as an interpreter. His family and many citizens think he has turned traitor but in reality his is feeding information to the underground but can’t tell anyone. He is caught between doing his vital work and being despised by both his masters and his friends. As an ex detective he is supporting the new German police when it becomes apparent that there is a serial killer, and that killer might be German. The Germans are disinterested until the daughter of one of their senior officials is killed and now Kalisz has to not only play his double game, but help find a killer too.

The author is famous for his excellent Roman series and many of us have loved the adventures of Gaius Valerius Verrens through nine books. Now that historical and writing talent turns to another turbulent period of history. It took a little while to settle as we need to get a perspective of Warsaw at the time, the attitude of the Poles and Germans and the background of Kalisz. But then, about 25% of the book in, it started to fly and the menace and the situation under the Germans turns darker and darker and our hero is forced to make decisions that will see people dead. By the end of the book I was racing through to a very satisfying end. A brave and interesting choice to have Josef Mengele appear as a significant character and not as a cameo but as a fleshed out and interesting character.

Looking forward to the next one already.]]> 4.43 BLOOD ROSES: How do you find a killer in a city of the dead? (The Warsaw Quartet Book 1)
author: Douglas Jackson
name: Nick
average rating: 4.43
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/08/09
shelves:
review:
Book one of the “Warsaw Quartet� which gives you hope that at least three more are on their way.
Ideal for fans of Philip Kerr, this is no lazy copy of a Bernie Gunther type story, but this has the same overlay of menace.

1939 and Warsaw has fallen to German occupation as the city becomes accustomed to their new status. Jan Kalisz starts work as an interpreter. His family and many citizens think he has turned traitor but in reality his is feeding information to the underground but can’t tell anyone. He is caught between doing his vital work and being despised by both his masters and his friends. As an ex detective he is supporting the new German police when it becomes apparent that there is a serial killer, and that killer might be German. The Germans are disinterested until the daughter of one of their senior officials is killed and now Kalisz has to not only play his double game, but help find a killer too.

The author is famous for his excellent Roman series and many of us have loved the adventures of Gaius Valerius Verrens through nine books. Now that historical and writing talent turns to another turbulent period of history. It took a little while to settle as we need to get a perspective of Warsaw at the time, the attitude of the Poles and Germans and the background of Kalisz. But then, about 25% of the book in, it started to fly and the menace and the situation under the Germans turns darker and darker and our hero is forced to make decisions that will see people dead. By the end of the book I was racing through to a very satisfying end. A brave and interesting choice to have Josef Mengele appear as a significant character and not as a cameo but as a fleshed out and interesting character.

Looking forward to the next one already.
]]> Death of an Ordinary Man 178123 I Lucifer established Glen Duncan as a writer “up there in the literary stratosphere with Martin Amis or T. C. Boyle� (Washington Post). Now with Death of an Ordinary Man, Duncan continues his penetrating and innovative exploration of the supernatural with a novel that is far and away his most powerful and accomplished yet.

Nathan Clark’s gravestone offers a short and hopeful summary: At rest. But Nathan is not at rest, and knows he won’t be until he finds out why he died. How has he come to hover over his own funeral, a spectral spectator to the grief of his family and friends? Privy now to their innermost thoughts and feelings� confessions that are raw, brutal, and unexpected� Nathan spends the day of his wake getting to know the living as he has never known them before: His father struggles with a legacy of family tragedy; his wife and best friend with the baggage of a doomed affair; his older
]]> 304 Glen Duncan 0802170048 Nick 2
Trying hard not to give anything away, we start with a man floating above his own funeral and trying to remember what happened, He follows through to the wake and we see (through his eyes) how his family are coping and he/we can also sense what they are thinking.

He is trying to remember and we as readers are trying to understand his circumstances. This was a tough book to read, but very good at capturing the thoughts and reality of ordinary people. Dropped this back to two stars as it took a while to get into and I was a little underwhelmed by the conclusion. Having said that this was an emotional book and well written, I can see why the author has the reputation that he does.]]> 3.36 Death of an Ordinary Man
author: Glen Duncan
name: Nick
average rating: 3.36
book published:
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
review:
Tough one to review this, a book that makes you think, does very much cover the human condition and one that you gradually peel apart to understand the circumstances behind the story.

Trying hard not to give anything away, we start with a man floating above his own funeral and trying to remember what happened, He follows through to the wake and we see (through his eyes) how his family are coping and he/we can also sense what they are thinking.

He is trying to remember and we as readers are trying to understand his circumstances. This was a tough book to read, but very good at capturing the thoughts and reality of ordinary people. Dropped this back to two stars as it took a while to get into and I was a little underwhelmed by the conclusion. Having said that this was an emotional book and well written, I can see why the author has the reputation that he does.
]]> The Cracked Mirror 197023868 THIS IS NOT THAT CRIME NOVEL

You know Johnny Hawke. Hard-bitten LAPD homicide detective. Always in trouble with his captain, always losing partners, but always battling for the truth, whatever it takes.

You know Penny Coyne. The little old lady who has solved multiple murders in her otherwise sleepy village, despite bumbling local police. A razor-sharp mind in a Sunday best hat.

Against all the odds, against the usual story, their worlds are about to collide. It starts with a dead writer and a mysterious wedding invitation. It will end with a rabbit hole that goes so deep, Johnny and Penny might just come to question not just whodunnit, but whether they want to know the answer.

A cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly, The Cracked Mirror is the most imaginative and entertaining crime novel of the year, a genre-splicing rollercoaster with a poignantly emotional heart.]]> 480 Chris Brookmyre 0349145792 Nick 3 Locked rooms murders and mysteries based in the entertainment industry, the murders, books, film and video games combine in unexpected ways.
It’s a fun, easy and quick read. Some good ideas here (some of which are somewhat telegraphed) but is also felt like there was more the author could have given us.. But you sense the author had fun and you will too, but you might also feel a tad underwhelmed.]]> 3.93 The Cracked Mirror
author: Chris Brookmyre
name: Nick
average rating: 3.93
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
review:
An interesting novel from an author who is always interesting! This is a mash up between a Mrs Marple type sleuth and an all action LAPD detective. Two separate investigations come together in a way that throws two very different characters together.
Locked rooms murders and mysteries based in the entertainment industry, the murders, books, film and video games combine in unexpected ways.
It’s a fun, easy and quick read. Some good ideas here (some of which are somewhat telegraphed) but is also felt like there was more the author could have given us.. But you sense the author had fun and you will too, but you might also feel a tad underwhelmed.
]]> The Trap (Alias Emma, #3) 205307710 British spy Emma Makepeace races against the clock to stop the Russians from carrying out a high-profile assassination in this gripping thriller from the author of Alias Emma.

“Emma Makepeace is a worthy heir to the James Bond mantle.”—JAMES PATTERSON

She has just one week to stop a killer.

Emma Makepeace is headed to Edinburgh for the global G7 Summit when her team is tipped off about a high-profile assassination the Russians are planning—but they have no idea who the target is.

Surrounded by the world’s most powerful political leaders in a gridlocked city, Emma must set a trap and use herself as bait.

With time running short, Emma faces the most perilous mission of her career. How far will she go to catch the killer?]]> 320 Ava Glass 059397221X Nick 5 4.02 2024 The Trap (Alias Emma, #3)
author: Ava Glass
name: Nick
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/07/30
shelves:
review:
Book number three to feature Emma Makepeace. Emma works for a small off the books part of British Intelligence, focusing on Russian issues. It becomes apparent that the Russians are planning something significant to damage the UK. Emma’s team are tasked with getting close to a Russian oligarch who may be involved. Emma may have to get closer than she is comfortable with. The book is a thoughtful but pacy thriller. Some strong female characters helping push the plot. Topical and a worthy entry into an excellent series.
]]> <![CDATA[First Strike (Dan Shepherd #21)]]> 211434707
White is taken hostage down in the tunnels under Gaza, and Dan ‘Spider� Shepherd and a crack SAS team are sent in to rescue him.

Safely back in London, White is a changed man. He wants revenge for what happened to his family and sets out to kill the men who planned and financed the Hamas attacks.

And as White embarks on a vengeance-driven killing spree, Shepherd is the only man who can stop him.





Praise for Stephen

He has the uncanny knack of producing plots that are all too real � Daily Mail

The sheer impetus of his storytelling is damned hard to resist. � Daily Express

A master of the thriller genre. —Irish Times]]> 360 Stephen Leather Nick 5 4.61 First Strike (Dan Shepherd #21)
author: Stephen Leather
name: Nick
average rating: 4.61
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/07/13
shelves:
review:
An outstanding and uber topical thriller. Based (somewhat controversially) on the 2023 Hamas attack on the Israeli music festival. A subject so current that Stephen Leather’s publishers stood back and this was self published. They missed out massively. British intelligence analyst David White is at the festival and his daughters fall victim to the assault and he is captured and taken to the tunnels in Gaza. He knows too much and Spider Shepherd and an SAS team is sent in to recover him. That might be it, but a rescued White turns his knowledge into revenge and Spider might have to terminate the man he helped rescue. So topical and so relevant. Of course it is a clever thriller but there is a lot here to unpack. Perspectives and views are given to make you think and elevate this above a “standard� thriller. It has the pace and thrills you would expect but also, as always, proper depth.
]]> <![CDATA[Shadow State (Shadow State #1)]]> 64632201
From the central bank of El Salvador to a tantalum mine in Rwanda, the Acropolis Museum in Athens to the biggest freeport on the planet in Dubai, enter a world ruled by ones and zeroes and inhabited by people who don't believe in trust.

Nathan Pike is one of those people. To some he's a digital Robin Hood. To others he's nothing but an amoral hacker. A codebreaking and encryption expert, he sells his skills to whoever can pay him what he wants or give him something he needs.

And when he's sprung from a Cambodian prison by a woman calling herself Melody Jones, he's made an offer the likes of which he's never seen before.]]> 329 Andy McNab Nick 2 Nathan Pike is an enigmatic lead character, he is a top hacker with a self-built padd that seems ahead of most modern technology.
Pike is brought into a scheme to steal immensely valuable crypto currency keys belonging to El Salvador but there is a side plot relating to mining in Rwanda.
The Crypto stuff and the economic impact of it on global economics remains a bit of a confusion to most, and I’m not sure this will help educate.
So, to balance that out this needed a strong pacy plot and a lead character you can emphasise with. And that’s a problem, because the plot lacks needed pace and tension and Pike is hard to relate to and understand his agendas.
It’s set up for a series about a shadow state and the way money controls the world, but to be honest I’ve seen it done better and am not sure I’ll be sticking with this series.
]]> 3.73 Shadow State (Shadow State #1)
author: Andy McNab
name: Nick
average rating: 3.73
book published:
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/07/04
shelves:
review:
A step in a new direction for Andy McNab, away from his normal thrillers and into something less action packed and more of a “caper�.
Nathan Pike is an enigmatic lead character, he is a top hacker with a self-built padd that seems ahead of most modern technology.
Pike is brought into a scheme to steal immensely valuable crypto currency keys belonging to El Salvador but there is a side plot relating to mining in Rwanda.
The Crypto stuff and the economic impact of it on global economics remains a bit of a confusion to most, and I’m not sure this will help educate.
So, to balance that out this needed a strong pacy plot and a lead character you can emphasise with. And that’s a problem, because the plot lacks needed pace and tension and Pike is hard to relate to and understand his agendas.
It’s set up for a series about a shadow state and the way money controls the world, but to be honest I’ve seen it done better and am not sure I’ll be sticking with this series.

]]> <![CDATA[Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens]]> 152034931 A rollicking history of England's earliest kings and queens, a story of narcissists, excessive beheadings, middle-management insurrection, uncivil wars, and more, from award-winning British actor and comedian David Mitchell

Think you know the kings and queens of England? Think again.

In Unruly , David Mitchell explores how early England’s monarchs, while acting as feared rulers firmly guiding their subjects� destinies, were in reality a bunch of lucky bastards who were mostly as silly and weird in real life as they appear to us today in their portraits.

Taking us right back to King Arthur ( he didn’t exist), Mitchell tells the founding story of post-Roman England right up to the reign of Elizabeth I ( she dies), as the monarchy began to lose its power. It’s a tale of bizarre and curious ascensions, inadequate self-control, and at least one total Cnut, as the English evolved from having their crops stolen by the thug with the largest armed gang to bowing and paying taxes to a divinely anointed King.

How this happened, who it happened to, and why the hell it matters are all questions Mitchell answers with brilliance, wit, and the full erudition of a man who once studied history—and is damned if he’ll let it off the hook for the mess it’s made of everything. 

A funny book that takes history seriously, Unruly is for anyone who has ever wondered how the monarchy came to be—and who is to blame.]]> 433 David Mitchell 0593728491 Nick 4 This could be a very dry subject, but Mr Mitchell throws in his wit and humour to help move history along. Perhaps the second half of the books is better, maybe because we are more familiar with the Royals and the historic events wrapped around them.

He does a good job, this is well researched and the light approach does work. Some pretty funny asides here amongst the infighting and beheading.]]> 4.13 2023 Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens
author: David Mitchell
name: Nick
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/06/24
shelves:
review:
Comedian David Mitchell gives us a history of English royalty. He starts off back in the Dark Ages where rulers were warlords and takes us through to Elizabeth 1.
This could be a very dry subject, but Mr Mitchell throws in his wit and humour to help move history along. Perhaps the second half of the books is better, maybe because we are more familiar with the Royals and the historic events wrapped around them.

He does a good job, this is well researched and the light approach does work. Some pretty funny asides here amongst the infighting and beheading.
]]> <![CDATA[Standing Strong: A Matt Standing Thriller (Book 4)]]> 211646214
Matt ‘Lastman� Standing and a crack SAS team are sent in to the war zone. Their mission - to help the Ukrainians defend their country from the Russian invaders.

But when Russian mercenaries begin committing atrocities and war crimes in occupied Ukraine, MI6 decides to change the rules of engagement.

