This lady combines with and wisdom with history and mystery to create a fantastic series. They're the kind of books you wait for when you know there's another due!
Death of an Officer's Lady
Amazon.com
My review -
This story sees the recently married Charles Murray return without his wife from Letho to Edinburgh to fulfil a commission from his brother who is abroad and fighting with the Duke of Wellington’s army. One of his brother officers is worried about the wife he hasn’t heard from since she moved to different premises in fear of her life. It’s out of season and Murray doesn’t want to open up the big house in Edinburgh, bringing all the staff that will require, so he and a young trainee servant stay with a childhood friend of his.
This is a trail of detective work for Murray and fighting at Waterloo for his brother. We follow both the Murray brothers and discover that people are not always what they wish you to believe. This story was engrossing from start to finish. Anyone acquainted with Charles Murray of Letho will love this book. There’s lots of subtle humour in it and the characters are painted so faithfully that you feel you know them. I’ve enjoyed this series more as the characters have grown and I have come to know and appreciate them.
Saturday 27 June 2015
Monday 15 June 2015
Lucas Bale
This short story will give you a real flavour of Lucas Bale's writing. He does adventure with a capital A.
Chukotka
Amazon.com
My review -
Chukotka
Amazon.com
My review -
This
is a stirring conspiracy-theory story concerning the HAARP project (High
Frequency Active Aural Research Program). Scott is a sailor and surfer and the
Bering Strait offers risk and excitement to him. It’s dangerously close to Russian
waters, though. He and a friend get a reasonable forecast for the straits off
the Chukotka Peninsula and set off, he for the surfing and his friend to make a
delivery. Their GPS loses signal, the compass spins and the weather breaks. Not
good. Umqy, an aged hunter, sets off on his final polar bear hunt. He is one of
the last to cling to traditional ways.
They
meet but are unable to understand one another. The resulting story and its
relationship to the secrecy of the HAARP project is both thrilling, exciting
and thoroughly thought-provoking. Young and old, modern and dying cultures
meet. It’s a substantial enough short story to give a full thriller/adventure
experience. A great example of the author’s style and skill.
Wednesday 10 June 2015
Darren Humphries
This is another glimpse into the dark side of Mr Humphries' soul. Scary!
London Dark
Amazon.com
My review -
London Dark
Amazon.com
My review -
The
government believes it's impossible for London to experience a blackout. Each
generating station has another ready to take up the slack in the case of
failure. They reckoned without a group of idealistic eco-warriors who are
determined to shut off the city's power supplies to show Londoners they can
cope without profligate use of electricity. What they don't know, but it
becomes increasingly obvious that the higher powers in the land do, is what
waits underground ready to emerge when the lights go out. The goverment's Dark
Protocol is engaged and found wanting.
This
is an intriguing premise and leads to exciting scenes as different small groups
try to fight for their existence through the longest night of their lives. Even
the Prime Minister’s family isn't immune to those things which inhabit the
London Dark. I think the author has great strengths as a horror writer and I’d
happily read more from him in this genre. Highly recommended.
Wednesday 3 June 2015
Michael Murray
This look like being the first in a series - and I'll be very pleased if it is!
A Single to Filey
Amazon.com
My review -
A Single to Filey
Amazon.com
My review -
This
story is a wonderful interweaving of people and happenings and is shown to us
from the point of view of DCI Tony Forward. He is investigating the brutal
murder of a local head-teacher and most people seem to think the case is closed
when a young man who had been seen arguing with the head-teacher is found
hanged, presumably by his own hand, at a local beauty-spot. Forward had been
questioning the young man and feels that if he hadn’t let him go and had kept
him in custody for a little longer, this wouldn’t have happened. He also finds
evidence which suggests that the case isn’t so clear-cut.
The
story combines village life, the flower-arranging class and the local lady of
the manor who is chair of governors at the school and so knew the head fairly
well. One of the great ‘characters’ in this book is the local landscape, some
of which is named but some invented – though you can guess approximately where
these places are. We get a glimpse of Forward’s private life and interests and
a taster of the home life of his sergeant. This was a very satisfying jigsaw of
a whodunit and I hope there will be more to come.
Monday 1 June 2015
Simon Jenner
I've read two adult thrillers from Simon Jenner and really enjoyed those. It's different but no less thrilling and enjoyable.
The Evolved
Amazon.com
My review -
The Evolved
Amazon.com
My review -
This
story, suitable for young adults and older, tells of a dystopian near-future in
which seventeen-year-old Max Anderson finds himself part of a group of people
with highly evolved powers. The reason their abilities have been kept secret
and the conditions in which many of their fellow citizens live, become clear as
the story progresses.
Max
is a likeable character, at once naive and highly gifted. Being thrust into his
full powers is like experiencing a mega-puberty within two or three days. His
reactions are funny and rather endearing. However, the story is a gripping one
with a suitably evil rival and the end was an exciting ride. This is the first
in a series and I'll certainly be looking out for the second.
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