My Reading

This has reviews of books I have read. A complete list that includes books to be read can be found through the Goodreads widget on the right of this page on the home page.

The Ghost and The Bounty Hunter -Adam Courtenay

The Ghost and the Bounty Hunter: William Buckley, John Batman and the Theft of Kulin Country by Adam Courtenay My rating: 5 of 5 stars A friend recommended this volume. It’s an interesting story about an escaped convict William Buckley who eluded the authorities for a long time. The author Adam Courtenay who is the …

Shatter the Bones Logan McCrae #7

Shatter The Bones by Stuart MacBride My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the seventh in the Logan McCrae series. This time the crime is an abduction and involves a reality TV show. One of the contestants and her child are abducted. As is the case with this genre our hero Logan, “Laz” McRae …

Dark Blood by Stuart MacBride Logan McRae #6

Dark Blood by Stuart MacBride My rating: 4 of 5 stars Cannot believe that I have made it to the end of the sixth instalment. This story has more threads than a Persian rug. It starts with a high profile sex offender who gets parole and lands in Aberdeen. Logan or Laz to his friends …

Blind Eye by Stuart MacBride

Blind Eye by Stuart MacBride My rating: 4 of 5 starsThe fifth instalment in the series. Our hero Logan McRae or Laz to those who try to taunt him is up to his neck in trouble again. This is a particularly gruesome series of murders and attacks. Indeed some of the victims actually survive the …

Ratcatcher (Matthew Hawkwood #1) by James McGee

Ratcatcher by James McGee My rating: 4 of 5 stars Ratchatcher is is the first in a series of novels featuring Matthew Hawkwood as the main character written by James McGee. Based on the Bow Street runners before the advent of more formalised police investigations. Certainly, an atmospheric novel and quite the page turner. Our …

The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War by Ben Macintyre

The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War by Ben Macintyre My rating: 5 of 5 starsI heard the author being interviewed on radio. I am trying to write this in a way not to give too much away. The story of Oleg Gordievsky is fascinating and, in many ways, …

Angel of Death: Dulcie Markham, Femme Fatale of the Australian Underworld by Leigh Straw

Angel of Death: Dulcie Markham, Femme Fatale of the Australian Underworld by Leigh Straw My rating: 4 of 5 stars Angel Of Death: Dulcie Markham, Australia’s most beautiful bad woman I heard about Angel of Death from a podcast Conversations which airs on ABC in Australia. The author was discussing the book and its subject. …

The Silent Death by Volker Kutscher

The Silent Death by Volker Kutscher My rating: 4 of 5 stars The second instalment in the Gereon Rath Series by Volker Kutscher. I have read the previous volume Babylon Berlin. Rath presents himself as a man who does not play well with teams. He also has a capacity to annoy his superiors. Running off …

A Murder to Die For by Stevyn Colgan

A Murder to Die For by Stevyn Colgan My rating: 5 of 5 stars A Murder to Die For by Stevyn Colgan is outside my usual Nordic Noir type of reading. It is an a very funny tale set in an idyllic English village. Think Agatha Christie or Midsummers Murders and you get the idea. …

A History of South Australia by Paul Sendziuk

A History of South Australia by Paul Sendziuk My rating: 4 of 5 stars I heard the authors speaking on the radio about this volume both work at Adelaide Un9versity . I have never actually read a history of South Australia. This is despite living in south Australia most of my life. Its a chronological …

Friday essay: from convicts to contemporary convictions – 200 years of Australian crime fiction

(This is republished from The Conversation and written by Stephen Knight Honorary Research Professor, University of Melbourne Guy Pearce as the Chandleresque private investigator Jack Irish: in the early years of Australian crime fiction, convicts and bushrangers featured prominently. Lachlan Moore

Arthur Gask an Adelaide Based Author

Arthur Gask From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Arthur Cecil Gask (10 July 1869 – 25 June 1951), dentist and novelist, was born on 10 July 1869 at St Marylebone, London, fourth of five children of Charles Gask, merchant, and his wife Fanny, née Edis.[1] Gask, accompanied by his second wife, their two sons, and by a …

Lenin’s Roller Coaster by David Downing

Lenin’s Roller Coaster by David Downing Lenin’s Rollercoaster This is the third instalment Jack McColl and Caitlin Hanley series written by David Downing. The preceding volumes One Man’s Flag  and Jack of Spies set the tone but are not required reading .This time the protagonist are in Russia after the fall of the short-lived Kerensky …

