The Redeemer (Harry Hole, #6)

The Redeemer (Harry Hole, #6)The Redeemer by Jo Nesbø

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I originally read this in June 2010 and is part of my transfer of reading from the Now Reading plugin to Goodreads.

The Redeemer is the sixth Harry Hole novel by Norwegian Jo Nesbø Harry Hole is at his best, a marvellous tale full of twists and turns until the very last page. Harry doesn’t accept the facts at face value. His reflections cause his superiors great irritations.
This case skirts around the highest levels of government in the coldest months of the year. Harry is encouraged to “follow the money”, wherever that takes him. The grisly killings are intertwined with relationships will have you guessing to the last page.
Can’t wait for the next one. This one has done the rounds of the family!

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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-TimeThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon has to be one of my all-time favourite books. I understand that it was conceived to be a young adult book. The tale of the young man who investigates the death of his dog is fascinating.
Also the style of the narration style is great with all its emotional detachment. It’s worth reading Born on a Blue Day a memoir by Daniel Tammet on his life with Asperger’s Syndrome.
All the little details make reading this book worthwhile, the prime numbers as chapter numbers. The elaborate detail of all things such what food needs to be on the plate and what cannot touch what.
I may even read it again it was so interesting and amusing, full marks for this one.

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The Devil’s Star by Jo Nesbø

The Devil's StarThe Devil’s Star by Jo Nesbø

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this in Febraury 2010 and is part of my transfer of reading from the Now Reading plugin to Goodreads

This is the first in this series that I have read. Indeed it is the first novel by Norwegian author Jo Nesbø that I have read. I am a big fan of Scandinavian crime fiction. They seem to a different take on story telling or perhaps my Norwegian heritage is getting the better of me. Continue reading “The Devil’s Star by Jo Nesbø”

Prague Fatale (Bernard Gunther, #8)

Prague Fatale (Bernard Gunther, #8)Prague Fatale by Philip Kerr

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Prague Fatale Phillip Kerr dips in and out of his protagonists’ life. There is not an obvious chronology to the novels. However this rather cleverly deals with the finite landscape that the novels occupy.
This book arrived literally as I had completed the previous instalment Field Gray. The setting, Prague, is more constrained than the previous and as such the range of  characters is reduced.
This instalment has Bernie Gunther in the service of Reinhardt Heydrich, a feared member of the Nazi elite. Continue reading “Prague Fatale (Bernard Gunther, #8)”

Field Gray (Bernard Gunther, #7)

Field Gray (Bernard Gunther, #7)Field Gray by Philip Kerr

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this in October 2011 and is part of my transfer of reading from the Now Reading plugin to Goodreads

Philip Kerr’s hero Bernie Gunther has been living a very nice life in Cuba. His adventures always have him beholden to someone. They are invariably unscrupulous or is some shady police officer. He has a knack for finding these people. Or he somehow comes to their attention. Continue reading “Field Gray (Bernard Gunther, #7)”

The One from the Other (Bernard Gunther, #4)

The One from the Other (Bernard Gunther, #4)The One from the Other by Philip Kerr

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this in November 2011 and is part of my transfer of reading from the Now Reading plugin to Goodreads

I am a huge fan of the Bernie Gunther Novels and this one is no exception. Like the predecessors there is great attention to the historical circumstances that surround the central character Bernie Gunther.

Another enjoyable instalment in the Bernie Gunther saga.Thankfully there are more to come.

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Berlin Noir: March Violets; The Pale Criminal; A German Requiem (Bernie Gunther #1-3)

Berlin Noir: March Violets; The Pale Criminal; A German RequiemBerlin Noir: March Violets; The Pale Criminal; A German Requiem by Philip Kerr

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another Transfer from Now Reading plugin to Goodreads. This volume was read in 2009

This book, in fact three books together follow the career of Bernie Gunther a sometime cop but mostly a private eye. They are well written and certainly make you feel as though you are there. These stories are set in Germany before WWII and just after. If you are a student of the period then it makes the books all that more enjoyable. There is a lot of commentary on the transition from the Weimar republic with its failings to the new Nazi regime. The attention to detail is not surprising as the author Philip Kerr has published academic papers on the period. Continue reading “Berlin Noir: March Violets; The Pale Criminal; A German Requiem (Bernie Gunther #1-3)”

Dexter is Delicious (Dexter #5)

Dexter Is Delicious (Dexter, #5)Dexter Is Delicious by Jeff Lindsay

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another transfer from the Now Reading plugin to Goodreads. I read this in October 2011

The fifth book in the series sees a mellower Dexter. He has become a father and fears that he might be taking on more human traits. Is he becoming more sentimental?
As with the previous books in the series this volume abounds with black humour. Dexter is really an alien amongst us. He muses at length about his colleagues and vulnerabilities. There is of course Dexter’s colleague Masuka. A pervert by any measure his lines in both versions of Dexter (TV and Book) are memorable. For example; Masuka: “I’m not telling her. This case was solved. If I asked her to reopen it, I might as well put my balls in a vice – and not in a hot way either”. Continue reading “Dexter is Delicious (Dexter #5)”

Dexter By Design (Dexter #4)

Dexter By Design (Dexter, #4)Dexter By Design by Jeff Lindsay

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this in November 2011 and is part of my transfer of reading from the Now Reading plugin to Goodreads

This is the fourth novel featuring Dexter the serial killer for good. He is perhaps best known from the TV series Dexter. This story has Dexter coming to grips with married life and step children. This adds another level of complexity to his other activities. Nevertheless his “dark passenger” still beckons. Continue reading “Dexter By Design (Dexter #4)”

Mind’s Eye (Van Veetren #1)

First of all I have to admit that the review of this book is very late I wrote it in October 2011 when I finished it. Håkon Nesser is a new author to me I came across the volume in a bookshop. This is the first in the Van Veetren crime fiction series. At the time I wrote this I commented that they still exist sadly since then the bookshop has closed. This cleverly constructed whodunit revolves around Chief Inspector Van Veetren. He is what you would expect in a seasoned detective brusque with a curmudgeonly disposition. He antagonises those around him, estranged from his family keeps his own company. Continue reading “Mind’s Eye (Van Veetren #1)”