Standing and his team are given new orders - to take out the Russian president, one of the most protected men in the world. It has all the makings of a suicide mission, but Standing is the last man to turn down a challenge.

Praise for Stephen Leather

He has the uncanny knack of producing plots that are all too real � Daily Mail

The sheer impetus of his storytelling is damned hard to resist. � Daily Express

A master of the thriller genre. � Irish Times]]> 228 Stephen Leather Nick 4
This is an action packed military thriller, obviously topical and with the usual clever twists that Stephen Leather is renowned for. There is also an interesting sub text relating to PTSD and the fact that even the best of the military have a breaking point.

All action thrills.]]> 4.22 Standing Strong: A Matt Standing Thriller (Book 4)
author: Stephen Leather
name: Nick
average rating: 4.22
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/06/22
shelves:
review:
Set at the start of the war in Ukraine, SAS Sergeant Matt Standing is tasked with training Ukrainian forces on a new missile system. Taking his newly trained colleagues, he, and a small SAS team insert into Ukraine to cause considerable mayhem to the invading Russian forces. The action then moves towards three distinct sub missions, all needing the very best of Standing’s considerable skills.

This is an action packed military thriller, obviously topical and with the usual clever twists that Stephen Leather is renowned for. There is also an interesting sub text relating to PTSD and the fact that even the best of the military have a breaking point.

All action thrills.
]]> <![CDATA[One Good Turn (Jackson Brodie, #2)]]> 501124
The event thrusts Jackson into the orbit of the wife of an unscrupulous real estate tycoon, a washed-up comedian, a successful crime novelist, a mysterious Russian woman, and a female police detective. Each of them hiding a secret, each looking for love or money or redemption or escape, they all play a role in driving Jackson out of retirement and into the middle of several mysteries that intersect in one sinister scheme.

Kate Atkinson "writes such fluid, sparkling prose that an ingenious plot almost seems too much to ask, but we get it anyway," writes Laura Miller for Salon. With a keen eye for the excesses of modern life, a warm understanding of the frailties of the human heart, and a genius for plots that turn and twist, Atkinson has written a novel that delights and surprises from the first page to the last.]]> 418 Kate Atkinson 0316012823 Nick 5
Brodie is at the Edinburgh Fringe with girlfriend Julia (see previous book). She’s acting in a fringe play and Brodie is�..bored.

A road rage incident sets in motion a series of events and apparently unrelated people and relationships. Brodie isn’t quite sure what is going on, but he knows he is involved and does some general digging about, mainly because he is bored.

Kate Atkinson is a genius at wry observation and fleshed out characters with an underlying set of humour. Proper writing this.

It’s hard to describe these books and give them any deserved justice. “What’s it about?� I was asked when waxing very lyrical. “Er, it’s a mystery, sort of, maybe. But it’s about properly defined characters and how they react around a central theme�. That doesn’t explain the joy in these pages or the depth of character.

A summary would be that within a minute of finishing this, I ordered the next one. Unmissable genius.]]> 3.78 2006 One Good Turn (Jackson Brodie, #2)
author: Kate Atkinson
name: Nick
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/06/08
shelves:
review:
The second in the Jackson Brodie series from the astonishing Kate Atkinson.

Brodie is at the Edinburgh Fringe with girlfriend Julia (see previous book). She’s acting in a fringe play and Brodie is�..bored.

A road rage incident sets in motion a series of events and apparently unrelated people and relationships. Brodie isn’t quite sure what is going on, but he knows he is involved and does some general digging about, mainly because he is bored.

Kate Atkinson is a genius at wry observation and fleshed out characters with an underlying set of humour. Proper writing this.

It’s hard to describe these books and give them any deserved justice. “What’s it about?� I was asked when waxing very lyrical. “Er, it’s a mystery, sort of, maybe. But it’s about properly defined characters and how they react around a central theme�. That doesn’t explain the joy in these pages or the depth of character.

A summary would be that within a minute of finishing this, I ordered the next one. Unmissable genius.
]]> Invasion (Luke Carlton #4) 62084700 0 Frank Gardner 1787635481 Nick 3 The themes here are China having cunning plans to take back Taiwan and a British “courier� going missing with potentially critical information. Like a Clancy novel, we see the big picture politics while also seeing the operatives on the ground. Here the operatives are Luke Carlton and fellow intelligence agent, Jenny Li. Carlton seems different from previous books, here he is a full tier one operator, in previous books I recall him differently, a background guy with an average military background. Anyway, off they go on the trail of the missing courier, being given very odd clues by very odd people. This is where it falls down really, the motive and opportunity for the bad guys to kidnap the courier and the thread bringing Carlton and Li towards them. Why?
And then this slightly confusing narrative is brought to a rushed end that is somewhat underwhelming.
A lot of knowledge and detail in this but ultimately doesn’t really bring it home in the end.
]]> 3.83 2024 Invasion (Luke Carlton #4)
author: Frank Gardner
name: Nick
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/06/03
shelves:
review:
A bit of an odd one this, the fourth thriller from Frank Gardner featuring Luke Carlton. I’ve read them all, but this one felt a bit different.
The themes here are China having cunning plans to take back Taiwan and a British “courier� going missing with potentially critical information. Like a Clancy novel, we see the big picture politics while also seeing the operatives on the ground. Here the operatives are Luke Carlton and fellow intelligence agent, Jenny Li. Carlton seems different from previous books, here he is a full tier one operator, in previous books I recall him differently, a background guy with an average military background. Anyway, off they go on the trail of the missing courier, being given very odd clues by very odd people. This is where it falls down really, the motive and opportunity for the bad guys to kidnap the courier and the thread bringing Carlton and Li towards them. Why?
And then this slightly confusing narrative is brought to a rushed end that is somewhat underwhelming.
A lot of knowledge and detail in this but ultimately doesn’t really bring it home in the end.

]]> Standing by the Wall 63214507
Here in Slough House, the intelligence service's home for inept spies, it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

Roddy Ho is used to being the one the slow horses turn to when they need miracles performed, and he's always been Jackson Lamb's Number Two. So when Lamb has a photograph that needs doctoring, it's Ho he entrusts with the task. Christmas is a time for memories, but Lamb doesn't do memories - or so he says. But what is it about the photo that makes him want to alter it? How would the slow horses cope if Roddy Ho didn't exist? And most importantly of all, are the team having Christmas drinks, and if so, where?

Standing by the Wall offers a glimpse into the kind of seasonal merriment you might expect at Slough House, where the boss generally marks the festive season with an increase in hostilities. But then, this is the secret service, not Secret Santa. And the slow horses aren't here to enjoy themselves.

Roddy Roddy Roddy? Ho Ho Ho!]]> 62 Mick Herron 139980782X Nick 5 Lots of Slough House banter and interaction and the clever and cutting dialogue you would expect.
Less than the price of a coffee and well worth it.
]]> 4.03 2022 Standing by the Wall
author: Mick Herron
name: Nick
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/05/26
shelves:
review:
It’s a short but important part of the Slough House saga. At a top level, Roddy Ho is given a job by Jackson Lamb but this short story also delivers a key pointer to the next book that fans will not want to miss (no spoilers).
Lots of Slough House banter and interaction and the clever and cutting dialogue you would expect.
Less than the price of a coffee and well worth it.

]]> <![CDATA[A God in Ruins (Todd Family, #2)]]> 3722183 Life After Life Ursula Todd lived through the turbulent events of the last century again and again. In A God in Ruins, Atkinson turns her focus on Ursula’s beloved younger brother Teddy � would-be poet, RAF bomber pilot, husband and father � as he navigates the perils and progress of the 20th century. For all Teddy endures in battle, his greatest challenge will be to face living in a future he never expected to have.]]> 480 Kate Atkinson 0316176532 Nick 4 Kate Atkinson is a fabulous writer but I liked this less than Life After Life with an ending that undermined much of what had gone before. Some very valid perspectives on what those young men went through, but there were also some unsympathetic characters that didn’t quite work, they were too unsympathetic.
]]> 3.91 2015 A God in Ruins (Todd Family, #2)
author: Kate Atkinson
name: Nick
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/05/17
shelves:
review:
“Life after Life� was an exceptional novel, head spinningly deep and clever. You probably need to read that before this. It features the Todd family again, but here the focus is on Teddy. It’s the story of his life so all the family and characters from Life After Life make obvious appearances as do his children and Grandchildren. At one level it is the life story of a dignified and quiet man living through a war experience and through to the end of a life that was defined by that experience. But it is also about his wartime spent in Bomber Command and a time when many many young men did not make it back from bomber raids. Being brave enough to fly out while knowing your chances of returning were low was what faced thousands of young men, including Teddy. Harrowing stuff.
Kate Atkinson is a fabulous writer but I liked this less than Life After Life with an ending that undermined much of what had gone before. Some very valid perspectives on what those young men went through, but there were also some unsympathetic characters that didn’t quite work, they were too unsympathetic.

]]> <![CDATA[Think Twice (Myron Bolitar, #12)]]> 198494009
Myron Bolitar and Windsor Horne Lockwood III� reunite to find a dead man come back to life in this gripping thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of I Will Find You.

Former basketball star Myron Bolitar has barely restarted his agency for sports stars and celebrities when two federal agents walk into his office, asking for answers. Assuming they want to talk about the highly publicized Callister murders—of which he and Win know nothing, other than what's been saturating the news lately—he's stunned when, instead, they demand to know where Greg Downing is.

Greg, a former NBA player-turned-beloved-coach, was an old client of Myron’s, one of his very first. The reason for Myron's surprise is simple: Greg Downing died three years ago.

But according to these federal agents, Greg is still alive—and somehow involved in the Callister case.

Before his death, Greg made some strange money moves, but nothing about his reappearance makes any sense. As Myron and Win investigate, they're also surprised to uncover a seemingly related case where someone was murdered. Then another. And another. Is Greg alive? And if he is, where is he? And ultimately, are they looking for Greg? Or are they looking for a dangerously clever serial killer?]]> 368 Harlan Coben 1538756315 Nick 5 Of course it’s good, these are fantastic characters and it is great to have them back. Interestingly the author takes a slightly different approach. You can tell he enjoyed writing this and he has moved Myron and Win forward a bit, so they are older and, at times, trying to question their own relationship. It’s a thriller and mystery, as you would suspect, but at the heart of this it is very much about relationships.
]]> 4.07 2024 Think Twice (Myron Bolitar, #12)
author: Harlan Coben
name: Nick
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/05/17
shelves:
review:
How fantastic to see the return of Myron and Win. It appears that Myron’s old rival, Greg Downing, is guilty of murder. The problem? He is dead and Myron even gave the eulogy at the funeral. So how can a dead man have committed murder? In typical Myron fashion, he is unable to leave things alone and as he investigates things get stranger and more dangerous.
Of course it’s good, these are fantastic characters and it is great to have them back. Interestingly the author takes a slightly different approach. You can tell he enjoyed writing this and he has moved Myron and Win forward a bit, so they are older and, at times, trying to question their own relationship. It’s a thriller and mystery, as you would suspect, but at the heart of this it is very much about relationships.

]]> Stormcrow (Stormcrow, #1) 165946672
It is a path that will lead to the court of the High King of Ireland, Máel Sechnaill, and to the Norse city of Dyflin, ruled by Sigtrygg Silkbeard. Crewing on a longship, Stormcrow raids up and down the Irish coastline, seeking not just riches but vengeance for his murdered father. Against a backdrop of political alliances made and broken, battles won and lost, Stormcrow's life as a Norse raider seems certain until he meets Sigtrygg's new wife.

In the eye of the storm, Stormcrow dices with death yet again.

Only the gods know if he will survive.]]> 320 Ben Kane 1398714631 Nick 5 It's a great twist on a Viking story with Ireland as an interesting, vibrant and dangerous background. And, obviously, Ben Kane knows how to engage the reader with both historical accuracy and great storytelling.]]> 4.13 Stormcrow (Stormcrow, #1)
author: Ben Kane
name: Nick
average rating: 4.13
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/05/17
shelves:
review:
Ben Kane turns his many talents towards a Viking adventure. Unusually this adventure is set in Ireland with a young Irish lad finding a sword on a beach and as a result, his life changes forever. When a family member is killed and the sword stolen, young Finn and his strange shamen friend Yekel, set out for revenge. His journey takes him to the powers that run ancient Ireland and the young men find themselves joining a longboat crew as raiders. And we see Finn turning into the warrior and Leader Stormcrow.
It's a great twist on a Viking story with Ireland as an interesting, vibrant and dangerous background. And, obviously, Ben Kane knows how to engage the reader with both historical accuracy and great storytelling.
]]> Dark Frontier 203578955 A thrilling historical western set in 1890s Oregon, from the author of the critically acclaimed Bernicia Chronicles. An English soldier turned policeman escapes to the American West for a new future, but life on the frontier proves far harder than he ever imagined...

A man can flee from everything but his own nature.

1890. Lieutenant Gabriel Stokes of the British Army left behind the horrors of war in Afghanistan for a role in the Metropolitan Police. Though he rose quickly through the ranks, the squalid violence of London's East End proved just as dark and oppressive as the battlefield.

With his life falling apart, and longing for peace and meaning, Gabriel leaves the grime of London behind and heads for the wilderness and wide open spaces of the American West.

He soon realises that the wilds of Oregon are far from the idyll he has yearned for. The Blue Mountains may be beautiful, but with the frontier a complex patchwork of feuds and felonies, and ranchers as vicious as any back alley cut-throat in London, Gabriel finds himself unable to escape his past and the demons that drive him. Can he find a place for himself on the far edge of the New World?]]> 464 Matthew Harffy 1804548596 Nick 5
Englishman Gabriel Stokes, and ex Royal Hussar and Met Policeman, goes to America to visit an old military friend. He arrives to find his friend dead and the West wilder than he can possibly imagine. His friend’s family are under threat from a cattle baron who wants their land, and what law there is, has been bought and paid for by the bad guy.

