Book #77 The House at Sea's End

The House at Sea's End: The Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries 3 by Elly Griffiths
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This really is an excellent series; Elly Griffiths has pulled off another gripping mystery featuring her protagonist Dr. Ruth Galloway and the impatient and quick-tempered DCI Harry Nelson. Apart from the intriguing plot there are threads running through this series (this is #3) that are tantalising; but I cannot mention them for fear of spoiling the ongoing drama for anyone who has not yet embarked on this journey set on the eerie landscape of the Norfolk coast.

Bones unearthed at the foot of a north Norfolk cliff; the skeletons might have lain there since the Second World War - has a dreadful crime been concealed all these years? As events unfurl it becomes evident that someone wants the truth of the past to stay buried when a body washes up on the beach. Does the owner of Sea's End House know something, or a member of his family?

The characters already seem like old friends: Michelle Nelson, wife of Harry and a dedicated wife and mother; Michael Malone (aka Cathbad), born in Ireland, raised as a Catholic and now thinks of himself as a Druid and shaman; Shona Maclean, one of Ruth's closest friends and a lecturer in English Literature and Phil Trent, Ruth's head of department at the University of North Norfolk.

The ending once again is unbearably tense and that last, short paragraph - another cliffhanger - a real teaser! Guaranteed to make you read on in the series. I am waiting for numbers 4, 5 and 6 to arrive from Waterstones....

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Book #62 The Sussex Downs Murder

The Sussex Downs Murder by John Bude
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A real delight from the golden age of crime fiction. First published in 1936 and republished in 2014 as a British Library Crime Classic. John Bude was the pseudonym of Ernest Gilmore (1901-1957) who was a co-founder of the Crime Writers' Association. The wonderful art deco cover was enough to make me pick the book up in Waterstones.

The setting is pretty much my own locale - the Sussex Downs, featuring Bramber, Steyning, Washington, Findon, Cissbury Ring, Chanctonbury Ring and the police headquarters in Lewes.

A classic detective novel featuring Superintendent Meredith and his sidekick Hawkins, who use old-fashioned police work bereft of computers, tablets and mobile 'phones to investigate the disappearance of John Rother, a local farmer and owner of lime kilns (you might have to Google that!). His abandoned car is found and first thoughts are that he might have been kidnapped. But then human bones are found on Chalklands farmland where his brother William and wife also live. Is John's disappearance more sinister? Is it connected perhaps to his growing rather too friendly with his brother's wife? Meredith is a patient, careful detective and his methodical approach starts to disentangle the clues as suspicion shifts from one character to the next. He still finds time to enjoy his afternoon high tea though!

If you like Agatha Christie you will enjoy this elaborately constructed puzzle. It tested my wits and, no, I didn't guess the outcome!



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Book #40 Hotel du Lac

Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I first read Hotel du Lac in 1986 I think it was. Anita Brookner had been awarded the prestigious Booker Prize for her short novel. "The Hotel du Lac was a dignified building, a house of repute, a traditional establishment, used to welcoming the prudent, the well-to-do, the retired, the self-effacing, the respected patrons of an earlier era". It is beautifully written, quietly commanding, a humorous, witty, touching and formidably clever love story. 30 years on and it has stood the test of time. Anita Brookner died earlier this year by which time most of her books were out of print. Penguin has decided to revisit her back catalogue and, once again, publish them all in their typical modern classic format. I came across this edition of Hotel du Lac on a recent visit to Waterstones and was beguiled by the cover; the cover design will often persuade me to purchase. I enjoyed reading again about Edith Hope, the romantic novelist who has been exiled from home after embarrassing herself and her friends. She has refused to sacrifice her ideals and remains stubbornly single. And yet, her actions then would cause hardly a ripple in today's society. It is a story anchored in the 80s and should be approached as such. The eloquent prose is typical Brookner and deserves its place in the realms of great 20th century literature.

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Book #32 The Crow Trap

The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't often do things back to front but here is one such case. I enjoyed the Vera Stanhope series on TV and when I came across 'The Moth Catcher' in Waterstones I bought a copy and thoroughly enjoyed it. This is number seven in the series. I took a step back and read number six, 'Harbour Street'. Both copies were liveried in the TV tie-in covers and when the remaining five were so issued I jumped in and bought the lot. I like book covers. So here I was, ready to read this the first in the series, first published in 1999. I was slightly daunted with the prospect as this book weighs in at 550 pages but I need not have been concerned as this is a very absorbing read - a slow burner, full of atmosphere and suspense, a well-drawn cast of characters and a satisfying plot. If I had read this without having known anything about DI Vera Stanhope I would have been rather taken aback at this portrayal of a dowdy curmudgeon, certainly nothing like the woman played by Brenda Blethyn in the TV series. (By book six Stanhope seems to have mellowed somewhat).

I won't go into the plot as other reviewers have done that and I shall look forward to reading number two in the series: 'Telling Tales'.

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Book #25 The Ice Child

The Ice Child by Camilla Läckberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I need time to recover! Review to follow....

