Book Review - Dead as a Doornail

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

After just finishing this book earlier this evening, I was pleased with how Sookie's 5th adventure turned out. This is perhaps the busiest book so far, with a lot going on around Sookie. The main mystery this time involves an unknown sniper who is targeting shifters, injuring them and sometimes even killing them. Sookie's brother Jason becomes something of a suspect in the shifter community, and Sookie herself is even attacked and her house is torched. We also have sub-plots involving Sookie's friend Tara who is involved in a forced relationship with a vampire, as well as Sookie becoming involved in were politics as a new pack leader is chosen.

For the first time in the series the vampires take a back seat to the action, which at first did take a while to get used to. However, the shift from vampires to wares allows the author to really explore the mythology (and politics) surrounding a community, which unlike the vampire community, is still living in secret. But Bill, Eric and Pam do make appearances, along with a new vampire bartender Charles who is hired to work at Merlotte's and of course Bubba the vampire formerly known as Elvis.

If you have read any of the previous Sookie books then there's plenty to satisfy you here. Sookie is her usual self, fun, bouncy and often quite brassy, and there is the usual mix of action, romance and the supernatural. There's a colourful cast of characters, some returning from previous books, others new ones who I'm sure we'll see more of in coming books. Of course Sookie's love life is also a focus, and wherever this girl goes men seem to fall in love with her. Not satisfied with the vampires Bill and Eric, Sookie also holds the attention of Sam, Alcide, Calvin and newcomer Quinn.

The setting of this book is primarily in Bon Temps again, however Sookie does travel a little to where she is needed. The author does a wonderful job of creating the town of Bon Temps, so I am happy to see this book set there again because I know a couple of the previous ones have taken Sookie somewhere else for the majority of the story, so I'm always pleased to see the story fixed in Sookie's home town.

Upon finishing this book, I was grateful to get such an insight into the shifter and were community, however I did miss the vampire aspect and I think Sookie always works best with Bill and/or Eric, so I am hoping for a return by the pair of them in the next book. However, as usual this book was pacey, an easy and engrossing read and perfectly entertaining, even if a bit silly - but I suppose that's the point of these books. To have some fun.

Book Review - Dead to the World

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

Book four of the Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood series is arguably the best one of the series so far. Setting the action back in Bon Temps, after the previous two books were set out of town, this time around Sookie must protect Eric, who is suffering from memory loss due to a witches curse, from a coven of evil witches. She must also deal with the disappearance of her brother Jason, as well as her break-up with Bill, who spends most of this book in Peru.

There's a bit more supernatural stuff going on this time around. We meet some new beings, or Supes as they are called in the book, including some new Shifters, a fairy and a coven of witches. Sookie's brother Jason also gets more to do in this book, he becomes involved in the supernatural world and his character will certainly never be the same again after this book. Some of the characters who we met in the previous book, Club Dead: A True Blood Novel also reappear, most notably Alcide, Sookie's werewolf friend (although he, along with many other male characters is something of a love interest for her).

If you have read any of these books before then you know what to expect here; a fun, slightly tongue in cheek paranormal mystery. Our heroine, Sookie is fairly brazen and although she isn't the sharpest tool in the box, acts as a very entertaining narrator. Style wise, the book is very simple to read, and it won't take you long as it is quite addictive reading, as are the other books in this series. If you haven't read any of those, then I suggest you go back to Dead Until Dark: A True Blood Novel and start from there, as although this can be understood and read as a single mystery, there are things that do overlap from book to book, such as characters and mythology. Nothing too mind boggling, but it's always best to get the whole effect of this world.

So all in all, this is an addictive, fun and at times suspenseful read, which is the strongest addition to the series so far. Let's hope that book five keeps up with this trend.

Book Review - Club Dead

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

This is the third book in the Sookie Stackhouse mystery/romance/supernatural novels and this time Sookie has found herself in the middle of Bill's kidnapping, which is what the basic plot centres on.

This time Sookie travels to Mississippi, which unfortunately like the previous book Living Dead In Dallas: A True Blood Novel takes most of the action away from Bon Temps again. This is slightly disappointing because Bon Temps is such a good setting, but it does make room for the introductions of a few new characters, most notably Alcide, a Werewolf who aids Sookie in her investigation into Bill's disappearance. Of course, the character quickly becomes more than just an aid, he becomes a love interest for Sookie, who at this point has found herself with a boyfriend who has betrayed her, Eric who lusts after her and Alcide who she finds herself attracted to from the off.