This is quite a familiar plot and could have been a lazy old school black hat v white hat western, but author Matthew Harffy gives this far more depth than one might expect. 1890s Oregon is presented in a bleak, and isolated time, the town of Huntington feels like it is a long way from anywhere and this enables a degree of lawlessness. Stokes is presented as a warrior and good guy, but very much out of his depth in a place that does not value honour and law, so his growth into his new reality is realistic and interesting.
This was great fun and I hope the series will continue.
]]> 4.36 Dark Frontier
author: Matthew Harffy
name: Nick
average rating: 4.36
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/05/12
shelves:
review:
It’s been a long time since I read a Western, and this book has reminded me how good they can be.

Englishman Gabriel Stokes, and ex Royal Hussar and Met Policeman, goes to America to visit an old military friend. He arrives to find his friend dead and the West wilder than he can possibly imagine. His friend’s family are under threat from a cattle baron who wants their land, and what law there is, has been bought and paid for by the bad guy.

This is quite a familiar plot and could have been a lazy old school black hat v white hat western, but author Matthew Harffy gives this far more depth than one might expect. 1890s Oregon is presented in a bleak, and isolated time, the town of Huntington feels like it is a long way from anywhere and this enables a degree of lawlessness. Stokes is presented as a warrior and good guy, but very much out of his depth in a place that does not value honour and law, so his growth into his new reality is realistic and interesting.
This was great fun and I hope the series will continue.

]]> A Spy Like Me (Double O, #2) 181110051 An elite team of MI6 agents must go undercover to unravel a smuggling network funding violent terror in the second thrilling adventure in the acclaimed Double O series by Kim Sherwood.

James Bond is alive.

Or at least, he was when he left a clue at the black site where the insidious private military company Rattenfänger held him captive. MI6 cannot spare any more lives attempting to track down one missing agent—no exceptions, even for Bond. But Johanna Harwood, 003, has her own agenda. Sidelined by her superiors while she grieves the loss of a loved one, Harwood goes on an unsanctioned mission: to find 007. Meanwhile, MI6 has another problem...

A bomb has been detonated in London.

Double O agents on the trail of the terrorists responsible acted quickly to prevent mass destruction and save lives. But MI6 failed to neutralize the nation’s enemies before they could strike, and one of their own was seriously injured in the blast.

They won’t fail again.

Assigned to root out the source of the terrorists� funding, Joseph Dryden, 004, and Conrad Harthrop-Vane, 000, enter the field. Tracing clues from Sotheby’s auction house to Crete to Venice, they uncover a money laundering scheme involving diamonds, black market antiquities, and human trafficking. Once a major sale is made, a six-day countdown to the next terror attack begins. As the Double O’s follow the twisting trail, they find themselves unexpectedly inching closer to Bond...]]> 384 Kim Sherwood 0063236575 Nick 3 Here we have Moneypenny in charge of the 00 section and she has the various agents tracking down a pipeline that provides the funding for terrorism.
The author’s style takes a little getting used to in terms of how she uses tense and while this is firmly in the world of Bond, this is about the other 00s chasing down the bad guys and trying to identify who heads up the pipeline.
Lots of interaction with individuals that have populated Bond’s history (more so than the previous book) which is fun for any Bond fan and some interesting ideas here.
It’s a very modern thriller in terms of approach and technology and perhaps misses some of the tension of the Bond books but certainly an interesting companion to them.
]]> 3.69 2024 A Spy Like Me (Double O, #2)
author: Kim Sherwood
name: Nick
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/05/09
shelves:
review:
The second book set in the world of James Bond (if not exactly featuring the missing spy).
Here we have Moneypenny in charge of the 00 section and she has the various agents tracking down a pipeline that provides the funding for terrorism.
The author’s style takes a little getting used to in terms of how she uses tense and while this is firmly in the world of Bond, this is about the other 00s chasing down the bad guys and trying to identify who heads up the pipeline.
Lots of interaction with individuals that have populated Bond’s history (more so than the previous book) which is fun for any Bond fan and some interesting ideas here.
It’s a very modern thriller in terms of approach and technology and perhaps misses some of the tension of the Bond books but certainly an interesting companion to them.

]]> <![CDATA[Empire of the Damned (Empire of the Vampire, #2)]]> 126918599
From holy cup comes holy light;
The faithful hands sets world aright.
And in the Seven Martyrs� sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.

Gabriel de León has saved the Holy Grail from death, but his chance to end the endless night is lost. Drawn into an uneasy alliance with the mysterious vampire Liathe, Gabriel must now deliver the Grail to ancients of the Blood Esani, and learn the truth of how Daysdeath might be finally undone.

But the Last Silversaint faces peril, within and without. Pursued by terrors of the Blood Voss, drawn into warfare between the Blood Dyvok and duskdancers of the frozen Highlands, and ravaged by his own rising bloodlust, Gabriel may not survive to see the Grail learn her truth.

And that truth may be too awful for any to imagine.]]> 709 Jay Kristoff 1250245338 Nick 5 In the devastated world of blood and darkness we learn about the different factions of vampires and their different agendas. We see far more of Gabriel’s sister, Celene and of course, humanity’s hope, Dior.
It’s a long and well written book, unusual that it doesn’t give you much hope for good over evil but keeps you engrossed none the less. This is good stuff.
]]> 4.55 2024 Empire of the Damned (Empire of the Vampire, #2)
author: Jay Kristoff
name: Nick
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/04/12
shelves:
review:
As bleak and grim as you would hope from a vampire story. Vampires are the dominant species in this, a world where most resistance has failed. From book one we have our not quite hero Gabriel a captive of the vampires and telling his story.
In the devastated world of blood and darkness we learn about the different factions of vampires and their different agendas. We see far more of Gabriel’s sister, Celene and of course, humanity’s hope, Dior.
It’s a long and well written book, unusual that it doesn’t give you much hope for good over evil but keeps you engrossed none the less. This is good stuff.

]]> <![CDATA[Blood Roses (The Warsaw Quartet #1)]]> 200119050
Former chief investigator Jan Kalisz lives a dangerous double life, forced to work with the occupiers as he gathers information for the fledgling Polish resistance. Even his family cannot be told his true allegiance.

When the niece of a Wehrmacht general is found terribly mutilated, Jan links the murder to other killings that are of less interest to his new overlords. Soon, he finds himself on the trail of a psychopathic killer known as The Artist. But, shunned as a Nazi collaborator, can he solve the case before another innocent girl is taken?

A chilling serial killer investigation, perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow's Blackout and the TV series Hannibal starring Mads Mikkelson.]]> 349 Douglas Jackson 1804365920 Nick 5
1939 and Warsaw has fallen to German occupation as the city becomes accustomed to their new status. Jan Kalisz starts work as an interpreter. His family and many citizens think he has turned traitor but in reality his is feeding information to the underground but can’t tell anyone. He is caught between doing his vital work and being despised by both his masters and his friends. As an ex detective he is supporting the new German police when it becomes apparent that there is a serial killer, and that killer might be German. The Germans are disinterested until the daughter of one of their senior officials is killed and now Kalisz has to not only play his double game, but help find a killer too.

The author is famous for his excellent Roman series and many of us have loved the adventures of Gaius Valerius Verrens through nine books. Now that historical and writing talent turns to another turbulent period of history. It took a little while to settle as we need to get a perspective of Warsaw at the time, the attitude of the Poles and Germans and the background of Kalisz. But then, about 25% of the book in, it started to fly and the menace and the situation under the Germans turns darker and darker and our hero is forced to make decisions that will see people dead. By the end of the book I was racing through to a very satisfying end. A brave and interesting choice to have Josef Mengele appear as a significant character and not as a cameo but as a fleshed out and interesting character.

Looking forward to the next one already.]]> 4.34 Blood Roses (The Warsaw Quartet #1)
author: Douglas Jackson
name: Nick
average rating: 4.34
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/03/10
shelves:
review:
Book one of the “Warsaw Quartet�, ideal for fans of Philip Kerr, this is no lazy copy of a Bernie Gunther type story, but this has the same overlay of menace.

1939 and Warsaw has fallen to German occupation as the city becomes accustomed to their new status. Jan Kalisz starts work as an interpreter. His family and many citizens think he has turned traitor but in reality his is feeding information to the underground but can’t tell anyone. He is caught between doing his vital work and being despised by both his masters and his friends. As an ex detective he is supporting the new German police when it becomes apparent that there is a serial killer, and that killer might be German. The Germans are disinterested until the daughter of one of their senior officials is killed and now Kalisz has to not only play his double game, but help find a killer too.

The author is famous for his excellent Roman series and many of us have loved the adventures of Gaius Valerius Verrens through nine books. Now that historical and writing talent turns to another turbulent period of history. It took a little while to settle as we need to get a perspective of Warsaw at the time, the attitude of the Poles and Germans and the background of Kalisz. But then, about 25% of the book in, it started to fly and the menace and the situation under the Germans turns darker and darker and our hero is forced to make decisions that will see people dead. By the end of the book I was racing through to a very satisfying end. A brave and interesting choice to have Josef Mengele appear as a significant character and not as a cameo but as a fleshed out and interesting character.

Looking forward to the next one already.
]]> <![CDATA[Weapons Grade (Jack Ryan Jr, #17; Jack Ryan Universe, #36)]]> 75480932 The aftermath of a shocking crime sends Jack Ryan, Jr., down a path that leads to international destruction in the latest entry in this #1 New York Times bestselling series.

The quiet of a Texas night is shattered by the sounds of screeching brakes, crumpling metal and, most shockingly, rapid gunfire. The auto accident Jack Ryan Jr thought he witnessed turned out to be a professional hit. Jack may be too late to save the victim, but he’ll be damned if he’s going to let the hitters escape justice.

He’s got just one lead—a meeting the victim was going to. When Jack shows up instead, he’s drawn into the seedy underbelly of a small, Texas town and the cold case of a college student who vanished from its streets.

Jack is left with nothing but questions. Who wants it to look like the victim was drunk? Why does someone want an innocent witness killed? And most of all, what’s a team of South African hitmen doing in the Lone Star State?

His quest for answers will take Jack from a quiet Texas road to the middle of an international conspiracy and may just cost him his life.]]> 507 Don Bentley 0593422821 Nick 4 Odd one this, Ryan jr gets involved in a very “Jack Reacher� type incident in a small Texan town. He tries to protect someone while some very bad people seem to be determined to stop him. I was massively cheered when, astonishingly, he calls his Campus colleagues for help. He actually does the sensible thing. For the first time. Ever. Anyway the author throws his two ex-Green Beret characters into the fray (to be fair they are good additions to the series) and we find how this bit of action might be linked to a bigger concern that President Ryan has with a nuclear threat. Coincidence? Massively! And it doesn’t stop there.
It kind of works. Some engaging characters and technology but more than a few “hang on a minute� moments. Towards the end President Ryan could have sent in Special Forces, he could have tasked air force jets, but no, he leaves it to plucky Junior. Whew.
But it’s not bad, it’s a quite readable technothriller and what we have come to expect from the authors at the helm now.
]]> 4.35 2023 Weapons Grade (Jack Ryan Jr, #17; Jack Ryan Universe, #36)
author: Don Bentley
name: Nick
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/03/10
shelves:
review:
Another in the endless continuation of Tom Clancy books. You just never know what you are going to get with a variety of authors trying to duplicate the magic.
Odd one this, Ryan jr gets involved in a very “Jack Reacher� type incident in a small Texan town. He tries to protect someone while some very bad people seem to be determined to stop him. I was massively cheered when, astonishingly, he calls his Campus colleagues for help. He actually does the sensible thing. For the first time. Ever. Anyway the author throws his two ex-Green Beret characters into the fray (to be fair they are good additions to the series) and we find how this bit of action might be linked to a bigger concern that President Ryan has with a nuclear threat. Coincidence? Massively! And it doesn’t stop there.
It kind of works. Some engaging characters and technology but more than a few “hang on a minute� moments. Towards the end President Ryan could have sent in Special Forces, he could have tasked air force jets, but no, he leaves it to plucky Junior. Whew.
But it’s not bad, it’s a quite readable technothriller and what we have come to expect from the authors at the helm now.

]]> <![CDATA[The Trials of Empire (Empire of the Wolf, #3)]]> 60028924
THE TIME OF JUDGEMENT IS AT HAND

The Empire of the Wolf is on its knees, but there's life in the great beast yet.

To save it, Sir Konrad Vonvalt and Helena must look beyond its borders for allies - to the wolfmen of the southern plains, and the pagan clans in the north. But old grievances run deep, and both factions would benefit from the fall of Sova.

Even these allies might not be enough. Their enemy, the zealot Bartholomew Claver, wields infernal powers bestowed on him by a mysterious demonic patron. If Vonvalt and Helena are to stand against him, they will need friends on both sides of the mortal plane—but such allegiances carry a heavy price.

As the battlelines are drawn in both Sova and the afterlife, the final reckoning draws close. Here, at the beating heart of the Empire, the two-headed wolf will be reborn in a blaze of justice . . . or crushed beneath the shadow of tyranny.]]> 496 Richard Swan 0356516474 Nick 5 We started with a “Justice� and his young clerk travelling the Sovan Empire dispensing the Emperor’s Justice. Some interesting aspects of Law, magic and the relationship between the Justice and young Helena. The second book threw that all apart as the structure of society is torn apart and suddenly everything changes.
The final book brings it all together and is perhaps the darkest and most complex of the trilogy. Justice Vonvalt must seek unexpected allies if the world is not to fall to darkness and horror. And the battles may need to be fought in other dimensions where daemons want to break through.
Sat within the story is the narrative from young Helena and in some degrees the story is hers. We’ve seen her grow and change as a character. From a teenager she is now 20 and very much pivotal to much of what happens.
Proper fantasy this, enjoyed it a lot. You MUST read them in order and you’ll be glad you did.
]]> 4.08 2024 The Trials of Empire (Empire of the Wolf, #3)
author: Richard Swan
name: Nick
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/02/08
shelves:
review:
The final book in a complex, deep and interesting trilogy.
We started with a “Justice� and his young clerk travelling the Sovan Empire dispensing the Emperor’s Justice. Some interesting aspects of Law, magic and the relationship between the Justice and young Helena. The second book threw that all apart as the structure of society is torn apart and suddenly everything changes.
The final book brings it all together and is perhaps the darkest and most complex of the trilogy. Justice Vonvalt must seek unexpected allies if the world is not to fall to darkness and horror. And the battles may need to be fought in other dimensions where daemons want to break through.
Sat within the story is the narrative from young Helena and in some degrees the story is hers. We’ve seen her grow and change as a character. From a teenager she is now 20 and very much pivotal to much of what happens.
Proper fantasy this, enjoyed it a lot. You MUST read them in order and you’ll be glad you did.