Greeks Bearing Gifts: Bernie Gunther Thriller 13 by Philip Kerr My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is the penultimate instalment of the Bernie Gunther series the author Philip Kerr passed away 23rd March 2018. There is another novel coming Metropolis which is due out at the end of the year. Like all the novels …

The Shadow District by Arnaldur Indriðason

The Shadow District by Arnaldur Indriðason My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Shadow Killer is new series by Icelandic author Arnaldur Indridason set during he allied occupation of Iceland during World War II. Indridason previous series revolved around a rather melancholic detective called Erlendur who was tormented by his brother’s disappearance in a storm …

The Other Side of Silence (Bernie Gunther, #11)

The Other Side of Silence by Philip Kerr My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Other side of Silence is the 11th Bernie Gunther novel by Philip Kerr. I have read all in order and I must say that all have been enjoyable. I admire the way Kerr keeps the narrative rolling forward. Bernie Gunther’s …

The Lady from Zagreb – Phillip Kerr

The Lady from Zagreb by Philip Kerr My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the 10th Bernie Gunther novel from Phillip Kerr. Bernie Gunther is a former Berlin detective who gets sidelined during the Nazi regime in Germany. He is a man who more often than not treads his own path usually comes at …

An Hour Before Daylight

An Hour Before Daylight: Memoirs of a Rural Boyhood by Jimmy Carter My rating: 5 of 5 stars This memoir was written Jimmy Carter the former US President. It focuses on his childhood in Plains Georgia up until the time he left to go to college. I’m not one for reading biographies but found the …

Jack of Spies by David Downing

Jack of Spies by David Downing My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have to confess to being a David Downing fan I have read all the ‘Station’ novels and enjoyed the attention to historical detail. In some ways Jack of Spies featuring Jack McColl as our hero follows the ‘Station’ series. Set amongst the …

Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army

Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army by Jeremy Scahill My rating: 3 of 5 stars   This is Jeremy Schahill’s probe in Blackwater and organisation that is it seems an army for hire. I’m sure that those that support this kind of endeavour will think this is a biased account of …

The Marco Effect by Jussi Adler-Olsen

The Marco Effect by Jussi Adler-Olsen My rating: 5 of 5 stars I enjoyed The Marco Effect great holiday reading. I have been reading the department Q novels in sequence. This is the 5th in the series and is a well-crafted with the addition of the usual convoluted plot. The Marco effect begins in Africa …

SWAG Elmore Leonard

Swag by Elmore Leonard My rating: 4 of 5 stars A quick and easy read a great caper. Two men meet one with a foolproof idea to get rich quick the other brought along with the promises of riches. They live by a set of predetermined rules which are meant to make them smarter than …

The Purity of Vengeance (Department Q, #4)

The Purity of Vengeance by Jussi Adler-Olsen My rating: 5 of 5 stars Purity of Vengeance is the fourth in Juri Adler-Olsen’s Department Q series. Like its predecessors darkness abounds . As with other novels the plot is twisted and has its origins as you would expect with a cold case team. This time touching …

A Pet Peeve About Books

I read a lot Nordic fiction which is translated into English. That isn’t an issue but the names of the books peeves me.

Redemption (Department Q, #3) by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Redemption by Jussi Adler-Olsen My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is my third Department Q novel and so far the best in the series. I am trying to read them in order. I am really enjoying the series by Jussi Adler-Olsen.The title in Danish that loosely translates as a note in a bottle from …

Reading on Cruise

I have had something of a read- a-thon on my recent cruise holiday. Managing  to read six novels in nine days this is a personal best. Three books from my tablet and three from the ship’s library. The books in the ship’s library were all good and volumes that I would not have searched out.  Nothing like …

Time of Death by Mark Billingham

Time of Death by Mark Billingham My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another cruise read and starting at the end of the series because that what was on offer. I was vaguely aware of the Inspector Thorne TV series starring David Morrissey but had never read any of the books by Mark Billingham. Time of …

The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen

The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen My rating: 5 of 5 stars I must confess that it was the title of this book that attracted me the in the first place “The Keeper of Lost Causes”. This is the first in a series by  Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen about a fictional cold case department …

Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty

Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a new series to me DCI Sean Duffy in Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty. This is the fourth or fifth installment in the series. I started writing this in the middle of the Pacific whist on a cruise. At home I have …