I spotted this book in Waterstones. the blurb on the cover sounded good and so I bought it, not realising that I was jumping into a long running series at number 9. A series featuring Detective Patrik Hedström and his wife Erica Falck, from No. 1 international bestseller and Swedish crime writer Camilla Lackberg. It was of no matter as the book is excellent as a stand alone read. It is a perfect piece of Scandinavian noir, a slow burner, with an horrific plot.

It opens in January, in Fjällbacka. A semi-naked girl wanders through the woods in freezing cold weather. When she finally reaches the road, a car comes out of nowhere. It doesn’t manage to stop. By the time Detective Patrik Hedström receives word of the accident, the girl has already been identified. Four months ago she disappeared on her way home from the local riding school, and no one has seen her since. It quickly becomes clear that she has been subjected to unimaginably brutal treatment. And it’s likely she’s not the only one. It is a harrowing account, what this girl has suffered beggars belief.

Meanwhile, Patrik’s wife, crime writer Erica Falck, is looking into an old case – a family tragedy that led to a man’s death. His wife was convicted of murder, but Erica senses that something isn’t right. What is the woman hiding? As Erica digs deeper, the past starts to cast a shadow over the present and Patrik is forced to see his investigation in a whole new light.

Throughout the story scenes of domestic cosiness are mixed with scenes of intense horror, almost nauseating at times. And at times I wondered if the police would ever make progress with their investigation. I really felt the frustration of Hedström and his colleagues and his wife, who was researching events for her new book. A possible link between the two cases becomes intriguing.

This is a masterclass in crime writing, certainly on a par with Stieg Larsson and Jo Nesbo. I will certainly read more by Camilla Lackberg.

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Book #10 The Shut Eye

The Shut Eye by Belinda Bauer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I hadn’t come across Belinda Bauer before browsing through books at Waterstones I came across “The Shut Eye”. I had no idea it was her sixth thriller. What a treat I had in store! This is an exhausting, exhilarating and damned scary psychological thriller. This is a non-stop page turner that had me mesmerised.

A missing 12 year-old girl, a missing 4 year-old boy, a missing dog? Is there a connection? Does the missing boy’s mother really have an eerie sixth sense? Is that matched with the equally damaged Detective Chief Inspector John Marvel, who is close to falling off the wagon again and carries more baggage than an airport carousel?

You share the victims fears and torture, increasingly terrified as the full horror of their stark predicament is played out. Bauer creates a claustrophobic atmosphere that really got to me. Unexpected shocks abound, literally had me calling out “Oh my God! What?!”

The Shut Eye is a truly gripping, terrifying thriller - one of the best I have read for quite some time. It certainly won’t be my last book by Belinda Bauer.

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Book #2/2016 Truth Or Dare

Truth or Dare by Tania Carver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! This certainly blew away the early January cobwebs! A relentless page-turner, a psychological thriller that features some really scary criminals. I picked this up in Waterstones late last year and my only regret is that I had no idea I had jumped in at #6 in the Brennan and Esposito series by Tania Carver. The book often refers back to previous plot-lines in earlier books in the series and whilst this does not detract from the enjoyment of Truth Or Dare I reckon it would be fairly pointless in going back to the beginning with #1. Perhaps if I leave it long enough...

I am not going to delve into the plot, others before me have done that. Truth Or Dare is a genuine thrill with certain scenarios of unspeakable cruelty that will leave you breathless and creep you out.

Full marks from me. It’s a cracker!

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The Loney

The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So much hype surrounds this book, the first novel by Andrew Michael Hurley. Waterstones wax lyrical about it; the Sunday Telegraph said: “Modern classics in this genre are rare and instant ones even rarer; The Loney, however, looks as though it may be both”. A rather effusive statement - gilding a lily that doesn’t cut it for me.

As for genre - where would you place it? Much of the story revolves around an Easter retreat of profound religious importance to those involved. A place known to the participants as The Loney, a strangely isolated area where neap tides can cut a person off in seconds. A hardened religious fervour exists amongst the participants. The narrator is one of two brothers. His sibling Andrew, known as Hanny, has never spoken. The family hope to bring about the miracle of speech for Hanny through prayers at a local shrine, but all does not go according to plan.

Religion is the fundamental core of the plot. There are tense, unsettling moments and unanswered questions. Most of the characters left me cold, particularly Mummer, the boys mother.

The Loney is well written - it’s just not my cup of tea.

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Scorper by Rob Magnuson Smith

Scorper by Rob Magnuson Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Scorper, noun, a tool used to scoop out broad areas when engraving wood or metal.

I didn’t know that either until I read this strange book. I was attracted to it in Waterstones bookshop by the dust jacket, which contains an etching of a village I know well: Ditchling, located to the north of Brighton and the South Downs. And the first line of the book: “You are on your way to Ditchling”. What’s not to like I thought.

Scorper is an uncanny and sinister tale of an eccentric American visitor to this small Sussex village, searching for stories about his grandfather. A tale of twitching curtains, severed hands and peculiar sexual practices. A book about Eric Gill's artistic legacy, his despicable behaviour and enduring influence. Strangely comic, often sinister, often incomprehensible, but nevertheless compelling reading.