]]> <![CDATA[Don't Laugh, It'll Only Encourage Her]]> 57297528 Don't Laugh, It'll Only Encourage Her is the endearingly honest and hilarious memoir from the creator and star of award-winning BBC comedy This Country.
____

When things were really bad, Mum would always say to me:

'Don't worry, it will be a good read for your memoir one day.'

'Mum, I auditioned to be a stripper by snogging a pole and was laughed off the stage by a bunch of topless dancers.'

'Well that can go in the memoir.'

'Mum, I spent all my student loan accidently on a penthouse suite in a fancy hotel in Marble Arch, now I face getting kicked out of drama school.'

'That's a good one for the memoir.'

'Mum, sorry I'm late for dinner, I had to work late at my cleaning job because someone balanced a Quaver packet full of piss on the radiator in the boy's toilets, and I didn't realise until I picked it up, so I had to wash the piss off me in the sink while trying to learn my lines for that Call the Midwife audition I have in London tomorrow.'

'Memoir...'

I have lived the most humiliating, ridiculous, screw-up of a life but Mum was right, you've just got to remember, sometimes the worst experiences make the most entertaining stories.
_____]]> 320 Daisy May Cooper 0241503590 Nick 2 But I had heard good things about this book, the story of her success with anecdotes. The stars are her parents with patient support of her ambitions. She certainly tried very hard to get an opportunity. But, and it’s a big but, I didn’t find her anecdotes overly funny or interesting.
This Country was great, this isn’t.]]> 4.08 Don't Laugh, It'll Only Encourage Her
author: Daisy May Cooper
name: Nick
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/02/02
shelves:
review:
I am conflicted. I think Daisy May Cooper is a very talented actress but I struggle with her she when appears as herself (Buzzcocks, Taskmaster) as her humour seems forced and, sadly, not funny.
But I had heard good things about this book, the story of her success with anecdotes. The stars are her parents with patient support of her ambitions. She certainly tried very hard to get an opportunity. But, and it’s a big but, I didn’t find her anecdotes overly funny or interesting.
This Country was great, this isn’t.
]]> <![CDATA[The Burning Land (The Talmont Trilogy #1)]]> 175359573
When the Falcons take a Vyr alive, they go against the protocols of the Vestal Order and interrogate him. They are horrified to learn, if the Vyr speaks truly, that the Empire's worst enemy may not be the Vyr . . . but the Vestal Order itself.

Led by the charismatic Romara Challys, the Falcons go rogue, their quest for the truth taking them through burning forests, lost ruins and the uncanny traces of a dying race, desperate to find answers . . . before it's too late.

But the Vestal Order has no plans to let Challys and her knights succeed in their mission. With the greatest knight in history and an army of fanatics at their heels, the Falcons must evade capture and discover the truth as soon as possible. Because time is running out . . . for everyone.]]> 550 David Hair 1529422868 Nick 4 Except the lines get blurred as to who are actually the bad guys, and as our gang dare to question things they find themselves hunted by both their colleagues and those they once hunted.
Some good characterisations, liked the strong female commander who has to hand command over to someone else who doesn’t want it. As we progress through the story there are revelations from their colleagues and suspicions that not much of what they know is true.
Solid fantasy here with an interesting plot and characters with depth. Good stuff.
]]> 3.94 The Burning Land (The Talmont Trilogy #1)
author: David Hair
name: Nick
average rating: 3.94
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/01/31
shelves:
review:
My first book from this author and I enjoyed it. A brave bunch of knights using power drawn from certain “nodes� are fighting against deformed citizens who have powers of their own.
Except the lines get blurred as to who are actually the bad guys, and as our gang dare to question things they find themselves hunted by both their colleagues and those they once hunted.
Some good characterisations, liked the strong female commander who has to hand command over to someone else who doesn’t want it. As we progress through the story there are revelations from their colleagues and suspicions that not much of what they know is true.
Solid fantasy here with an interesting plot and characters with depth. Good stuff.

]]> <![CDATA[Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond Fan]]> 15940133 384 Mark O'Connell 0956950574 Nick 4 Alongside the perspective of his youthful obsession we get some adult analysis of the films.
Two other aspects here, Mark’s Grandfather was actually Cubby Broccoli’s driver, so had a close association with Eon Productions and the Bond films! Young Mark didn’t abuse that relationship anything like I would have done!
Finally Mark is gay so there is also a coming of age/self discovery link here, again gently told against the context of a masculine Bond character and plenty of Bond girls.
Well written and interesting stuff.
]]> 3.96 2012 Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond Fan
author: Mark O'Connell
name: Nick
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/01/31
shelves:
review:
A quirky look at James Bond but one that many will relate to. Mark O’Connell is introduced to the Bond films at age nine. We see his excitement grow into an obsession as he catches up with the various films and Bond actors. These were the years before saturation TV so a Christmas Bond film was a big thing, as was a new film release. You forget how starved of information fans were pre internet and the joy of magazines like “Look In� having a Bond article or news.
Alongside the perspective of his youthful obsession we get some adult analysis of the films.
Two other aspects here, Mark’s Grandfather was actually Cubby Broccoli’s driver, so had a close association with Eon Productions and the Bond films! Young Mark didn’t abuse that relationship anything like I would have done!
Finally Mark is gay so there is also a coming of age/self discovery link here, again gently told against the context of a masculine Bond character and plenty of Bond girls.
Well written and interesting stuff.

]]> <![CDATA[Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead (Corax Trilogy #1)]]> 61030541
Over the years, Saevus Corax has picked up a lot of things. Some of them have made him decent money, others have brought nothing but trouble. But it’s a living, and somebody has to deal with the dead.

Something else that Saevus has buried is his past. Unfortunately, he didn’t quite succeed.]]> 400 K.J. Parker 0316668907 Nick 5 Saevus is a battlefield “cleaner upper�, there is money to be made from salvage and body disposal! Sev is smart. Smart enough to keep one step ahead of his enemies, but also too smart for his own good. Things go wrong when his rather complicated past starts to catch up with him.
I absolutely loved “Sixteen ways to defend a walled city� and this has similar themes, so not totally “fresh� but full of great characters and situations.
]]> 3.83 2023 Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead (Corax Trilogy #1)
author: K.J. Parker
name: Nick
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/01/31
shelves:
review:
The first in a trilogy from the very talented KJ Parker (Tom Holt). Fantasy with dark humour and digs at politics, war and traditional fantasy themes.
Saevus is a battlefield “cleaner upper�, there is money to be made from salvage and body disposal! Sev is smart. Smart enough to keep one step ahead of his enemies, but also too smart for his own good. Things go wrong when his rather complicated past starts to catch up with him.
I absolutely loved “Sixteen ways to defend a walled city� and this has similar themes, so not totally “fresh� but full of great characters and situations.

]]> <![CDATA[Jason Apsley's Second Chance (Jason Apsley #1)]]> 56784024 If you were catapulted back to 1976, what would you do?


Meet Jason Apsley, a forty-two-year-old divorcee, who's an opinionated miserable bugger. Struggling with life which is exacerbated by his negative attitude.
A random event shifts time, causing Jason to continue life in 1976, six months before he's due to be born. Leaving behind Beth, his one and only friend who supported him through some difficult times. Can life get any worse?
Although Jason is the same person, he finds himself teleported into the life of another Jason Apsley from a different generation, one with a very different outlook on life. All alone, Jason tries to enlist the support of his grandfather on this turbulent journey and finds he has to adapt quickly as every encounter brings further head-spinning challenges.
But what of Beth, his one true friend who suffered a traumatic childhood. Will Jason be brave enough to seize this opportunity to change her past?
Can Jason change the future and become more like other Jason, or will time refuse to bend?
Will Jason learn from his past and take this second chance?]]> 362 Adrian Cousins Nick 3 So he adapts to his new life and tries to fix a few things.
No explanation as to why he has gone back so this ends up as an okay and undemanding “what if�.
]]> 4.30 2021 Jason Apsley's Second Chance (Jason Apsley #1)
author: Adrian Cousins
name: Nick
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/01/31
shelves:
review:
A gentle time travel novel. A bit like Life On Mars, guy has car crash and finds himself back in the 70’s before he was born. So a bit of a “what would you do� type thing, but luckily his “new� self seems quite well off, although he misses the obvious opportunity to make more money through betting on sporting events etc.
So he adapts to his new life and tries to fix a few things.
No explanation as to why he has gone back so this ends up as an okay and undemanding “what if�.

]]> <![CDATA[Breaker Marine (Star Breaker #1)]]> 58593821
A military sci-fi adventure from Amazon All-Star author James David Victor

Holly Cropper grew up as a Breaker, mining the outer reaches of space. Now, she’s an up-and-coming lieutenant in the Earth Alliance Marines. Her mission: keep the peace and help humanity survive in the endless darkness of space. When a distress call comes in from a large mining vessel, her orderly world gets turned upside down. What starts with a simple pirate takeover turns into a hostile alien invasion. This Breaker Marine and her small team might be the only thing standing between humanity and annihilation at the hands of ancient aliens.

Breaker Marine is the first book in the Star Breaker series. If you like fast-paced space adventures with interesting characters who battle aliens, evil corporations, and space pirates, Holly Cropper and her team of Marines are ready to share their epic adventure with you.]]> 136 James David Victor Nick 3 The author writes this kind of stuff very well and his characters here pull the story along.
Not bad easy reading.]]> 4.07 Breaker Marine (Star Breaker #1)
author: James David Victor
name: Nick
average rating: 4.07
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/01/31
shelves:
review:
Space action here as a very small team of marines are sent in their small ship to investigate why a mining vessel has “gone dark�. Cue space pirates and alien invasion!
The author writes this kind of stuff very well and his characters here pull the story along.
Not bad easy reading.
]]> <![CDATA[Imperial Deserter (Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire #1)]]> 61027313
Dirriken Friedel used his aristocratic connections to rescue his troops. He didn’t plan on starting a war or killing them himself. Now he spends his days in jail, waiting for an assassin sent by his dead officers' families to end his misery. When he’s broken out by off-duty marines he has a chance to start over, if he’s worthy. During his ramshackle escape he collects a broken-down trading ship, a bitter former army officer, a genetically altered religious fanatic, a runaway ingenue, a sham engineer, and a murderous femme fatal. Pursed by a fanatical imperial tribune bent on bloody justice, can he keep the crew from killing each other, the ship from exploding, and himself from the bottom of a bottle. Or would it be easier just to give up?]]> 372 Andrew Moriarty Nick 2 Anyway group of strangers, all with hidden secrets band together to run from their various problems on a “borrowed� spaceship.
Don’t bother.]]> 4.33 2022 Imperial Deserter (Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire #1)
author: Andrew Moriarty
name: Nick
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves:
review:
This book is somewhat schizophrenic insofar as it has no clear identity. Hard going stuff with characters that are hard to relate to or emphasise with. The story veers between a Firefly type adventure and mildly comic zany adventures. Which doesn’t work and is not helped by some utterly terrible dialogue.
Anyway group of strangers, all with hidden secrets band together to run from their various problems on a “borrowed� spaceship.
Don’t bother.
]]> <![CDATA[Arthur (The Arthurian Tales, #3)]]> 198678954
Yet old Beran has no love of bards' songs. Nor of people, unless they are paying him to steal or kill. He is a mercenary, in the employ of the cutthroat Nabor ap Nabor, and he has been ordered to murder a boy fleeing a burning city. No ordinary boy either. No, this boy is the son of King Constantine and the grandson of High King Ambrosius. And he could be the hope of Britain . . . if he lives.

Betraying his companions and returning to a world he thought he had left forever, Beran gives his word that he will take the boy to the one place that still holds out against the Camelot.

Crossing a hostile land, they will meet the runaway lovers, Tristan and Isolde. They will seek the help of Guivret, called the Little King, and the Saracen, Palamedes, who once rode beneath Arthur's banner.

Hunted by Saxons, Nabor ap Nabor, and Queen Morgana, this unlikely band must fight for their lives and for each other. For if there's to be any hope for Britain, Beran must deliver the boy to Camelot. But to do that, he must also face his own past . . .]]> 505 Giles Kristian 1473595258 Nick 5 So, the final book. It is a story set over two periods, that of a young Arthur growing into the man and leader he would become and many years after Arthur’s final battle where it looks like the Saxons are here to stay and the Britains are desperately looking for a leader to inspire them.
All three books capture a time in history, many years after the departure of the Romans and a post Arthur Britain being unable to hold off the Saxons. A space for Giles Kristian to place characters of legend and make you feel that not only were they real, but to tie you emotionally to them.
You need to read the trilogy in order, you should already have read the first two and this ties it off in just the satisfying and emotional way you would hope for. This is proper storytelling that does not let down those characters of legend.
]]> 4.50 2024 Arthur (The Arthurian Tales, #3)
author: Giles Kristian
name: Nick
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves:
review:
A brilliant end to an outstanding trilogy. The trilogy is obviously Arthurian but mostly about other characters, Lancelot and Galahad and mainly set in the aftermath of Arthur’s time when Britain was losing its identity to the invading Saxons.
So, the final book. It is a story set over two periods, that of a young Arthur growing into the man and leader he would become and many years after Arthur’s final battle where it looks like the Saxons are here to stay and the Britains are desperately looking for a leader to inspire them.
All three books capture a time in history, many years after the departure of the Romans and a post Arthur Britain being unable to hold off the Saxons. A space for Giles Kristian to place characters of legend and make you feel that not only were they real, but to tie you emotionally to them.
You need to read the trilogy in order, you should already have read the first two and this ties it off in just the satisfying and emotional way you would hope for. This is proper storytelling that does not let down those characters of legend.