Into Oblivion by Arnaldur Indriðason

Into Oblivion by Arnaldur Indriðason My rating: 4 of 5 stars The second inspector Erlendur novel and as far as I can see this completes my reading of this series having started with the third book in the series. Well that is what I thought but after reading Crime Lovers guide to Inspector Erlendur this …

Children of the Revolution by Peter Robinson

Children 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 …

Reykjavík Nights: Murder in Reykjavík by Arnaldur Indriðason

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 …

Sail of Stone by Åke Edwardson (Eric 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 …

The Twelfth Department by William Ryan (Captain Korolev)

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 …

Room No. 10 by Åke Edwardson (Eric Winter)

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 …

Frozen Tracks by Åke Edwardson (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 …

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 …

The Shadow Woman by Åke Edwardson (Eric 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 …

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 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 …

Death Angels by Åke Edwardson (Eric 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 …

Sun and Shadow (Inspector Winter, #3)

Sun and Shadow by Åke Edwardson My rating: 4 of 5 stars Well this is first I have read of Åke Edwardson’s Inspector Winter series. I was rather annoyed when I discovered that this is the third in the series. I like to start at the beginning of a series. Enough rant, as the title …

The G File: Van Veeteren Mysteries Book 10

The G File: Van Veeteren Mysteries Book 10 by Håkan Nesser My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the last in the Van Veeteren series unless Håkon Nesser decides to resurrect him. It G file refers to the only case that Van Veetren hasn’t solved in his career. The G file has been hinted …

The Strangler’s Honeymoon (Inspector Van Veeteren, #9) by Håkan Nesser

The Strangler’s Honeymoon by Håkan Nesser My rating: 4 of 5 stars This the 9th in the series sees Van Veeteren more involved than the previous volume. This seems to be an unsolvable crime with the connection between the perpetrator and victim very tenuous. The intrepid Van Veeteren seems more content personally. The story traverses …

The Weeping Girl (Inspector Van Veeteren, #8) by Håkan Nesser

The Weeping Girl by Håkan Nesser My rating: 3 of 5 stars The Weeping Girl is the eight novel in the Van Veeteren series. The earlier books have Chief Inspector Van Veeteren as the main character. By this volume he is retired and more of a guiding light for Inspector Moreno who is one of …

Constable Colgan’s Connect-O-Scope by Stevyn Colgan

Constable Colgan’s Connect-O-Scope by Stevyn Colgan My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is one for the trivia kings. Stevyn Colgan manages to stitch all sorts of seemingly unrelated facts together. A great holiday read or a pick up and put down sort of book. View all my reviews

Art & Technique of Scandinavian Style Woodcarving

Art & Technique of Scandinavian Style Woodcarving: Step-By-Step Instructions & Patterns for 40 Flat-Plane Carving Projects by Harley Refsal My rating: 5 of 5 stars An instructive read . Enough to get you started on a carving career. Well it got me started any way. I have fond memories of this style of carving from …

Bloody Meadow (Captain Alexei Dimitrevich Korolev #2)

Bloody Meadow by William Ryan My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the second Captain Korolev novel, this time he has been sent to the Ukraine to solve the murder of a young woman. She has connections to a powerful man in the ruling party. What follows is an interesting foray into the world …

The Unplugged Woodshop: Hand-Crafted Projects for the Home & Workshop

The Unplugged Woodshop: Hand-Crafted Projects for the Home & Workshop by Tom Fidgen My rating: 5 of 5 stars I first came across Tom Fidget via his excellent website the unplugged woodshop. Working from his small workshop he produces some amazing projects. He is a devotee of hand tools and does demonstrate what can be …

Masaryk Station (John Russell, #6)

Masaryk Station by David Downing My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is sadly the last in the John Russell Effi Koenen series. I have read then all in order. In fact Zoo Station the first in this series got me started on WW 2 based fiction. I didn’t realise that it was the end …

Outrage (Reykjavík Murder Mystery #9) by Arnaldur Indriðason

Outrage by Arnaldur Indriðason My rating: 3 of 5 stars This sees a shift in the Reykjavik Murder series, the grumpy old hack Erlendur is not around. He’s on leave and no one knows where. It is assumed that he has gone off to search for his long-lost brother. The focus is then on Elinborg …