Is it a ghost story, is it Gothic? It is certainly dark and uncomfortable. I am edging towards awarding four stars....

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The Fish Ladder

The Fish Ladder: A Journey Upstream by Katharine Norbury
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I often select a book to purchase based upon the sleeve artwork. ‘The Fish Ladder’ by Katharine Norbury was no exception. I came across it on one of my recent forays into Waterstones bookshop and bought a copy. Philip Pullman describes it as “A beautiful, strange, intoxicating and utterly unique story”. This book is a gem. Described as a combination of memoir, travelogue and nature writing The Fish Ladder is incredibly visual. Interlaced with fragments of poetry and tales from Celtic mythology. Katharine Norbury was abandoned as a baby in a Liverpool convent. Raised by loving, adoptive parents she grew into a wanderer, drawn by the beauty of the British countryside.

Norbury’s clever use of word combinations is unique. She has a very special talent:

“I could make out occasional townships, slipped like love-notes into cracks along the coast”

just one sentence that conveys so much.

“... and a few aged sisters sat in pews, white as doves, tucked into prayer”.

Such a beautiful depiction of the purity of introspection and contemplation.
There are moments that take your breath away. This passage made me stop and then re-read several times:

“I could feel the boniness of his frame, pared by illness, and no matter how close we stood, or how tightly we embraced, the gap between us seemed to be widening, the pockets of air expanding, and then acquiring the solidity of Perspex. Dad felt like a fairy’s child that disappears when seen for what it is. I held in my arms a bundle of twigs and feathers, already splintering into dust”.

On her journey of self discovery Katherine is accompanied by her nine-year-old daughter , Evie. This is a captivating story that is also an exploration of the majesty of the natural world. It is totally original and life-affirming.


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Thinning Out

I had put it off long enough. I just had to thin out our collection of books. Every bookcase in the house is full, books are stacked up beside bookcases, books are stacked up beside books, beside bookcases, books are stacked on bedside cabinets and besides - we have a significant collection of Kindle books.

This bookcase is in the lounge - full - and is mirrored with a similar bookcase on the other side of the chimney breast. We have bookcases in the bedrooms and a bookcase in the dining room...

And so it was, with much heart-searching, that I selected 60 books for donation to the local Hospice charity shop. The folk there were delighted with my gift. So now I have some shelf-space to load some of the books that are stacked beside the books beside the books.

And I must try and stop paying visits to Waterstones, at least for a while...

It's Inevitable

I had to visit Brighton centre yesterday. My wife had two wristwatches that required new batteries and I wanted to purchase the Blue-Ray of the film 'Gone Girl'. This took me to Churchill Square for Goldsmiths - to install new watch batteries - and HMV for the Blue-Ray. It also took me close to the location of Waterstones, my favourite emporium....

I am a bibliophile. I cannot walk past a bookshop without slowing my step. I will linger at the window, gazing through the glass at stacks of books I have not yet read. I hover, telling myself I must read the pile on the bedside table before buying another. But I cannot resist the lure. Before long, I open the door, and that's it. I'm in, and I am going to be a while....

And so it was. There I was again, surrounded by thousands of books distributed over four floors. And of course I did. I bought a copy of "The Fish Ladder" by Katharine Norbury. It's her first book. According to Philip Pullman it is "a beautiful, strange, intoxicating and utterly unique story". Sounds good.

Meanwhile I must press on and finish reading "Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel - all 674 pages and then I have to read "Bring Up The Bodies", the sequel to Wolf Hall. So, I am not watching the BBC TV adaptation, currently showing, as this would probably get very confusing. I shall buy the series on DVD when it is released on 2nd March.

And then tackle that pile of books on the bedside table, not forgetting "The Fish Ladder"...

Wonderful Waterstones

My favourite emporium in Brighton is the bookseller Waterstones. If I am in town I am compelled to visit, I cannot walk past the place. It is a magnet that draws me in and it is futile to believe I won't buy at least one book, which will be added to the list of at least forty or more I have at home waiting to be read. To date this year I have read forty-five books so I have almost a year's worth of reading material stacked away upstairs. Will I ever catch up I wonder?

It is that time of year when Waterstones unveil their eight contenders for Waterstones' Book of the Year, with titles nominated by the chain's UK stores. The winner will be announced next month from the following:

• Everyday Sexism Laura Bates Simon & Schuster
• The Miniaturist Jessie Burton Picador
• The Narrow Road To The Deep North Richard Flanagan Chatto & Windus
• Persiana: Recipes From The Middle East & Beyond Sabrina Ghayour Mitchell Beazley
• Once Upon An Alphabet Oliver Jeffers HarperCollins Children's Books
• The Opposite Of Loneliness: Essays And Stories Marina Keegan Simon & Schuster
• H Is For Hawk Helen Macdonald Jonathan Cape (This gets my vote)
• Capital In The Twenty-First Century Thomas Piketty Harvard University Press

I would like to have seen This Boy by Alan Johnson amongst the nominations but I will Take H Is For Hawk as my favourite.