]]> <![CDATA[Against All Odds (Grimm's War, #1)]]> 59775812
Until they discover the ships are full of children.

Disgraced and denied promotion, Jacob's career is over. That is until the head of ONI needs a disposable officer to command a battered destroyer on the rim.]]> 448 Jeffery H. Haskell Nick 4 Lt Grimm is guilty of a tragic mistake and has been ostracised by the Alliance Navy. Astonishingly he is given command of a clapped out ship on the borders. Turns out things are happening and he may be the only one to prevent disaster, if he can sort out his ship and crew.
Good characterisation and a good page turning pace. Grimm is slightly too perfect in his leadership and decisions but that aside this was an entertaining read.
]]> 4.48 2022 Against All Odds (Grimm's War, #1)
author: Jeffery H. Haskell
name: Nick
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/01/10
shelves:
review:
This is a fun bit of Sci-Fi military action.
Lt Grimm is guilty of a tragic mistake and has been ostracised by the Alliance Navy. Astonishingly he is given command of a clapped out ship on the borders. Turns out things are happening and he may be the only one to prevent disaster, if he can sort out his ship and crew.
Good characterisation and a good page turning pace. Grimm is slightly too perfect in his leadership and decisions but that aside this was an entertaining read.

]]> <![CDATA[Force of Nature (Aaron Falk, #2)]]> 34275222
Only four come out on the other side.

The hike through the rugged Giralang Ranges is meant to take the office colleagues out of their air-conditioned comfort zone and encourage teamwork and resilience. At least, that's what the corporate retreat website advertises.

Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk has a keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing hiker, Alice Russell. Because Alice knew secrets, about the company she worked for and the people she worked with.

The four returning women tell Falk a tale of fear, violence and fractured trust during their days in the remote Australian bushland. And as Falk delves into the disappearance of Alice, he begins to suspect some dangers ran far deeper than anyone knew.]]> 326 Jane Harper 1250105633 Nick 3
Here we have a corporate retreat, a hiking and camping trip roughing it in the Australian Bush. A group of five women set off but only four make it back. What exactly happened? Alice, the missing woman is of particular interest to Police investigators Aaron Falk and Carmen Cooper as she is a corporate whistleblower with key information on a case of theirs.

We see the real time search and investigation and are drip fed chapters of what actually happened on the hike as backgrounds, agendas and relationships are opened up.

It’s okay, not spectacular. The terrain is not the baking hot Australian Bush you imagine, this is more like a wet and windy Dartmoor. The characters from the corporate firm are all a little over the top, nobody seems normal. The story is exposed slice by slice and red herrings are thrown all over the place. In the end, considering all the “noise�, the ending felt a little flat.
]]> 3.78 2017 Force of Nature (Aaron Falk, #2)
author: Jane Harper
name: Nick
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/01/07
shelves:
review:
My first Jane Harper, I do have The Dry but haven’t picked it up yet.

Here we have a corporate retreat, a hiking and camping trip roughing it in the Australian Bush. A group of five women set off but only four make it back. What exactly happened? Alice, the missing woman is of particular interest to Police investigators Aaron Falk and Carmen Cooper as she is a corporate whistleblower with key information on a case of theirs.

We see the real time search and investigation and are drip fed chapters of what actually happened on the hike as backgrounds, agendas and relationships are opened up.

It’s okay, not spectacular. The terrain is not the baking hot Australian Bush you imagine, this is more like a wet and windy Dartmoor. The characters from the corporate firm are all a little over the top, nobody seems normal. The story is exposed slice by slice and red herrings are thrown all over the place. In the end, considering all the “noise�, the ending felt a little flat.

]]> <![CDATA[Relight My Fire (Stranger Times, #4)]]> 141310699
Stella is enjoying life as an almost student, or at least she is until a man falls from the sky right in front of her, leaving a big old hole in the pavement for Manchester Council to fill. The obvious question of how he ended up in the sky in the first place has no obvious answers, which is where The Stranger Times come in. This isn't just the hunt for another story though. Dark powers think Stella might have been involved and the only way she and the team can prove her innocence is to find out what the hell is really going on. What have dodgy gear, disturbed graves and a decommissioned rock star got to do with all this?

Vincent Banecroft has problems of his own in the form of a tall, dark but-definitely-not-handsome man dressed like a one-man funeral who has been sent to make the paper's editor atone for his sins. Once he finds out exactly what that entails, Banecroft is not keen. Being banished to a Hellscape for all eternity looks like being no fun at all, not least because he has that pale Irish skin that burns really easily . . .

All that plus territorial ghouls, homicidal felines, eternal (and seemingly unstoppable) gnomes and a celebrity 'Who's Who' that'd put a royal wedding to shame, and you're looking at a wild few days for The Stranger Times .]]> 521 C.K. McDonnell Nick 5 Cue flying people, drugs and grave robbers. What they might have in common is something the team have to find out, not least because one of their own is threatened and, even worse, the Editor Banecroft has someone who wants him in Hell, soonish.
Great characters as always. Banecroft has a similar character to Jackson Lamb in the Slow Horses spy series, which makes him unpleasantly entertaining. The crew get stuck into their investigations not realsing there might be a lot of familiar dead people cause trouble in their future.
Great fun, easy reading and plenty of clever humour. Another winner.
]]> 4.45 2024 Relight My Fire (Stranger Times, #4)
author: C.K. McDonnell
name: Nick
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/01/03
shelves:
review:
More fun with the diverse team at Manchester’s Stranger Times newspaper. As always it seems the author is enjoying his books as much as the reader.
Cue flying people, drugs and grave robbers. What they might have in common is something the team have to find out, not least because one of their own is threatened and, even worse, the Editor Banecroft has someone who wants him in Hell, soonish.
Great characters as always. Banecroft has a similar character to Jackson Lamb in the Slow Horses spy series, which makes him unpleasantly entertaining. The crew get stuck into their investigations not realsing there might be a lot of familiar dead people cause trouble in their future.
Great fun, easy reading and plenty of clever humour. Another winner.

]]> The Secret Hours 123727738
But MI5’s formidable First Desk did not become Britain’s top spy by accident, and she has successfully thwarted the inquiry at every turn. Now the administration that created Monochrome has been ousted, the investigation is a total bust—and Griselda and Malcolm are stuck watching as their career prospects are washed away by the pounding London rain.

Until the eve of Monochrome’s shuttering, when an MI5 case file appears without explanation. It is the buried history of a classified operation in 1994 Berlin—an operation that ended in tragedy and scandal, whose cover-up has rewritten thirty years of Service history.

The Secret Hours is a dazzling entry point into Mick Herron’s body of work, a standalone spy thriller that is at once unnerving, poignant, and laugh-out-loud funny. It is also the breathtaking secret history that Slough House fans have been waiting for.]]> 384 Mick Herron 164129521X Nick 4 The story is told through a modern day commission tasked with reviewing some allegations but in reality expected to find nothing and just suck up time. The whole review is set up by a vindictive PM and his chief advisor (with very close similarity to real people) but a shock photo is discovered that might be crucial and changes everything.

It’s a story of a time in history with the author’s great ability in terms of character and dialogue. His clever plotting and sense of place and sly humour is here as usual and, while this is not a Slough House novel, it is essential reading for fans of that series.
]]> 4.08 2023 The Secret Hours
author: Mick Herron
name: Nick
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/11/30
shelves:
review:
This is not a “Slough House� story, but it is set in the same world but mainly in Berlin after the collapse of the wall. It’s a game of “Joes� and shadows as a new recruit is sent over to do an audit, and with a side mission to report back on concerns that the spooks over there have gone a bit native. And, of course, there might be a leak somewhere too.
The story is told through a modern day commission tasked with reviewing some allegations but in reality expected to find nothing and just suck up time. The whole review is set up by a vindictive PM and his chief advisor (with very close similarity to real people) but a shock photo is discovered that might be crucial and changes everything.

It’s a story of a time in history with the author’s great ability in terms of character and dialogue. His clever plotting and sense of place and sly humour is here as usual and, while this is not a Slough House novel, it is essential reading for fans of that series.

]]> The Year of the Locust 23492806
But some places don't play by the rules. Some places are too dangerous, even for a man of Kane's experience. The badlands where the borders of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan meet are such a place - a place where violence is the only way to survive.

Kane travels there to exfiltrate a man with vital information for the safety of the West - but instead he meets an adversary who will take the world to the brink of extinction. A frightening, clever, vicious man with blood on his hands and vengeance in his heart...

'Worth the wait... an often captivating, mass-market adventure story' The Times
'Compelling, nerve-jangling and breathlessly exciting... Totally immersive' Irish Independent
'As good, if not better, than Hayes' debut. Don't make any plans for the week after you start reading' Daily Mirror
'Compare this with the thrillers written by Mr or Mrs Clinton, and you come away feeling that Hayes is the one who has more inside knowledge' Telegraph
'Move over Jason Bourne. CIA operative Kane redefines the smart but vulnerable bad ass super spy in this dazzling cat-and-mouse thriller where the entire globe is a chessboard, and everyone’s playing for keeps' Lisa Gardner]]> 787 Terry Hayes 1439177759 Nick 4 It’s strange, it appears to be a standard spy novel about the hunt for a major terrorist and then the author throws in a totally unexpected curve ball that is definitely different but I suspect many readers will be bemused by it.
I did enjoy it and the fact it was unusual in both length and ambition. Slight feel of either two books shoehorned into one or a “not sure how to end this, so why not go totally off piste�, which does distract from the line of the story.

But there are many thrillers out there that stay safe, and while you might find elements of this frustration, it dares to go big.

Sent from my iPad]]> 3.26 2023 The Year of the Locust
author: Terry Hayes
name: Nick
average rating: 3.26
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/11/28
shelves:
review:
It’s been a long ten years since the rather brilliant I Am Pilgrim and author Terry Hayes does give us something very different here. Yep it’s a big old thriller, but while 90% thriller there are unexpected bits of sci-fi and post apocalyptic stuff going on too.
It’s strange, it appears to be a standard spy novel about the hunt for a major terrorist and then the author throws in a totally unexpected curve ball that is definitely different but I suspect many readers will be bemused by it.
I did enjoy it and the fact it was unusual in both length and ambition. Slight feel of either two books shoehorned into one or a “not sure how to end this, so why not go totally off piste�, which does distract from the line of the story.

But there are many thrillers out there that stay safe, and while you might find elements of this frustration, it dares to go big.

Sent from my iPad
]]> <![CDATA[Rebellion (Eagles of the Empire #22)]]> 111680419
The 22nd Eagles of the Empire novel.

AD 60. Britannia is in turmoil. The rebel leader Boudica has tasted victory, against a force of tough veterans in Camulodunum.

Alerted to the rapidly spreading uprising, Governor Suetonius leads his army towards endangered Londinium with a mounted escort, led by Prefect Cato. Soon it's terrifyingly clear that Britannia is slipping into chaos and panic, with ever more tribal warriors swelling Boudica's ranks. And Cato and Suetonius are grimly aware that little preparation has been made to withstand a full-scale rebellion.

In Londinium there is devastating news. Centurion Macro is amongst those unaccounted for after the massacre at Camulodunum. Has Cato's comrade and friend made his last stand?

Facing disaster, Cato prepares his next move. Dare he hope that Macro - battle-scarred and fearless - has escaped the bloodthirsty rebels? For there is only one man Cato trusts by his side as he faces the military campaign of his life. And the future of the Empire in Britannia hangs in the balance.]]> 424 Simon Scarrow 1472287096 Nick 5 Anyway, we are still in Britain in AD60 and the peasants are revolting. The various tribes have united under Boudica as a result of Roman arrogance and over taxing the population. And Boudica’s forces are too great for the stretched out Romans and Londinium is clearly in their sights.
This is the Romans in clear retreat, trying to find somewhere to defend against overwhelming odds.
There will be a third linked book, but this basically concludes a two part story and that of Boudica’s uprising. It tells the history well while involving our two main characters in the events. Takes them a while to link up but the magic is there when they do.
A perfect blend of history, action and well defined and engaging characters
]]> 4.55 2023 Rebellion (Eagles of the Empire #22)
author: Simon Scarrow
name: Nick
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/11/26
shelves:
review:
The previous book in the series (Death to the Emperor) was, in a way, both unusual and half a story. Unusual in that Cato and Macro spend much of the book apart and the story is not resolved. A part one if you like.
Anyway, we are still in Britain in AD60 and the peasants are revolting. The various tribes have united under Boudica as a result of Roman arrogance and over taxing the population. And Boudica’s forces are too great for the stretched out Romans and Londinium is clearly in their sights.
This is the Romans in clear retreat, trying to find somewhere to defend against overwhelming odds.
There will be a third linked book, but this basically concludes a two part story and that of Boudica’s uprising. It tells the history well while involving our two main characters in the events. Takes them a while to link up but the magic is there when they do.
A perfect blend of history, action and well defined and engaging characters

]]> <![CDATA[The Aeronaut's Windlass (The Cinder Spires, #1)]]> 24876258
Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity, towering for miles over the mist-shrouded surface of the world. Within their halls, aristocratic houses have ruled for generations, developing scientific marvels, fostering trade alliances, and building fleets of airships to keep the peace.

Captain Grimm commands the merchant ship, Predator. Fiercely loyal to Spire Albion, he has taken their side in the cold war with Spire Aurora, disrupting the enemy’s shipping lines by attacking their cargo vessels. But when the Predator is severely damaged in combat, leaving captain and crew grounded, Grimm is offered a proposition from the Spirearch of Albion—to join a team of agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring Predator to its fighting glory.