Voices (Reykjavík Murder Mystery #5) by Arnaldur Indriðason

Voices by Arnaldur Indriðason My rating: 4 of 5 stars A mystery a man with no friends or family is found dead where he has lived an worked for 20 years. None seems to know anything about him or his life. Slowly a strange and surprising picture emerges. This is no small part due to …

Ashes to Dust (Þóra Guðmundsdóttir #3) by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

Ashes to Dust by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir My rating: 4 of 5 stars I am reading the novels of Yrsa Sigurðardóttir back to back and this is my third in a row. This time our heroine is a called to the site of a devastating earthquake in 1973. The buried buildings are being unearthed as part …

My Soul to Take (Þóra Guðmundsdóttir #2) by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

My Soul to Take by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir My rating: 3 of 5 stars This is the second novel by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir in this series. As its predecessor Last Rituals the tale is steeped in Icelandic culture. The setting is an expensive New Age health resort where the body of a woman is found on the …

Last Rituals (Þóra Guðmundsdóttir #1)by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

Last Rituals by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the first novel by Icelandic writer Yrsa Sigurðardóttir. The story revolves around Thora a lawyer who is divorced. She has a difficult relationship with her ex and a couple of children. She works in a small law firm and finds herself being …

The Draining Lake (Reykjavík Murder Mystery #6) by Arnaldur Indriðason

The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indriðason My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the sixth Erlendur novel but only the fourth translated into English. Central to the mystery is a lake that is sinking. The falling water uncovers a skeleton which inevitably exposes hidden secrets. The Draining Lake continues the theme of the previous …

Jar City (Reykjavík Murder Mystery #3)

Jar City by Arnaldur Indriðason My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another great Icelandic story touches on the homogeneous nature of this society.The story is pervaded by unrelenting rain and Erlendur’s obsession with the past and those who are lost. Jar City mixes Erlendur’s troubled past with the death of a loner in his flat. …

Silence of the Grave (Reykjavík Murder Mystery #4)

Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indriðason My rating: 4 of 5 stars A great read with lots of sadness. the story moves between the present and WW 2 Reykjavik. Erlendur the central character and investigating officer has his own demons present and past. There are elements of Henning Mankell and Håkon Nesser both great …

The Calling of the Grave (David Hunter #4) by Simon Beckett

The Calling of the Grave by Simon Beckett My rating: 3 of 5 stars This is the fourth in a series by Simon Beckett featuring a central character called David Hunter. He is a forensic anthropologist and a GP. The case concerns a series of murders that are all attributed to one man who has …

The Holy Thief (Captain Alexei Dimitrevich Korolev #1) by William Ryan

The Holy Thief. William Ryan by William Ryan My rating: 4 of 5 stars Holy Thief by William Ryan is the first in series with the central character Captain Korolev. I bought the book from a discount bookstore on a recent interstate trip only $8 and I got my monies worth. The story is set …

Lehrter Station (John Russell #5)

Lehrter Station by David Downing My rating: 3 of 5 stars Lehret Station is the 5th instalment of the John Russell and Effie Koenen Series. Author David Downing really creates an environment that makes you feel that you have stepped back in time. This story is post world war 2 and focuses the personal hardships …

Double Dexter (Dexter #6) by Jeff Lindsay

Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay My rating: 3 of 5 stars The sixth Dexter novel Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, has the same central character as the TV series Dexter. I have written about the increasing divergence of the novels and the TV show. I enjoy both and try not to compare too much. I …

Cell 8 (Grens & Sundkvist #3) by Anders Roslund, Börge Hellström

Cell 8 by Anders Roslund My rating: 4 of 5 stars Cell 8 is the third Roslund and Hellström novel that I have read. I continue to enjoy the series and its main detective Ewert Grens. The previous volumes in the series “Three Seconds” and “Box 21” just as just as inventive as this. The …

The Killing Hands (Sophie Anderson #4)

The Killing Hands by P.D. Martin My rating: 2 of 5 stars This is the 4th novel in the Sophie Anderson series by Australian author PD Martin. The central character is an Australian working as an FBI profiler. The story moves along well and seems to give an insight in to the law enforcement and …

The Black Path (Rebecka Martinsson, #3) by Åsa Larsson

The Black Path by Åsa Larsson My rating: 4 of 5 stars I read this in June 2010 and is part of my transfer of reading from the Now Reading plugin to Goodreads This is the most recent of the Rebecka Martinsson by Åsa Larsson number 3. The heroine is troubled by her recent past and has almost drifted …

