Book #83 The Devil's Prayer

The Devil's Prayer by Luke Gracias
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I approached The Devil’s Prayer with a great deal of anticipation. So many 5 Star reviews. “If you liked ‘The DaVinci Code you will love ‘The Devil’s Prayer’” said one. I loved ‘The DaVinci Code’ but I cannot say the same about ‘The Devil’s Prayer’. It starts so well: the suicide of a nun in Spain. Her daughter living in Australia recognises the nun from a news report as her mother, who disappeared suddenly, and without trace twelve years ago. She travels to Spain in search of answers. She discovers her mother’s ‘confession’, a betrayal, a deal with the Devil. A confession full of graphic detail about revenge taken against those who betrayed her. So far so good. The first half kept me swiftly page turning. The second half however became tedious. Well it did for me. Page after page, chapter after chapter recounting details of a 13th century conspiracy between the Mongols and the Papal Legate, that although it has a direct bearing on current events, became more of a history lesson that went into far too much detail and again, for me, became monotonous.

I expected so much from this book and when the ending did finally arrive, well, something of a damp squib. It has its moments. Enjoy the first half and be prepared to endure the second. Who knows - you might think differently….

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Book #82 Mission To Paris

Mission to Paris by Alan Furst
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book had languished on my TBR list for far too long. I had taken too much notice of poor reviews. I should have known better. I have long been a fan of Alan Furst although my last read was several years ago. Mission To Paris is a slow-burner. There are pages where nothing much seems to happen. But throughout there is a palpable sense of menace in the autumn of 1938 in Paris where the possibility of war appeared unavoidable.

Frederic Stahl, a Hollywood film star born in Vienna, travels from California to the boulevards of Paris. He is to star in a film Après La Guerre. He is ill-prepared for the circumstances that overtake him as he is drawn into a clandestine world of espionage and overt propaganda from the Nazi organisation and the chilling heart of the Third Reich. Will Stahl inadvertently become an agent of influence? Will he put himself in harm’s way as German operatives track him across Paris? To what end?

Furst’s knowledge of this period of history is second to none. His familiarity with Paris is comprehensive. His ability to instil a simple sentence with a whiff of something sinister is pitch-perfect.

If you are a fan of Alan Furst and you haven’t yet read Mission To Paris I would recommend that you do. I loved it.

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When You Are Old

How do you define 'Old'? I am older than I was and younger than I will be. As I grow 'older' I often find myself asking the question: "Why are you doing this?" I am asking myself now why I am writing this. It might have something to do with my re-reading of some of my favourite poems and one in particular: "When You Are Old" by W.B. Yeats....

When you are old and grey and full of sleep, 

And nodding by the fire, take down this book, 

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look 

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

There is melancholy here. I am 'old' and grey and often full of sleep and I do nod off by the fire. Is this just whimsy on my part or am I just out of step with getting older....

Book #81 Cold Kill

Cold Kill by P.J. Tracy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth, two detectives from the Minneapolis PD, are chasing around 'six ways to Sunday', aided by a bunch of computer geeks known as Monkeewrench, to solve a series of baffling homicides in Minnesota in a plot that really does stretch credulity about a decades-old conspiracy. Full of cheesy dialogue between these two protagonists who love junk food, sticky buns, a dog, a computer analyst Grace MacBride, to such an extent you just cannot help but love 'em! As conspiracy theories go this plot takes the biscuit. It's fast paced, daft in places and compelling enough to read in two days. I believe this is the latest in a series that feature Gino and Magozzi and you know what? I enjoyed it!

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Elizabeth Taylor in London

I have a recording of this wonderful poem, recited by Elizabeth Taylor. It features on the album ‘Elizabeth Taylor in London’. The musical score was composed by John Barry. 

Elizabeth Taylor in London was a CBS-TV television special broadcast on 6 October 1963.

UPON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE by William Wordsworth

Earth has not anything to show more fair:

Dull would he be of soul who could pass by

A sight so touching in its majesty:

This City now doth like a garment wear

The beauty of the morning: silent, bare,

Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie

Open unto the fields, and to the sky,

All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.

Never did sun more beautifully steep

In his first splendour valley, rock, or hill;

Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!

The river glideth at his own sweet will:

Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;

And all that mighty heart is lying still!

Fifty Thousand

For many bloggers out there this probably means little. For me, it is a significant achievement. My humble blog today reached 50,000 page-views. Thank you to all of you who take the time to visit. I know that I have become somewhat single-minded this year in posting little more than book reviews. I will try next year to expand my horizons, once again!

Book #80 The Nightingale

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Nightingale will linger long in my mind. I have ready many factual accounts about French resistance and the Maquis. I do not recall reading such a spellbinding fictional account such as this. It has left an indelible memory of the bravery and courage of two sisters, each involved in the 2nd World War in juxtaposed places. Each face the horrors of the Nazi occupation of France, endure deprivations that are heartbreaking, atrocities so inhumane as to leave one reeling with a profound sense of anger and loss. The final redemption is bitter-sweet and defines fear and love in a time of war. Other reviewers have explored the plot in greater detail. For me the story of Vianne and Isabelle is beautifully written and required a great deal of research by the author Kristin Hannah.

It is a remarkable novel - one of my best reads this year and highly recommended.

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