And even as Grimm undertakes this dangerous task, he will learn that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come. Humanity’s ancient enemy, silent for more than ten thousand years, has begun to stir once more. And death will follow in its wake…]]> 630 Jim Butcher 0451466802 Nick 5 A small team of young Guardsmen and an experienced Captain and his air ship are given a mission just as a sneaky attack changes everything. Up against terrible odds and foes, they will have to rely on their colleagues and their abilities. And the cats of course.
Jim Butcher’s humour drips all over this, as does some great dialogue delivered by entertaining characters.
Really enjoyed it.
]]> 4.15 2015 The Aeronaut's Windlass (The Cinder Spires, #1)
author: Jim Butcher
name: Nick
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/11/08
shelves:
review:
Some fun world building here. Floating societies, power jewels and an entertaining dash of steam punk. Oh, and cats. Lots of cats.
A small team of young Guardsmen and an experienced Captain and his air ship are given a mission just as a sneaky attack changes everything. Up against terrible odds and foes, they will have to rely on their colleagues and their abilities. And the cats of course.
Jim Butcher’s humour drips all over this, as does some great dialogue delivered by entertaining characters.
Really enjoyed it.

]]> Kingpin (Joe DeMarco, #17) 128713431 282 Mike Lawson 0802160883 Nick 5 joe DeMarco is a fixer for congressman John Mahoney who uses him for things best kept in the background. DeMarco is no criminal, but he plays close to the line to get things done, but he’d much rather be playing golf.
DeMarco is avoiding a job he’s been given and is mainly concerned about his air conditioning. The last thing he wants is another job from his boss, but he is tasked with investigating the death of an intern and the more he looks the more he thinks a drug overdose might actually be murder. But when money and politics are involved, anything could happen.
The author nails it again. Entertaining characters and a clever and engaging plot. Mike Lawton has a real talent for understanding how things work and placing believable and entertaining characters in his plots. This is a thriller but you will find yourself grinning at the cleverness of it.
Really enjoyed this, but I knew I would.

Very grateful to the publishers for an advance copy]]> 4.07 2024 Kingpin (Joe DeMarco, #17)
author: Mike Lawson
name: Nick
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/10/25
shelves:
review:
I am a massive fan of this very talented author and this book didn’t disappoint.
joe DeMarco is a fixer for congressman John Mahoney who uses him for things best kept in the background. DeMarco is no criminal, but he plays close to the line to get things done, but he’d much rather be playing golf.
DeMarco is avoiding a job he’s been given and is mainly concerned about his air conditioning. The last thing he wants is another job from his boss, but he is tasked with investigating the death of an intern and the more he looks the more he thinks a drug overdose might actually be murder. But when money and politics are involved, anything could happen.
The author nails it again. Entertaining characters and a clever and engaging plot. Mike Lawton has a real talent for understanding how things work and placing believable and entertaining characters in his plots. This is a thriller but you will find yourself grinning at the cleverness of it.
Really enjoyed this, but I knew I would.

Very grateful to the publishers for an advance copy
]]> The First 48 Hours 130817808 AND THE CLOCK IS TICKING

A COP NEEDS TO CRACK A DEADLY CASE
He's a detective hunting cold-blooded killers, but does he know more than he admits?

A MOTHER HAS TO SAVE HER DAUGHTER
She's a lawyer who must defend a murderer - but how far will she go to protect her only child?

A COUPLE WILL COMMIT THE PERFECT CRIME
They have a foolproof plan but will they get away with the money...and their lives?

THREE STORIES. TWO DAYS. DOES ONE SECRET CONNECT THEM ALL?
THE FIRST 48 HOURS...MAY ALSO BE THEIR LAST.]]> 339 Simon Kernick Nick 5 A group of kidnappers are making good money from targeted kidnappings, helped by a crooked cop who knows the system and is on the investigation team. Not many good guys or girls in this and quite a lot of bad ones.
Can our crooked cop delay the investigation long enough for a final score, and what will he do when things start to spiral out of control?
Simon Kernick at his best here, this is the very definition of a page turning thriller with lots of shocks you didn’t think were coming.
Brilliant thrill ride.
]]> 4.13 2023 The First 48 Hours
author: Simon Kernick
name: Nick
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/10/25
shelves:
review:
Wow. Just wow. Buckle up for this one, I can’t remember another book with so many twists thrown into page turning thrills.
A group of kidnappers are making good money from targeted kidnappings, helped by a crooked cop who knows the system and is on the investigation team. Not many good guys or girls in this and quite a lot of bad ones.
Can our crooked cop delay the investigation long enough for a final score, and what will he do when things start to spiral out of control?
Simon Kernick at his best here, this is the very definition of a page turning thriller with lots of shocks you didn’t think were coming.
Brilliant thrill ride.

]]> KENNEDY 35 (BOX 88 #3) 61675178 1995: In the wake of the Rwandan genocide, 24-year-old spy Lachlan Kite and his girlfriend, Martha Raine, are sent to Senegal on the trail of a hunted war criminal. The mission threatens to spiral out of control, forcing Kite to make choices which will have devastating consequences not only for his career at top-secret intelligence agency BOX 88, but also for his relationship with Martha.

The present day: Eric Appiah, an old friend from Senegal days, makes contact with Kite claiming to have explosive information about the activities of the Chinese government in Africa. When tragedy strikes, Kite finds himself in the crosshairs of a ruthless international plot which threatens to unravel everything he holds dear.]]> 332 Charles Cumming 0008363536 Nick 5 This is the third in the Box 88 series, about a global organisation able to act outside the bureaucracy of the intelligence services, indeed many operatives who think they are working for domestic intelligence services are actually working for Box 88.
This is a story rooted in 1995 where the horrors of the genocide in Rwanda are still fresh. A British team, including new recruit Lachlan kite botch the extraction of a Rwandan war criminal from Senegal.
Moving forward to the present day and Kite now heads up Box 88 and the past catches up with a reporter about to name names and violent people who want the past to stay buried.
It’s complex and intelligent stuff. The section set in Senegal has the real old school spy feel and the current stuff is that of modern technology and thinking, it’s a great comparison.
Charles Cumming is writing this stuff better than any other living author.
]]> 4.29 KENNEDY 35 (BOX 88 #3)
author: Charles Cumming
name: Nick
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/10/25
shelves:
review:
Proper and thoughtful spy thriller here from an author who really know what he is doing.
This is the third in the Box 88 series, about a global organisation able to act outside the bureaucracy of the intelligence services, indeed many operatives who think they are working for domestic intelligence services are actually working for Box 88.
This is a story rooted in 1995 where the horrors of the genocide in Rwanda are still fresh. A British team, including new recruit Lachlan kite botch the extraction of a Rwandan war criminal from Senegal.
Moving forward to the present day and Kite now heads up Box 88 and the past catches up with a reporter about to name names and violent people who want the past to stay buried.
It’s complex and intelligent stuff. The section set in Senegal has the real old school spy feel and the current stuff is that of modern technology and thinking, it’s a great comparison.
Charles Cumming is writing this stuff better than any other living author.

]]> <![CDATA[Sharpe's Command (Sharpe, #23)]]> 60537198
The brand new novel from Bernard Cornwell in the globally bestselling Sharpe series.

Spain, 1812. Richard Sharpe, the most brilliant � but the most wayward � soldier in the British army, finds himself faced with an impossible task.

Two French armies march towards each other. If they meet, the British are lost. And only Sharpe � with just his cunning, his courage and a small band of rogues to rely on � stands in their way . . .]]> 307 Bernard Cornwell 0008496773 Nick 4 Odd this. The author surprisingly gets a bit wrong on his own Sharpe chronology, including his rank and various characters, how much this will irk you will depend on how immersed you are in the journey of Sharpe and his timelines.
But is it a short, fun and easy read. Not much character conflict and a very comfortable relationship between Sharpe and his men. No great bad guys or major twists but it is always nice to have more Sharpe, even if the author is slightly off his game with this one.

]]> 3.98 2023 Sharpe's Command (Sharpe, #23)
author: Bernard Cornwell
name: Nick
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/10/15
shelves:
review:
May 1812 and the Peninsula War on the border between Portugal and Spain. A bridge at Almaraz is a key link between two French armies and destroying it will be a key factor to enable British success. Sharpe and his band of loyal and cunning riflemen are sent on reconnaissance but of course end up playing a key role in the conflict to come.
Odd this. The author surprisingly gets a bit wrong on his own Sharpe chronology, including his rank and various characters, how much this will irk you will depend on how immersed you are in the journey of Sharpe and his timelines.
But is it a short, fun and easy read. Not much character conflict and a very comfortable relationship between Sharpe and his men. No great bad guys or major twists but it is always nice to have more Sharpe, even if the author is slightly off his game with this one.


]]> Rogue Strike (Jake Keller #2) 41880089 Jake Keller finds himself in a familiar position--on the run for his life and desperate to find the shadowy figures behind a global conspiracy.

CIA agent Jake Keller and his partner, Curt Roach, are in Yemen on an important mission. They've been tipped off to a secret meeting of top al Qaeda leaders. The plan is to interrupt the meeting with a few unexpected visitors--a pair of Hellfire missiles from an orbiting drone. But the drone stops responding to their signals and soon disappears over the horizon. When next seen, the drone is attacking innocent pilgrims in Mecca.

Jake and Curt are staggered. The U.S. government is desperate to disavow this atrocity. Who better to blame than a couple of rogue CIA agents? With all the governments of the Middle East looking for them and no help from their own side, they are in a desperate race to stay ahead of the mob and find out who's actually behind the crime.]]> 399 David Ricciardi 0399585761 Nick 5 Anyway, Jake and a fellow agent are in Yemen targeting a bad guy for death from the sky, when the two Hellfire missiles go in a different direction and create a terrible incident. And the US/CIA blame the two agents�
It’s a great page turner, full of action and twists. Jake is a little bit too invincible, but this remains an excellent thriller. Tom Clancy like in the mix of big picture and feet on the ground. Enjoyed this a lot.
]]> 3.84 2019 Rogue Strike (Jake Keller #2)
author: David Ricciardi
name: Nick
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/10/09
shelves:
review:
The second in an excellent and underrated series. Some changes from the first, analyst Jake (in a new identity from his original name of Zak Miller) has been trained up from a very clever analyst into a special ops type of guy. You need to gloss over this change, you will be all the better not thinking about it, trust me.
Anyway, Jake and a fellow agent are in Yemen targeting a bad guy for death from the sky, when the two Hellfire missiles go in a different direction and create a terrible incident. And the US/CIA blame the two agents�
It’s a great page turner, full of action and twists. Jake is a little bit too invincible, but this remains an excellent thriller. Tom Clancy like in the mix of big picture and feet on the ground. Enjoyed this a lot.

]]> <![CDATA[The Last Devil to Die (Thursday Murder Club, #4)]]> 62226126
An old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing.

As the gang springs into action they encounter art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers, as well as heartache close to home.

With the body count rising, the package still missing and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out? And who will be the last devil to die?]]> 421 Richard Osman 0241512441 Nick 5 Here is a tale of a murdered antiques dealer and a stack of missing heroin. In order to solve this one the gang may have to mix with more unsavoury types than usual, and one of the gang seems somewhat distracted�.

It’s great stuff. Interestingly most of the characters have changed slightly, perhaps “evolved� is a better description, as their experiences and relationships have got deeper. As usual there are some great one liners and situations, but we are also reminded that these are old people nearing the end of their time. Some readers may not like the pathos injected by the author, but it is deftly done and in character.

A charming and entertaining book.
]]> 4.44 2023 The Last Devil to Die (Thursday Murder Club, #4)
author: Richard Osman
name: Nick
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/10/09
shelves:
review:
The author is now very confident with his elderly characters. Our amiable geriatrics continue to live in their retirement complex and continue to stick their noses into the occasional murder.
Here is a tale of a murdered antiques dealer and a stack of missing heroin. In order to solve this one the gang may have to mix with more unsavoury types than usual, and one of the gang seems somewhat distracted�.

It’s great stuff. Interestingly most of the characters have changed slightly, perhaps “evolved� is a better description, as their experiences and relationships have got deeper. As usual there are some great one liners and situations, but we are also reminded that these are old people nearing the end of their time. Some readers may not like the pathos injected by the author, but it is deftly done and in character.

A charming and entertaining book.

]]> Red Winter (Jack Ryan #22) 60635744 430 Marc Cameron 0593422767 Nick 5 The joy here is the time and atmosphere, but appearances of young Ryan (already building a reputation) but also a young Dan Murray and a foxy young Mary Pat Foley. In the background? A young John Clark, willing to put his life on the line for his country.
Marc Cameron does tweak a bit of Clancy history here but I’ll forgive him because this very much works.
]]> 4.33 2022 Red Winter (Jack Ryan #22)
author: Marc Cameron
name: Nick
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/09/27
shelves:
review:
I enjoyed this one. A move away from the fairly dreadful recent “Campus� books featuring the irritating Jack Ryan Jr and back to 1985 and the Cold War. Jack Ryan is a CIA analyst but is tasked with going to Berlin to help identify a spy that may be in the CIA Berlin team.
The joy here is the time and atmosphere, but appearances of young Ryan (already building a reputation) but also a young Dan Murray and a foxy young Mary Pat Foley. In the background? A young John Clark, willing to put his life on the line for his country.
Marc Cameron does tweak a bit of Clancy history here but I’ll forgive him because this very much works.

]]> Napoleon's Spy 64003478 ' Napoleon's Spy is a tour de force on an epic scale' Douglas Jackson
'Exciting, immersive, well researched and great fun.' Giles Kristian


Russia, 1812. Has France finally met its match?

On the eve of the invasion of Russia, half-French, half-English Matthieu Carrey finds himself in the ranks of Napoleon's five hundred thousand strong army. With Tsar Alexander seemingly ill-prepared, a French victory seems certain. The Grande Armée will obliterate everything in its path.

Carrey's purpose is less clear. Blackmailed into becoming a spy in the emperor's army, he hopes to follow his lover, a French actress who has gone to work in the Moscow theatre.

As supplies grow scarce and temperatures plummet, the Grande Armée begins to crumble. Caught up in the maelstrom of war, Carrey embarks on an epic journey, while the Russians circle like hungry wolves.