The Blood Spilt (Rebecka Martinsson, #2) by Åsa Larsson

The Blood Spilt by Åsa Larsson My rating: 4 of 5 stars I read this in April 2010 and is part of my transfer of reading from the Now Reading plugin to Goodreads The Blood Spilt is the second in the Rebeka Martinson series by Asa Larsson. Like the first novel the story revolves around a church congregation, in …

The Savage Altar (Rebecka Martinsson #1) by Åsa Larsson

The Savage Altar by Åsa Larsson My rating: 4 of 5 stars I read this in June 2010 and is part of my transfer of reading from the Now Reading plugin to Goodreads The Savage Altar is the first in a series by Swedish author Åsa Larsson featuring a lawyer Rebecka Martinsson as the main character. The story sees …

Nemesis (Harry Hole, #4)

Nemesis by Jo Nesbø My rating: 4 of 5 stars I originally read this in April 2010 and is part of my transfer of reading from the Now Reading plugin to Goodreads. Another Exciting instalment in the Harry Hole saga. This is the fourth in the series which unfortunately was the first that I read. …

The Redbreast (Harry Hole #3) by Jo Nesbø

The Redbreast 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. This is the second Joe Nesbø novel that I have read. The third in the series written by Jo Nesbø a Norwegian …

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 …

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

The 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 …

The Devil’s Star by Jo Nesbø

The 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. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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

Berlin 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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Goodreads on WordPress

My last post on this subject was about the apparent demise of Now Reading Reloaded plugin that I have been using to keep a track of my reading. It has been a great way to keep track. I means I don’t forget what I have read and saves me buying a book twice which I have done. The advantage was that …

Think about it ….Reading

I just finished reading some writers tips from the excellent blog Brain Pickings in particular the 10 tips from Zadie Smith. I then looked back at my last post Book Reading and was struck by how silly the title is.  Book reading is stating the bleeding obvious. What else do you do with books. I know that some buy them …

Book Reading

I really have three main things that I use the blog for posting some of my photos, writing about woodworking and recording the books that I read. I also add some things about the site and technology. I have for some time been using a plugin called Now Reading its been great and there is a widget that …

A death in Oslo-Anne Holt

The story revokes around a fictional US President, who has come to power after George W Bush, no Obama in this alternative history. The author Anne Holt is Norwegian and this fits well with my interest in Scandinavian crime fiction.It is a story of secrets, the obvious and not so obvious. The action, as the title would …

Three seconds

The first thing about this excellent Swedish thriller is that there are two authors, Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom. This I find interesting and how they work to construct plots and characters. Despite this there is no sense that are two authors. Not like the Lennon and McCartney song writing partnership where parts can be attributed …

The Killing Hand – PD Martin

This is the 4th novel in the Sophie Anderson series by Australian author P D Martin. The central character is an Australian working as an FBI profiler. The story moves along well and seems to give an insight into  the law enforcement and gang culture of LA. Being the fourth in the series there is …

Dark Voyage – Alan Furst

This Alan Furst novel has a decidedly nautical favour and gives a Dutch flavour to the war in Europe. The story is set largely at sea and follows the intrigue of ports across the Mediterranean and northern Europe. As would be expected on a merchant ship there are a variety of characters from all over the …

Alan Furst Double “The World at Night” & “Red Gold”

This turned out much to my surprise a two part story. I read the first book The World at Night and when I started the next novel Red Gold I was confused. I know that there is very little cross over in characters in the Furst novels. It took a few pages to realise that …

Dark Star – Alan Furst

This tale by Alan Furst, Dark Star, follows a high-profile Russian reporter. He is a foreign correspondent who enjoys a degree of luxury and privilege in the dark days of Stalin’s purges. He becomes drawn into the world of espionage by his masters, a matter of survival as anything else. The is a real sense that …

Spies of the Balkans

This is the third of the Alan Furst novels that I have read , Spies of the Balkans. This is as intriguing as the previous ones with a flavour of the intrigue that is the essence of WWII spy novels. This one is set in Salonika and has as its backdrop the imminent invasion of Greece by …

Blood Meridian

I have read what must be the most bloodthirsty book that I have ever read. I was attracted to reading this after tackling Cormac McCarthy’s novel “No Country for Old Men’ which in itself was a violent novel. I am not that squeamish and do read a large amount of crime fiction but this was something …

