Book #60 The Starlings & Other Stories

The Starlings & Other Stories by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Twelve photographs taken by David Wilson in Pembrokeshire are used by twelve authors to inspire short stories; interpret what they see and invest their own narrative into the photograph. An unusual concept that has worked reasonably well. But for all that I was left somewhat disappointed. Some of the endings were weak and needed more. One contained two continuity howlers, which I am surprised were not spotted by an editor or proof reader. See if you spot them.

My favourites were The Starlings by Ann Cleeves in which she reprises Vera Stanhope; The Man Who Didn't Breathe by Jim Kelly; Mountains Out Of Molehills by Valerie Laws - full of menace, and Sorted by Toby Forward that reminded me so much of Gone Girl.

So, some entertaining stories, some not so good. Overall 3.5 stars from me with my 60th and last book for 2015.

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Book #59 Hebrides by Peter May

Hebrides by Peter May
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a stunning photographic book celebrating the landscape of the Outer Hebrides as depicted in the popular trilogy of books, known as The Lewis Trilogy. I had previously read these three books: Blackhouse, The Lewis Man and The Chessmen by Peter May and had been captivated by the author's fictional hero, Detective Inspector Fin Macleod. Hebrides allows readers to see the landscape through the eyes of Fin. This work is an odyssey for Peter May, revisiting the islands that were to become the locations of his superb trilogy. Travelling as if alongside protagonist Det Insp Macleod, May describes the island life - as bewitching as it is treacherous with its stark cliffs, ghostly mists and lonely beaches. He also describes his encounter with the bird-hunters of Sula Sgeir, the savage seas of Ness and the churches of Eriskay. But the book's main attraction is the specially commissioned, spectacular photographs taken by former BBC photographer David Wilson, who was so inspired with Lewis during his prolonged visit that he now lives on the West Coast of the Isle of Lewis.

This is a beautiful book that places May's writing and characters within the land that gave them form. And this is the end. May says: "And so my Hebridean adventure, which had lasted more than twenty years, came to an end. I had made a commitment to writing only three books, and the writing of them was done". If you have read The Lewis Trilogy you should buy a copy of this wonderful book and complete the journey alongside Peter May. And, like me, you will experience a tinge of sadness that there will be no more Fin Macleod.



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Book #58 The Monogram Murders

The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The little grey cells are back in this resurrection of Hercule Poirot by Sophie Hannah. Not so sure that I like the rather irascible Poirot that she depicts here, often sarcastic in his rôle of mentor to Detective Edward Catchpool from Scotland Yard. Poirot leads and Catchpool follows - how on earth did he (Catchpool) become a detective I wonder. Nevertheless this has a wonderful, intricate plot, something of a locked-room mystery, set in 1929 at the Bloxham Hotel in London. Poirot’s powers of deduction have not diminished at all in the hands of Hannah.

Agatha Christie would probably have endorsed this new mystery but I am not so sure that David Suchet could be persuaded to reprise his portrayal of the Belgian detective in a TV dramatisation.

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Book #57 The Silkworm

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I liked The Cuckoo’s Calling (Cormoran Strike #1) a lot. I was immediately drawn to this character, the one-legged army veteran-turned-private-eye. Shades of Raymond Chandler here and his “mean streets”. The Silkworm is J K Rowling’s second outing as Robert Galbraith and I loved it. Set in the literary world where Galbraith must feel at home, the book continues the developing relationship between Strike and his erstwhile assistant Robin. The outlook for Robin’s relationship with future husband Matthew appears rocky at times and I do wonder where this is going; Strike doesn’t like him and this factious relationship amongst the three characters is pivotal to the story. Strike is almost an anachronism in today’s world of police high-tech crime units and yet it is a world in which he flourishes, his disciplined approach owing much to his former career in the Military SIB, a career curtailed by a close encounter with an IED.

Other reviewers have covered the plot detail so I won’t add to this. Galbraith has pulled off another thoroughly enjoyable read, an addictive whodunit, 580 pages to gulp down. I cannot wait to read the next offering in this series.

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Book #56 Raw Spirit: In Search of the Perfect Dram

Raw Spirit by Iain Banks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My brother picked this up in a charity shop and thought I would enjoy it, knowing my love of single malt Scotch whiskies. It was originally published in 2003 and remarkably the content remains fairly contemporary. A poignant read in many respects; Iain Banks died in 2013 aged just 59. So, to talk about having enough single malt after this trip around the distilleries of Scotland, to last him into his 70s lent a subliminal tone to the content of this book.

I did enjoy it. I love single malt, I love Scotland. I would love to embark on the same journey that Banks took, sometimes alone, sometimes with his wife, often with close friends. He drives around in a number of vehicles he owns (or should I say owned), including a BMW M5, a Landrover Defender and a classic Jaguar MK ll. His quest is for the perfect dram and his conclusion(s) include some of my favourites, 12 years later. So not a great deal has changed in the world of single malt. He journeys to remote shores and hidden glens, discovering the breathtaking and often inaccessible distilleries where tiny quantities of malt whisky are produced.

Banks was a left-wing fanatic, a hell-raiser, an atheist, a confessed petrol-head - and a great writer. At times his irreverence echoes loudly through these pages. He does it to 'Dubya' and Blair (this was written at the time of the Iraq war and the search for those WMDs), pours scorn on Faslane and the nuclear deterrent, admits to being 'stoned' and inebriated on many occasions and buys shed-loads of whisky as he continues his journey through Scotland and the Isles. The book is not just a drinking guide but a travelogue and a social commentary on the early 21st century. In places it is highly amusing, at times it made me laugh out loud, but moreover it provided me with an education about the creating of the greatest spirit on earth.

That's it. I love single malt whiskies and I enjoyed sharing Banks' journey. It made me want to get on a train or a plane and head for the Highlands. And, perhaps, never come back....

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