Hundreds of miles lie between Carrey and safety.
To reach it seems utterly impossible.]]> 432 Ben Kane 1409197891 Nick 4 It's as well researched as you would expect although I missed the usual “historical notes� at the end to give context.
It does end slightly abruptly and was slightly slow to get going, but the meat here is the march to Moscow and the terrible retreat and it is as harrowing as you would expect from a top historical author.
]]> 3.83 Napoleon's Spy
author: Ben Kane
name: Nick
average rating: 3.83
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/09/27
shelves:
review:
Ben Kane takes a diversion from his tales of Rome to 1812 and Napoleon’s disastrous assault on Russia. By way of telling us of the horrors that befell Napoleon and his army, we are presented with a character to give narrative to the history. Matthieu Carrey is half English and half French. His stupidity and gambling debts forces him to join Napoleon’s troops as a messenger while acting as an agent for the British passing on information to the Russians. Carrey is a somewhat feckless character caught up in a place he doesn’t want to be, but it is through his eyes we see the disaster that unfolded. Good move from the author to make him a messenger so we get a perspective of the march, the conflict and the tactics. Also a good move to make him close to Napoleon’s command but not being part of the inner circle. I think Napoleon only speaks to him once.
It's as well researched as you would expect although I missed the usual “historical notes� at the end to give context.
It does end slightly abruptly and was slightly slow to get going, but the meat here is the march to Moscow and the terrible retreat and it is as harrowing as you would expect from a top historical author.

]]> <![CDATA[King of the North (Fire Born #4)]]> 131132306 389 Angus Donald 1804362328 Nick 5 Our main characters are Bjarki Bloodhand and his sister Torfinna Hildarsdottir. He is a berserker who can bring forth animal power based on his link with a bear. Tor? Her skill is wit and cunning as well as being handy with a blade herself.
So now the author throws in an legendary/infamous battle Bravellir between the Danes and Swedes. Amongst this bloodbath, the siblings will need their strength and cunning to survive and to try to be on the winning side. Trouble is, when you are oath-bound your very honour is at stake.
Angus has a real sweet pot here, so little historical evidence exists, he is not hampered by having to stick to known facts, he (and his characters) can deviate and get into all sorts of trouble. Which is, of course, great for the reader.
A series that is bloodthirsty, fun and thrilling.
]]> 4.54 King of the North (Fire Born #4)
author: Angus Donald
name: Nick
average rating: 4.54
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/09/27
shelves:
review:
Number four in Angus Donald’s entertaining Viking series. Set in the 8th century there is a lot of wriggle room to put in strong characters and a little bit of mythical fantasy in a vaguely historical context.
Our main characters are Bjarki Bloodhand and his sister Torfinna Hildarsdottir. He is a berserker who can bring forth animal power based on his link with a bear. Tor? Her skill is wit and cunning as well as being handy with a blade herself.
So now the author throws in an legendary/infamous battle Bravellir between the Danes and Swedes. Amongst this bloodbath, the siblings will need their strength and cunning to survive and to try to be on the winning side. Trouble is, when you are oath-bound your very honour is at stake.
Angus has a real sweet pot here, so little historical evidence exists, he is not hampered by having to stick to known facts, he (and his characters) can deviate and get into all sorts of trouble. Which is, of course, great for the reader.
A series that is bloodthirsty, fun and thrilling.

]]> The Traitor (Alias Emma, #2) 123276713
An MI6 operative is found dead, locked in a suitcase inside his own apartment. Despite an exhaustive search, no fingerprints are found at the scene. Emma Makepeace and her handler, Ripley, know an assassination when they see one, and such an obvious murder can mean only one Someone is sending a message.

As she digs into his past, Emma discovers that the unfortunate spy had been investigating two Russian oligarchs based in London. He’d become obsessed with the idea that the two were spies, aided by a third man—whose identity he had yet to uncover. When he shared his findings within MI6 in the weeks before he died, the response came back fast and Drop the investigation and move on. Had he uncovered a secret that cost him his life?

To pick up where he left off without ending up in a suitcase of her own, Emma goes undercover on one of the oligarch’s million-dollar yachts, scheduled to set sail from the Côte d’Azur to Monaco. Under other circumstances, this would be a dream vacation. But if Emma’s real identity gets discovered, it’s a death sentence.

As Emma’s work reveals secrets she’d be safer not knowing, the danger ratchets up. The killer may be closer to home than any of them imagined, and Emma won’t be safe until he—or she—is caught.]]> 336 Ava Glass 0593725514 Nick 4 Emma is now more established and with a bit of a reputation due to her previous adventure. Far less new recruit and far more confident agent now. She offers to go undercover to help identify if a Russian oligarch is funding dodgy stuff, but it also becomes apparent that in the background someone is feeding information to the bad guys. And now Emma is in danger with no close back up.
The Chase was all about Emma and her determination and ingenuity, this is far more of a standard thriller where someone goes undercover and has to think on their feet. So less unique than the previous book, but Makepeace is a great character, and this is still an entertaining thriller.
]]> 3.83 2023 The Traitor (Alias Emma, #2)
author: Ava Glass
name: Nick
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/09/14
shelves:
review:
We were introduced to Emma Makepeace in the excellent “The Chase� where, as a new recruit into the Intelligence Service, she was being chased across London while protecting an asset and not knowing who to trust.
Emma is now more established and with a bit of a reputation due to her previous adventure. Far less new recruit and far more confident agent now. She offers to go undercover to help identify if a Russian oligarch is funding dodgy stuff, but it also becomes apparent that in the background someone is feeding information to the bad guys. And now Emma is in danger with no close back up.
The Chase was all about Emma and her determination and ingenuity, this is far more of a standard thriller where someone goes undercover and has to think on their feet. So less unique than the previous book, but Makepeace is a great character, and this is still an entertaining thriller.

]]> White Fire 123193960
A radical environmental group determined to avert climate catastrophe.

A lone outsider with the power to devastate the world.

Scott Pearce has torn up the espionage rulebook to overcome those spreading division and hate, but radical environmental group White Fire is a new kind of enemy posing a new kind of threat.

With everything on the line, Pearce discovers links to an old enemy thought long defeated, and as the danger rises, he realises he and his team, Leila Nahum and Kyle Wollerton, have underestimated the fight ahead.

As the conspiracy that links Black 13 and Red Wolves emerges from the shadows, the team has one chance to avert a global catastrophe that could disable the world permanently . . .

Packed with tension and pace, White Fire is the third Scott Pearce novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author.]]> 371 Adam Hamdy 1509899294 Nick 4 Like the other books this is great fun and an easy page turning read. If I was to be slightly critical I would mention slight repetition, clues with expiring breath, bad guys assaulting as soon as the team appear to be safe etc, but a minor quibble in what is an action packed and entertaining read.
]]> 4.15 White Fire
author: Adam Hamdy
name: Nick
average rating: 4.15
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/08/31
shelves:
review:
This is the third in the “Scott Pearce� trilogy, a small team working for a mysterious benefactor against a group that seems to have endless power and influence. Very much action packed and page turning stuff, as per the previous books. Here the team are trying to stop something that could be truly world changing and they may be too late. Good characters and interaction between them.
Like the other books this is great fun and an easy page turning read. If I was to be slightly critical I would mention slight repetition, clues with expiring breath, bad guys assaulting as soon as the team appear to be safe etc, but a minor quibble in what is an action packed and entertaining read.

]]> Pariah (The Eternity War #1) 33784338 The first novel in a brand-new series from rising SF star Jamie Sawyer, The Eternity War: Pariah is an action-packed adventure set in the same universe as his acclaimed Lazarus War novels.
The soldiers of the Simulant Operations Programme are mankind's elite warriors. Veterans of a thousand battles across a hundred worlds, they undertake suicidal missions to protect humanity from the insidious Krell Empire and the mysterious machine race known as the Shard.

Lieutenant Keira Jenkins is an experienced simulant operative and leader of the Jackals, a team of raw recruits keen to taste battle. They soon get their chance when the Black Spiral terrorist network seizes control of a space station.

Yet no amount of training could have prepared the Jackals for the deadly conspiracy they soon find themselves drawn into - a conspiracy that is set to spark a furious new war across the galaxy.

For more from Jamie Sawyer, check out:


The Lazarus War: Artefact
The Lazarus War: Legion
The Lazarus War: Origins]]> 480 Jamie Sawyer 0316433225 Nick 4 This features a team of highly trained “simulant� operatives who can go into action in a cloned skin, while their real bodies remain safe. A bunch of bad guys have managed to gain a cult like following and not only does mankind now face this threat from within, alien races will play a significant part in who emerges victorious.
It’s action packed space opera and rather good fun.
]]> 3.85 Pariah (The Eternity War #1)
author: Jamie Sawyer
name: Nick
average rating: 3.85
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/08/28
shelves:
review:
When I was a kid I remember a cartoon character called “The Martian Manhunter� who had extra bodies stored that he could “jump� into when needed.
This features a team of highly trained “simulant� operatives who can go into action in a cloned skin, while their real bodies remain safe. A bunch of bad guys have managed to gain a cult like following and not only does mankind now face this threat from within, alien races will play a significant part in who emerges victorious.
It’s action packed space opera and rather good fun.

]]> <![CDATA[The Blood of Rome (Eagles of the Empire, #17)]]> 39342757 The gripping new adventure in Simon Scarrow's bestselling Eagles of the Empire series, not to be missed by readers of Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell.

AD 54. As trouble brews on the eastern fringes of the Roman Empire, Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro face a deadly new challenge. A vengeful king's actions risk not only vast territories of Roman land, and Rome's reputation for invincibility, but also thousands of lives...

The wily Parthians have invaded Roman-ruled Armenia, ousting King Rhadamistus. Rhadamistus is ambitious and ruthless, but he is loyal to Rome. The local commander General Corbulo is tasked with restoring him to power, while also preparing for war with Parthia. Corbulo welcomes new arrivals Cato and Macro, experienced soldiers who know how to knock an unfit and undermanned unit of men into shape.

But can they control a king whose heart is set on vengeance? As an uprising against Rhadamistus's brutality takes shape, the bravery of the Romans will be tested to the limit...]]> 480 Simon Scarrow 1472258371 Nick 2 AD55 and trouble is stirring in Armenia. Irrelevant but strategic. The Parthian Empire has ousted Roman supported King Rhadamistus and Tribune Cato, along with his friend Macro are sent to put him back on the throne and re establish Roman control.
Trouble is that Rhadamistus is an unreliable ally and a thoroughly nasty piece of work, but orders are orders…�
Pretty average this one, Cato behaves very much out of character and the things that can make this a good series are sadly absent.
]]> 4.21 2018 The Blood of Rome (Eagles of the Empire, #17)
author: Simon Scarrow
name: Nick
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2018
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2023/08/28
shelves:
review:
Book 2456 in the Eagles of Empire series and it feels very much like a placeholder.
AD55 and trouble is stirring in Armenia. Irrelevant but strategic. The Parthian Empire has ousted Roman supported King Rhadamistus and Tribune Cato, along with his friend Macro are sent to put him back on the throne and re establish Roman control.
Trouble is that Rhadamistus is an unreliable ally and a thoroughly nasty piece of work, but orders are orders…�
Pretty average this one, Cato behaves very much out of character and the things that can make this a good series are sadly absent.

]]> <![CDATA[Robert Ludlum's� the Treadstone Transgression]]> 60460857 A blown mission and a dead team leave Adam Hayes the last loose thread in a tapestry of betrayal in this latest high stakes international thriller from the world of Robert Ludlum.

The most pressing issue on Adam Hayes' mind is planning his son's upcoming 5th birthday party. After years of operating in the world's most dangerous spots for Treadstone, he's ready to call it quits, but the feeling isn't mutual.

Levi Shaw, Treadstone's director, calls Hayes back for one more mission. It's a walk in the park. You don't even have to go in with the strike team. I just need you to set up the safe house. You'll be home in time to pick up the birthday cake.

But nothing is ever easy where Treadstone is concerned. When the mission is blown only Hayes is left alive, and everyone, it seems, is determined to correct that oversight.]]> 385 Joshua Hood 1803285745 Nick 4
Hayes is trying to retire and be there for his family, but the CIA are in need of his skills and convince him to head for Haiti and recover some evidence that may point to corruption in American intelligence. As you would expect, it all goes horribly wrong and Hayes ends up on the run not knowing who to trust.

A lot to like here, including a very different setting. Times have changed since Robert Ludlum sucked us in with conspiracies and secret organisations so the books had to change too, towards more action in a world that is more immediate and where information is almost instant.
So, maybe not for you if you want cerebral deep plotting, but if you want a fast paced action thriller you should grab this.]]> 4.24 Robert Ludlum's™ the Treadstone Transgression
author: Joshua Hood
name: Nick
average rating: 4.24
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/08/16
shelves:
review:
The third “Treadstone� book from Joshua Hood. Set in Robert Ludlum’s world but featuring Adam Hayes and not Jason Bourne. Robert Ludlum’s books were covered after his death by Eric Van Lustbader who somehow made the series rather dull. Mr Hood is a very different writer, his style is page turning action and that is what he delivers in spades, hard to take a breath with this one.

Hayes is trying to retire and be there for his family, but the CIA are in need of his skills and convince him to head for Haiti and recover some evidence that may point to corruption in American intelligence. As you would expect, it all goes horribly wrong and Hayes ends up on the run not knowing who to trust.

A lot to like here, including a very different setting. Times have changed since Robert Ludlum sucked us in with conspiracies and secret organisations so the books had to change too, towards more action in a world that is more immediate and where information is almost instant.
So, maybe not for you if you want cerebral deep plotting, but if you want a fast paced action thriller you should grab this.
]]> <![CDATA[Assassin Eighteen (Last Man Standing #2)]]> 108548945
Agent Seventeen, the most infamous hitman in the world, has quit. But whoever wants to become Assassin Eighteen must track him down and kill him first.