The writing, as usual is good if a little simple, but that isn't a bad thing as it fits in nicely with Sookie's own vocabulary. There is a sense that these books are written by an older person since they have a very cosy feel to them, despite featuring murder, violence, rape and gore amongst other things. But you will find yourself addicted to the story and you probably won't take long reading this book as you will want to know what happens next.

There are however a couple of weak points or underdeveloped story lines, which I'm not sure will carry over into the next book(s) or not, so I won't say too much about them, but the one that really bugs me is the reasoning surrounding Bill's kidnapping. It seems very weak towards the end of the book, almost as if the author couldn't come up with something better and stronger.

Still, this is an enjoyably addictive book, which for fans of the vampire/mystery/supernatural genres will enjoy if looking for a quick but fun and entertaining read. For fans of the show, I've said this in my other reviews of the previous books, the books are very different to the show and vice versa, so if you have come to the books looking for something like the show then you might be disappointed. Of course, you can like both, but the books and series are two very different things.

Book Review - Living Dead in Dallas

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

The second in the Sookie Stackhouse series of vampire mystery novels, Living Dead in Dallas serves up another enjoyable outing for the telepathic heroine.

After the previous book in the series Dead Until Dark: A True Blood Novel set up the characters and the mythology of the stories nicely, this book gets into the action right off the bat. Unlike the previous book, this time there are two plots (or mysteries) running throughout. The main being the missing vampire in Dallas, the second set in Bon Temps where Sookie's friend and co-worker Lafayette has been murdered.

We are introduced to a whole cast of new characters, as well as some returning ones. Harris this time also includes more of the supernatural element in the story, and some new beings are made aware to Sookie throughout the story. Remembering however, that at the core, this is a mystery novel, and like all good mysteries, Living Dead in Dallas has plenty of twists and turns along the way, as well as a nice surprise regarding Bill at the end of the novel.

Harris serves up another adventure, packed with fun characters, original takes on some already established myths and legends and also manages to weave two very different, and unpredictable mysteries around the action as well. Her writing style is very simple most of the time, and makes for an easy read. In fact, you will find yourself whizzing through these stories, I read it in about three days, so you really do get sucked into this world.

The story is told in first person, from Sookie herself, so we learn a lot about Sookie's own personality as well as her views and opinions on certain things. She continues to be a fun, no-nonsense protagonist and despite being surrounded by powerful supernatural beings, always seems to get the job done. It can often be a bad idea to use a first person narrative, especially with a protagonist as outspoken as Sookie, as the audience sometimes can't connect, but Harris has masterfully crafted a main character that the reader can root for and most importantly like.

The supporting characters range from likeable to un-likeable to just there to serve a purpose. There is a lot more from Eric in this book than the previous, and as a fan favourite, many readers welcome him. He is actually very much the character you love to hate. Also, for viewers of the television show who missed Tara in the first book, she does make her first appearance towards the end of this book. She is somewhat different to her television counterpart, but she is still a good friend of Sookie's, so no doubt she'll pop up again in future books.

One thing which I felt was slightly off in the first book, was the core relationship between Sookie and Bill. It seemed very forced and boring in Dead Until Dark almost as if neither of them felt very strongly about the other. In this book however, Harris has sorted the relationship out and there is much more chemistry between the two. Perhaps this is because of the inclusion of Eric, and the threat he poses to them as a couple - I don't know, but as a couple, they definitely seem a lot more "realistic" (if that word applies when talking about human/vampire relationships) than in book one.

If you haven't already read Dead Until Dark, then I suggest you start there, just to get into the series properly, however, this book shouldn't prove too complicated for newcomers to the series.

Book Review - Dead Until Dark

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

I decided to read this book after watching and loving the series True Blood Season 1 (HBO) [DVD] [2008] which is based on this book series, or more specifically this book.

However, the two are very different. While the show is dark in a fairly light-hearted and campy way, the books are just light-hearted, there is no real darkness of grittiness to them. But they are enjoyable, and there is a certain familiarity with them, when you've seen the show. The characters are similar, I felt Bill had been changed most for the show, he's pretty cold and dominant in the book, where on the show, he never really gets away with bossing Sookie around because she's always got something to say about it.

But, back to the book. The writing is good, if a little simple. The characters are well developed, Sookie is an especially appealing heroine, which in a lot of other urban fantasy books, is a rare find. There is a mystery running through the book, much like the first season, which is probably the only storyline which plays out in both the book and show in the same way.

If I was going to make big one criticism of the book, it would be that the two main characters, and the love interests of the book, Bill and Sookie have very little chemistry and a lot of their interaction is just Billie telling Sookie what to do. For example, whenever the two have sex, it is always on Bill's accord, never in a moment of passion or love. The whole relationship feels very routine and there is just never any time when it feels "real". I haven't read the second book in the series, Living Dead In Dallas: A True Blood Novel yet, so I don't know if Harris has has perfected the romance, but hopefully it will become less mechanical as the books progress.

