Category: Books

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Children of the Revolution by Peter Robinson

Children of the RevolutionChildren of the Revolution by Peter Robinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is first DCI Banks novel that I have read. I quite like the TV show but usually try to avoid the books if I have seen the show. I’m on a cruise so beggars can’t be choosers and the ship’s the ship’s library well it’s really a trolley. I took a chance and read it in a day or so. Stephen Tomkinson voice was firmly in my head as I’m reading the yarn he stars in the TV version.
The trouble with books and TV shows and films for that matter is how the stories diverge. I suspect this is to simplify the story or more easily explain a character. Case in point DCI Banks TV version has a very difficult relationship with his father which in many ways shapes his character. DCI Banks book version seems at ease with his parents and his anguish is mostly located within which a book can explore more easily. Anyway enough moaning I did like Children of the Revolution by Peter Robinson which had elements of the British class struggles one law for the rich and so on.
The origins of the story go way back traversing through the troubled times of Britain in 1970s. It starts as a curious suicide in a small village emerges as a tragic tale of murder and greed. Sandwiched in amongst all of this a glimpse of romance for the lonely DCI Banks. The dead man is something for recluse and hardly known to the locals. The team start unravelling his life and it leads back in time to the turbulent 1970’s and to the upper echelons of the local elite.
Might be tempted to chance some more of DCI Banks book version. Although this was number 21 in the DCI Banks series it was quite readable as a standalone novel. I do think having seen the TV series provided me with an entrée to the novel.

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Reykjavík Nights: Murder in Reykjavík by Arnaldur Indriðason

Reykjavík Nights: Murder in Reykjavík (Inspector Erlendur, #1)Reykjavík Nights: Murder in Reykjavík by Arnaldur Indriðason
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reykjavik Nights is the first of the Inspector Erlendur series by Icelandic author Arnaldur Indridason. The story lays the foundation for what is to come in subsequent stories. A young Erlendur is still on the beat and as the name of the story implies he’s working the night shift. Along with his fellow officers they are dealing with fights, drunks ,homeless people and thieves.
Erlendur’s fascination with missing persons drives him to look over cases where there is no resolution and person is not found. His obsession with the missing is almost at the core of his being and once on the case he is unshakeable. This obsessive nature sets him apart from his colleagues and makes personal relationships difficult.
Reykjavik Nights focusses on the apparent suicide of a homelessness man. Erlendur’s pursuit of the circumstances of his death and the reasons for his homelessness uncovers a tragic life. This is an interesting exploration of the plight of homeless people and how their life has evolved or perhaps devolved.
Having read most of the subsequent Inspector Erlendur novels and this is a fine beginning.

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Sail of Stone by Åke Edwardson (Eric Winter #6)

Sail of Stone (Inspector Winter, #6)Sail of Stone by Åke Edwardson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This Eric Winter story is set across Sweden and Scotland. Involving Eric Winters long time English collaborator. The origins of the lie in the past and hark back to the dark days of World War 2. An interesting take on wartime activities.

Not sure if I enjoyed this as much as the others in the series. I could see the ultimate end from quite a distance which hasn’t always been the case with the Eric Winter series.

However on the bright side there are more in the series. I have written this sometime after I finished reading the book. I finished in July 2015 and it is now the end October. I have managed to read the 7th in the series one since then.

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The Twelfth Department by William Ryan (Captain Korolev)

The Twelfth Department (Captain Alexei Dimitrevich Korolev, #3)The Twelfth Department by William Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The third Captain Korolev series by William Ryan. This continues the series but could be read as a standalone novel.. There is enough background explained so that a reader new to the series so you don’t have to read them is order. I have read all in order and enjoyed all three enormously. I have a fascination for the interwar period in Europe. All the plots including the current volume are engaging with enough twists and turns to keep the reader engaged.

What really stands out is the way  creates a sense of the paranoid state of 1930’s Moscow. Who do you trust? This theme pervades the narrative. I really feel that the author had captured the atmosphere of those times.

Our hero Captain Korolev is a determined character whose flaw is having a strong moral compass in a world where political dogma is everything. For fans of the inter war period this will be an enjoyable read.

I look forward to the return of Captain Korolev.

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Room No. 10 by Åke Edwardson (Eric Winter)

Room No. 10 (Inspector Winter, #7)Room No. 10 by Åke Edwardson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Inspector Eric Winter by Åke Edwardson Room No 10 is the seventh installment in this series. As far as I can see there are at least another 5 to come. Unfortunately at the time of writing  no more titles in the Eric Winter series are available in English.