The End of the World in Breslau

This story is set in the German city of Breslau in the late 1920s. It is somewhat reminiscent of Agatha Christie‘s famous ?Hercule Poirot. In that the central character in this book is a somewhat pompous and self assured detective. Unlike Hercule Poirot Eberhard Mock is not a free agent but rather an employee of …

Potsdam Station by David Downing

This is the fourth of the John Russell novel by British author David Downing . This story is set in the dying daysofWWII in Berlin. Unlike the previous three this installment is described as John Russell and Effi Koenen novel. Effi has been John’s longstanding girlfriend and features much more in this story. Since the last installment there has been  a gap of some …

Hypothermia – Arnaldur Indridason

This crime novel is set in Reykjavik in Iceland and follows the seasoned detective Erlendur as he strikes out on his own on an “unofficial investigation”. The setting is contemporary without being tied to any particular recent events. It is at a time when the office is quiet which gives him the flexibility to follow …

The Quiet Girl –Peter Høeg

This is the most recent novel by this Danish author and translated into English. He is previously best known for “Miss Smilla’s Feelings for Snow” This novel follows the tortured and twisted life of clown Kasper Krone. A quic k search of the net will reveal that this novel met with harsh criticism when it …

Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow – Peter Høeg

This story is translated from Danish. It’s a fast paced thriller with plenty of intrigue. The story starts with the death of a young boy in Copenhagen. The boy was known to Smilla is found dead and the verdict is that of accidental death. It is the main characters familiarity with snow and ice that …

The Polish Officer

Another lengthy tale of intrigue that follows a Polish military officer as he becomes part of the  resistance inoccupied France during WWII. The title is in deference to the main character, The Polish Officer lovers of the period will enjoy historical references. At another level the story focuses on the  the isolation and devastation that surrounds …

Night Soldiers – Alan Furst

This is the first in the Alan Furst series of novels dealing with intrigue and espionage in and around WWII in Europe. This book spans nearly ten Years and follows Nikolai Stovaniev a Bulgarian who is recruited by the the NKVD. It helps having some knowledge of European history of the 1930’s and 40’s to …

Dexter in The Dark

The third in the Dexter series. In this Dexter in the Dark our hero loses his mojo. The story has something of a supernatural undertone that implies that makes Dexter the way he is. Dexter struggles as his Dark Passenger abandons which he finds confusing and bewildering. The story line here is not as convincing …

Dearly Devoted Dexter

My holiday readathon continues Dearly Devoted Dexter . This is the second Dexter novel and the fork in the road beween this book and the TV series continues to widen. There are by the conclusion of this volume big differences in the plot lines and characters.  Where the TV series has Dexter in a continuos …

The Girl Who Kicked a Hornet’s Nest

Well I manage to write the reviews of books I read out of order and in a rather haphazard fashion so this post should have preceded the last one never mind. This is the third and final instalment of Stieg Larsson‘s epic trilogy that encompasses computer hacking state sanctioned  abuses of individuals that go to the heart …

Dexter Darkly Dreaming

This is the first in the “Dexter” series, which is probably better known for the TV series of the same name. Thankfully the TV series is based in the books rather than this being a novelisation. Dexter the vigilante sociopath is an engaging character and those with an academic interest in this type of person …

The Complaints by Ian Rankin

A great new Ian Rankin novel without Rebus. A most satisfying read. The story crosses the boundaries of who you can and cant trust. Tapping into the modern culture of greed. I do miss the musical references of the Rebus series but the new character Fox has his own foibles. The story weaves but never seem …

Scandinavian Crime Fiction

Having watched Unit One (Rejseholdet in Danish see image in post), the Eagle a Crime Odyssey and now The Killing (currently showing on SBS TV in Australia) I have become somewhat entranced by Scandinavian crime stories. Perhaps this is a reflection of my Norwegian heritage.The TV shows offer a refreshing and different approach in their story lines. A for cry from the crime …

No Country for Old Men

I have just finished reading this rather engaging novel on which the film of the same name is based. I hoe to read more by the same author. I have reviewed the book which can be seen in the adjoing side bar.

Book Reviews

I have added a nice little feature which is seen in one of the side bars on the right hand side of the web page. I can now add the books I am , going to and have read recently. The plugin picks up the book cover and other detail by linking to  amazon.com . …

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