So this does come highly recommended for fans of the genre, its a quick read, I read it it about three days, and its simple enough to read in large chunks. If you can get passed the light-heartedness and enjoy it for what it is then you will enjoy it, however if you go into it, expecting it to be in the same style as the TV show, you will be disappointed because this is a lot lighter and simpler. However it is a hugely enjoyable and absorbing book which you will find difficult to put down once you realise that this and the TV series are two very different entities.

Archiving

In a moment of boredom I decided to revisit this blog and I couldn't help but feel the emptiness of the place. Originally I created the blog to document my day to day life, thoughts ect on random subjects which grabbed my attention.

However, I completely failed to keep up my end of the bargain (sorry blog!) so today I started archiving all of my book reviews I've done so far for Amazon.co.uk. There isn't many yet, and I'm currently still reading the same book I started three weeks ago, but it's given the blog a purpose again and it's nice to see the place looking tended for a change.

Bottom line. There will be more book reviews added as and when I finish a new book.

Book Review - Murder, She Wrote: A Question of Murder

A Question of Murder by Donald Bain

Donald Bain's 'Murder, She Wrote' series based on the television show of the same name continues it's winning formula in 'A Question of Murder'.

This time around we find mystery writer Jessica Fletcher attending a murder mystery weekend, as a celebrity author, located in an old mansion which is now running as a hotel. A stage play spanning the whole weekend takes place, where someone is murdered and the guests must form teams and try and figure out the mystery. However, when the actor playing the victim in the play is murdered on stage in real life, all eyes (even the lead police detective's) fall to Jessica to uncover the murderer before the weekend is over.

As usual there is a range of different characters, many of which serve as possible suspects, others to aid Jessica in her investigations. Some of them simply serve their purposes, while others are genuinely fun characters, such as Jessica's fellow author GSB Wick who writers supernatural themed mysteries set in the deep south and manages to keep her identity a secret, never giving away her full title, only ever being refereed to as Georgie.

Although there is nothing new here if you have read any of the previous books in the series, 'A Question of Murder' is still an enjoyable mystery, which is easily read in a couple of days, or I'm sure in a few hours if you wanted to read in in one sitting. Bain manages to weave a clever mystery or two into the book, which if you are observant, you will have sussed out before Jessica's reveal at the end. The clues are there, just as they are in the TV series, and as the book is told in first person, you find yourself beginning to think like Jessica.

Also in this book, because it is also featured in the storyline, the author challenges the reader to answer a mystery author/book question at the beginning of each chapter, with the answers to these questions being located at the back of the book. It's an interesting idea and just thrown in for a bit of extra fun, which if you are a die-hard murder mystery fan you should should enjoy.

Overall, this is any enjoyable book, aided by the many twists and turns which makes you want to not only read on but also try and make sense of as you do. There are a couple of unanswered questions left at the end, however none of them major although this doesn't happen very often in the 'Murder, She Wrote' novels, occasionally because of word-counts and the likes, it does happen on occasion, such as this. However it won't spoil your enjoyment of the book, which comes highly recommended to 'Murder, She Wrote' fans and/or murder mystery fans alike.

Book Review - Grave Sight

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

As a huge fan of the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris, I've been slowly making my way through some of her other works and after just finishing Grave Sight, this is by far my favourite of Harris' novels I have read so far outside of the Sookie books. Now, I know that this series has many mixed reviews, but personally I thought it was just as entertaining as the Sookie novels and the protagonist is somewhat darker than Miss. Stackhouse, which considering that her "talent" is to locate dead bodies, her dark personality isn't a surprise.

The novel follows Harper Connely and her step-brother Tolliver Lang as they travel the country using Harper's ability to locate dead bodies as a source of income. The idea that she gets paid for what she does is constantly argued over in the book, and I think that Harris has invited the reader to question the morality of Harper's job themeselves. Well, this particular job lands them in a small own in Arkansas, the same kind of town that Harris uses a lot in her work, where they are hired to find the body of a missing teenage girl. It soon becomes evident that the girl was murdered, and before they know it, Harper and Tolliver are sucked into the investigation.