So when a bullet hits the glass inches from his face, he knows who fired it - doesn't he?

But the sniper isn't the hardened killer he was expecting. It's Mireille - a mysterious, silent child, abandoned in the woods with instructions to pull the trigger.

Reuniting with his spiky lover, Kat, Seventeen must protect Mireille, and discover who sent her to kill him, and why.

But the road he must travel is littered with bodies. And the answer, when it comes, will blow apart everything Seventeen thought he knew.]]> 484 John Brownlow 1529382602 Nick 5 Our assassin is off the grid in semi-retirement and hoping to be left alone. But an oddly botched attempt to kill him brings his past firmly back into focus.
We learn about his past as an elite killer and the complications that can bring and how he is going to have to use his skills once again. Not only that, but he will need help from unexpected quarters.
It’s good stuff, elements of the “Victor� and “Nowhere Man� series can be detected, but the author retains his very own take on the shadowy world of assassination. Lots of action here and it’s great fun.
]]> 4.20 Assassin Eighteen (Last Man Standing #2)
author: John Brownlow
name: Nick
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/08/15
shelves:
review:
“Seventeen�, the first book in this series, was a rather good “cat and mouse� thriller featuring two top assassins. So, I was very much looking forward to this follow up.
Our assassin is off the grid in semi-retirement and hoping to be left alone. But an oddly botched attempt to kill him brings his past firmly back into focus.
We learn about his past as an elite killer and the complications that can bring and how he is going to have to use his skills once again. Not only that, but he will need help from unexpected quarters.
It’s good stuff, elements of the “Victor� and “Nowhere Man� series can be detected, but the author retains his very own take on the shadowy world of assassination. Lots of action here and it’s great fun.

]]> Clean Kill (Dan Shepherd #20) 75481054
Shepherd and an SAS team fly out to the badlands of Mali to rescue the kidnapped Brits.

But the mission takes Shepherd away from an investigation in a high security prison that is about to explode into violence. Hundreds of lives are at risk, and Shepherd is running out of time...]]> 410 Stephen Leather Nick 5 In this, Spider is deep into an undercover operation at a Prison when he hears his helicopter pilot son has been shot down and captured in West Africa. Spider makes the decision to abandon his operation and join up with some old friends to mount a rescue. In his absence dark forces have plans for the prison and Spider may be in the right place at the wrong time.
Of course it is good, of course it is topical and of course it is clever, we have come to expect it.
I was expecting the main story to be set in Africa, but it is an aside to the Prison story. As a reader you almost get two books in one but of course it all ties together brilliantly.
Top thriller writing from a top thriller author. Again.
]]> 4.51 Clean Kill (Dan Shepherd #20)
author: Stephen Leather
name: Nick
average rating: 4.51
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/08/12
shelves:
review:
Wow. The 20th Spider Shepherd thriller. A series that remains fresh and actually evolves. No repeating the same old plot over and over again, Stephen Leather makes these books not only very topical, but the characters have constantly evolved throughout the series. Book 20 Spider is a very different character from book 1 Spider.
In this, Spider is deep into an undercover operation at a Prison when he hears his helicopter pilot son has been shot down and captured in West Africa. Spider makes the decision to abandon his operation and join up with some old friends to mount a rescue. In his absence dark forces have plans for the prison and Spider may be in the right place at the wrong time.
Of course it is good, of course it is topical and of course it is clever, we have come to expect it.
I was expecting the main story to be set in Africa, but it is an aside to the Prison story. As a reader you almost get two books in one but of course it all ties together brilliantly.
Top thriller writing from a top thriller author. Again.

]]> Blade of Dream (Kithamar, #2) 63076971 Kithamar is a center of trade and wealth, an ancient city with a long, bloody history where countless thousands live and their stories endure. This is Garreth’s.

Garreth Left is heir to one of Kithamar’s most prominent merchant families. The path of his life was paved long before he was born. Learn the family trade, marry to secure wealthy in-laws, and inherit the business when the time is right. But to Garreth, a life chosen for him is no life at all.

In one night, a chance meeting with an enigmatic stranger changes everything. He falls in love with a woman whose name he doesn’t even know, and he will do anything to find her again. His search leads him down corridors and alleys that are best left unexplored, where ancient gods hide in the shadows, and every deal made has a dangerous edge.

The path that Garreth chooses will change the course of not only those he loves, but the entire future of Kithamar’s citizens.

In Kithamar, every story matters―and the fate of the city is woven from them all.]]> 464 Daniel Abraham 0316421898 Nick 4 This is not light fantasy, it requires you to give it the attention it needs and it is definitely a slow build that will reward your patience.
After the City itself, the main character is Garreth. From a wealthy merchant family, he has a chance encounter that will change him and the City forever.
There is real writing talent on show here.
]]> 4.16 2023 Blade of Dream (Kithamar, #2)
author: Daniel Abraham
name: Nick
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/08/12
shelves:
review:
The second book in what I think we can assume will be a trilogy. The focus is the mighty city of Kithamar and it’s inhabitants. As with the previous book, the City is as much a character as those who live there. A book of deep and complex characterisations that allow people to grow on you as does the complexity of the City itself.
This is not light fantasy, it requires you to give it the attention it needs and it is definitely a slow build that will reward your patience.
After the City itself, the main character is Garreth. From a wealthy merchant family, he has a chance encounter that will change him and the City forever.
There is real writing talent on show here.

]]> Good Cop Bad Cop 59778065
It's 14 years after the worst terrorist atrocity in UK history and, with the perpetrators either dead or missing, the motive remains a mystery. But Dr Ralph Teller, a wealthy industrialist who lost his wife in the attack, never gave up hope of justice. He thinks he knows the real identity of the mastermind responsible.

Only one person can help him put together the final pieces of the puzzle - retired police officer Chris Sketty, who infiltrated the terrorist group and was wounded trying to prevent the attack. But Cleverly thinks Sketty is a liar...and possibly far worse He has a dossier on all the former cop's dark secrets and will make them public unless Sketty tells the truth.

So, over one night, Sketty will share his brutal tale of betrayal, ruthlessness and corruption, finishing with a revelation so terrifying and unexpected that it will change everything. Is Sketty a brave hero, crippled in the line of duty, or the most ruthless mass murderer the country has ever seen?

With the suffocating suspense of LINE OF DUTY and gasping twists of THE USUAL SUSPECTS, this is a dizzying thriller that keeps you guessing until the very last page.]]> 340 Simon Kernick 1472271033 Nick 4 Mr Kernick started off his thrillers with the excellent Business of Dying featuring a policeman who is also an assassin and this kind of hits that same spot, someone trying to cope with secrets and changing circumstances. It’s a violent and brutal read at times with a finish that will have you thinking.
Great stuff.
]]> 4.09 Good Cop Bad Cop
author: Simon Kernick
name: Nick
average rating: 4.09
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/08/06
shelves:
review:
Simon Kernick really does know how to write a page turner. Most of his books are set within the British Police and often use a repeating set of characters. This is set in the Police but fans of his many great characters will not find any of them appearing. Instead we have a Detective Constable recruited to help source a mysterious bad guy who seems to be behind a lot of terrorist activity. Getting even close to him will take DC Sketty close to the edge and maybe into the dark side himself. As the book unravels you find yourself unsure of him and his motives and what the truth of the matter is. And that keeps you turning the pages.
Mr Kernick started off his thrillers with the excellent Business of Dying featuring a policeman who is also an assassin and this kind of hits that same spot, someone trying to cope with secrets and changing circumstances. It’s a violent and brutal read at times with a finish that will have you thinking.
Great stuff.

]]> <![CDATA[The Traitor (Covenant of Steel, #3)]]> 63251772
It’s been a long journey for Alwyn Scribe. Born a bastard and raised an outlaw, he’s now a knight and the most trusted advisor to Lady Evadine Courlain. Together they’ve won countless battles and helped to bring order to a fractured kingdom.   
Yet Evadine is not the woman Alwyn once knew. As puritanical fury increasingly replaces her benevolent faith, Alwyn begins to question what her true motives really are.   
As the kingdom braces itself for one final battle, Alwyn’s conscience fights its own war with his heart. Now, more than ever, he must decide whose side he’s really on.]]> 576 Anthony Ryan 0316430838 Nick 4 I was grateful for the recap at the start of the book, I needed it to bring me back into a complex world with many characters. And it took a little while to get going, but about half way through it really started going as everything started coming together. Or not.
For the first two books I wasn’t sure about Alwyn, I didn’t know if he had an agenda or what his real goal was, this final book clarifies things while bringing in darker elements of fantasy.
It’s a book of good and evil and the blurred lines of devotion to them both, and it’s another enthralling book from the author.
]]> 4.35 2023 The Traitor (Covenant of Steel, #3)
author: Anthony Ryan
name: Nick
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/07/13
shelves:
review:
The final volume in the “Covenant of Steel� trilogy. Alwyn Scribe is our narrator who has moved from his origins as an outlaw, to being a Knight to Lady Evadine Courlain in her battle to take down the evil rulers of the Kingdom. But, as we discovered at the end of the second book, all may not be as it appears and our Scribe may have invested his time and love in the wrong person.
I was grateful for the recap at the start of the book, I needed it to bring me back into a complex world with many characters. And it took a little while to get going, but about half way through it really started going as everything started coming together. Or not.
For the first two books I wasn’t sure about Alwyn, I didn’t know if he had an agenda or what his real goal was, this final book clarifies things while bringing in darker elements of fantasy.
It’s a book of good and evil and the blurred lines of devotion to them both, and it’s another enthralling book from the author.

]]> No Plan B (Jack Reacher, #27) 60048804
But Reacher is unaware that these crimes are part of something much larger and more far-reaching: an arsonist out for revenge, a foster kid on the run, a cabal of powerful people involved in a secret conspiracy with many moving parts. There is no room for error, but they make a grave one. They don’t consider Reacher a threat. “If any step is compromised, the threat will have to be quickly and permanently removed. There’s too much at stake to start running from shadows". But Reacher isn’t a shadow. He is flesh and blood. And relentless when it comes to making things right. For when the threat is Reacher, there is No Plan B....]]> 336 Lee Child 1984818554 Nick 2 It’s quite slow this one, in keeping with Andrew’s style and not Lee’s. A lot of the book features on different threads and characters and when Reacher comes to the fore he mainly punches people in the side of the head, instantly knocking them out.
No much tension or the usual entertaining interplay as Reacher takes people down.
It’s all a bit formulaic and dull. ]]> 4.01 2022 No Plan B (Jack Reacher, #27)
author: Lee Child
name: Nick
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2023/07/06
shelves:
review:
Andrew Child continues to fail to manage “Peak Reacher�. Here Reacher sees someone pushed under a bus and decides to follow the trail to get some justice.
It’s quite slow this one, in keeping with Andrew’s style and not Lee’s. A lot of the book features on different threads and characters and when Reacher comes to the fore he mainly punches people in the side of the head, instantly knocking them out.
No much tension or the usual entertaining interplay as Reacher takes people down.
It’s all a bit formulaic and dull.
]]> The Guardian 72238345 287 Joshua Hood 1665109572 Nick 5 Travis Lane leaves an extensive military career to join an independent force who focus on the rescue of kidnapped high profile individuals. Highly trained and equipped Broadside Solutions are ready to go at a moment’s notice. Circumstances dictate that Lane is deployed immediately on a risky mission that leaves him alone in the most dangerous of circumstances.

The author has been there and done it, so he clearly knows his stuff and has the talent to turn that knowledge and experience into page turning thriller.
This is great stuff. I hope this is the start of a series.
]]> 4.03 2023 The Guardian
author: Joshua Hood
name: Nick
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/06/28
shelves:
review:
Josh Hood knows how to write and exciting military thrillers and does not disappoint here.
Travis Lane leaves an extensive military career to join an independent force who focus on the rescue of kidnapped high profile individuals. Highly trained and equipped Broadside Solutions are ready to go at a moment’s notice. Circumstances dictate that Lane is deployed immediately on a risky mission that leaves him alone in the most dangerous of circumstances.

The author has been there and done it, so he clearly knows his stuff and has the talent to turn that knowledge and experience into page turning thriller.
This is great stuff. I hope this is the start of a series.

]]> <![CDATA[The Combat Codes (The Combat Codes Saga, #1)]]> 62874025
In a world long ago ravaged by war, the nations have sworn an armistice never to use weapons of mass destruction again. Instead, highly-skilled warriors known as Grievar Knights represent their nations� interests in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

Murray Pearson was once a famed Knight until he suffered a loss that crippled his homeland � but now he’s on the hunt to discover the next champion.

In underground and ruthless combat rings, an orphaned boy called Cego is making a name for himself. Murray believes Cego has what it takes to thrive in the world's most prestigious combat academy � but first, Cego must prove himself in the vicious arenas of the underworld. And survival isn’t guaranteed.]]> 419 Alexander Darwin 0316493007 Nick 4 Pearson is a washed out Griever tasked with finding new talent to put through the intense training to maybe make it to becoming a knight. Young Cego has a mysterious background but a lot of talent, can Pearson find a way to get him into the programme and can Cego survive it?
Yep, plenty of combat stuff, training and fights and also building a team out of an odd bunch of raw fighters but there is also depth to this. Good fun and I will be reading the next one.
]]> 3.84 2021 The Combat Codes (The Combat Codes Saga, #1)
author: Alexander Darwin
name: Nick
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/06/15
shelves:
review:
The first book in a trilogy. Set on a world by which disputes are settled by combat rather than war or weapons of mass destruction. Grievar Knights are trained to represent their side in these disputes. Its an interesting concept and there is more to this story than your standard sci-fi combat training theme, there is proper intelligent world building to accompany the story.
Pearson is a washed out Griever tasked with finding new talent to put through the intense training to maybe make it to becoming a knight. Young Cego has a mysterious background but a lot of talent, can Pearson find a way to get him into the programme and can Cego survive it?
Yep, plenty of combat stuff, training and fights and also building a team out of an odd bunch of raw fighters but there is also depth to this. Good fun and I will be reading the next one.

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