Again another great yarn that weaves its way across time. Providing a reflection on he careers of Eric Winter and his colleagues.  The tale is as much about the relationship between the investigators as it is about the crime. It has elements of a cold case and a current investigation.

This particular installment was slow to start and had I not read the previous installments I may have stopped. Then I would have missed out on what turned out on a great whodunit.

If only the rest of the Inspector Winter mysteries would appear in English because I’m too impatient to learn Swedish.

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Frozen Tracks by Åke Edwardson (Inspector Winter #5)

Frozen Tracks (Inspector Winter, #5)Frozen Tracks by Åke Edwardson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This felt like the longest of the series so far. I don’t mean that as negative. The story has many angles which are cleverly resolved as the book goes along. The story is set against the backdrop of the Christmas season. The sting is the now familiar city of Gothenburg. This time around the author Åke Edwardson has explored the ongoing characters more. As with any workplace where people are working together there are entwined relationships which bring their own tensions.

I am not sure how the title Frozen Tracks link to the story other than perhaps the season in which it is set. No murders this time around but rather some situations that would put most on edge. Inspector Winter is as always the consummate workaholic with a strong touch of insomnia.

He or should I say his team do crack the case but tensions are fraught as there are competing demands. The end was for my part satisfying and I enjoyed the read. I am reluctant to describe the plot in any detail as this may spoil the enjoyment that others would get from the book.

As I write I have already started the next one Sail of Stone. It is good discovering an author and being able to read several in the series and not be waiting for the next one.

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Never End (Inspector Winter, #4)Never End by Åke Edwardson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my fourth in the Inspector Winter series. I really enjoyed this I liked the overlay of heat that is the long summer. It almost becomes an outside tale where much of the action occurs on the street. There are the usual red herrings but that is what we like about crime novels. There were a few surprises that I didn’t see coming. I also felt that there was more exploration of the other regular characters that appear in the Eric Winter stories.
Hard to talk about the plot without giving the game away so I won’t. Better read it yourself.
I remain happy that there is no screen or TV adaptation of the Inspector Winter series. The next instalment in the series is waiting.

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The Shadow Woman by Åke Edwardson (Eric Winter #2)

The Shadow Woman (Inspector Winter #2)The Shadow Woman by Åke Edwardson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A mysterious and unexplained death in this the second of the Eric Winter series. As enjoyable as the other two that I have read. I accidentally started with number 3. A cleverly crafted mystery that moves across time. There is also reference to racism in Swedish society and how those groups are marginalised. The main protagonist in some ways mirror this separateness from society.
There is very little to go on and as is often the case a lucky break starts to unravel the case. There are plenty of diversions and red herrings that certainly got in my way.
Not much else to say unless I start spilling the beans on the whole plot. Best get a copy and read it.

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Russian Roulette: A Deadly Game: How British Spies Thwarted Lenin’s Global Plot

Russian Roulette: A Deadly Game: How British Spies Thwarted Lenin's Global PlotRussian Roulette: A Deadly Game: How British Spies Thwarted Lenin’s Global Plot by Giles Milton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This slim easy to read volume is all about the foundations of formalised overseas spying by the British. I heard the author being interviewed on radio and this piqued my interest. It’s an intriguing story about resourceful individuals who in some cases gave their lives. Some of it reads like the old Boys Own adventures. Much of the detail is still classified but through a quirk of history some of the files are now under Indian jurisdiction and accessible.
This is certainly a testament to the old adage that truth is stranger than fiction. Livings undercover for months, keeping one step ahead of the Russian secret police are just some of the exploits of these remarkable individuals. The complicated and tenuous courier links to get information back to Britain are astounding.
A great way to learn something about the early days of the Soviet union and how permeable the Iron curtain was in those early days.

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Death Angels by Åke Edwardson (Eric Winter #1)

Death Angels (Inspector Winter, #1)Death Angels by Åke Edwardson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So it’s back to the beginning as I managed to read the third in the series first. Although looking on-line this may not be the first novel as there are a series of titles that have not been translated from Swedish. In many ways the central character is disconnected from day to day life. He has a testy relationship with his parents, and his sister. He has a comfortable relationship with his girlfriend albeit at a distance. The story has two parts as it takes place in Sweden and United Kingdom.
There is a killer who commits horrific crimes and poses the corpses. This is familiar fare to those who read crime fiction regularly. I fear that the world of crime fiction has an overabundance of serial killers. The twist on this story is that the crimes take place in two countries so there is a compare and contrast between the styles of investigations.
I wish I had read in order as I am now going to tackle the second novel. I do like order and that involves a logical progression. Overall I have enjoyed the novel as I seem to with so much Scandinavian crime fiction.

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