The story moves at a brisk pace, and despite the mystery not being as complex as some others of the same genre are, the story itself and the charm of the small town in contrast to Harper and Tolliver who are completely out of their element and essentially want nothing to do with the investigation. The supporting characters, as usual with Harris, are a varied bunch, and some perform more important functions than others. Interestingly enough, one character, Cameron, Harper's sister doesn't actually appear in the book, but she is constantly referenced as she herself went missing as a child, so I expect to see that storyline continued into future books and the presence of Cameron gives another side of Harper using her gift in the way she does as she is hopeful of finding her sister's body someday.

One negative I do have about the book however, is that it takes Harper a while to actually start putting the pieces together. I would have liked a little more intrigue and mystery for her to try and solve because she actually only managed to solve parts of the case, the rest was told to her during the final confrontation with the killer. I know Harper isn't an actual detective, however considering that this is a mystery book and Harper is out sleuth, the outcome was slightly disappointing due to her lack of participation.

But all in all this a very entertaining and easily read book. I finished it in about three days, and I'm sure it could have been read in a sitting or two if you like to read that way. It doesn't read as fast as any of the Sookie novles, however, there is less mystery in those books, so I was grateful for the slightly slower speed of events which allows for the reader to piece together what the eventual outcome will be without slowing down the pace of the book, the story moves fast, taking place over the course of about a week, which seems to fly by.

Book Review - Shakespeare's Landlord

Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris

After becoming a big Charlaine Harris fan throughout her Sookie Stackhouse novels, I was eager to give some other books of hers a go. I started with Shakespeare's Landlord because of two things; a)it was written by Charlaine Harris and b) I love cosy mysteries in small towns. However, I was left slightly disappointed by this one.

The story was relatively under-developed. We got a great sense of the community and the characters, however the main plot involving our heroine Lily Bard investigating a murder wasn't as strong as it could have been. In fact, I think that more time could have been spent on Lily's investigation because until the ninth or tenth chapter all she seems to do is go around houses cleaning them and going to her martial arts class where she strikes up a romantic relationship with her instructor. That was all fine, it was written well and it was interesting, but it wasn't a mystery. She does think about the murder, but she doesn't really be proactive about solving it, and even when she does, the police have already solved it by the time she puts the pieces together.

That said the character of Lily Bard is a fantastic one. In a lot of ways she carries the book because she's a very socially awkward person due to her dark past, which is addressed throughout the book. She hasn't had an easy life and she doesn't socialise well, and she finds herself having to become involved with more and more people because of the murder. She is a strong character, however she does have her weaknesses, again due to her past, and often she doesn't make a great effort with people and she can be cold, but I think this is a realistic portrayal of a person in Lily's situation.

The rest of the characters range form filling a purpose to showing sings of becoming great characters if given the chance to grow, especially the local policeman and Lily's neighbour Claude Friedrich who over the course of the book becomes something of a friend to Lily.

The writing is good, perhaps better than in the Sookie books, but I think that is down to the Lily character being so different to Sookie and Charlaine does a good job of creating a lovely little town in rural Arkansas named Shakespeare, which adds to the charm of the book.

So, I would recommend this book for Charlaine fans, but if like me you are a regular reader of cosy mysteries then there are a lot more out there which have slightly stronger plots and more intrigue, as I felt the ending to this book was rushed and a lot of the explaining was done on the last couple of pages and comes out of nowhere almost as if Harris had remembered at the last minute she needed to wrap things up.

Book Review - Murder is Binding (Booktown Mysteries #1)

Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett

This is the first book in the Booktown Mystery series by Lorna Barrett, and centres around a mystery book shop owner named Tricia Miles who finds herself the local sheriff's primary suspect for the murder of the shop owner next door. She then goes about to prove her innocence, as well as revealing the real murderer.

For fans of cozy mysteries, this will be a nice addition to your collection but while there is nothing radically new to offer here, the author does a stand up job of placing the story in an innovative location, a town called Stoneham in New Hampshire which is full of bookshops, ranging from Tricia's own mystery shop, to books on history, arts and crafts and cookery. It's a fun place to set the story, and it's a town which offers up a whole cast of characters who are involved in the action.

Aside from Tricia, there is her older sister Angelica who comes to town on a surprise visit after her marriage ends, Tricia's employees Ginny and Mr. Everett, mysterious politician Mike and Miss Marple, Tricia's cat, amongst others. In a lot of mystery novels, the supporting characters can often be a bit one dimensional and are simply there to serve their purposes, but here the author has managed to create characters who do more than simply serve as a suspect at one point or another.

Which brings me to the conclusion. While I am happy I managed to guess the murderer, it really wasn't very difficult as plenty of obvious clues were placed along the way, which is one of the reasons I didn't award the book five stars. I would have liked more twists and turns, and where some parts of the book lagged, I felt that those places could have been used to add a bit more mystery to the book. Not that I didn't enjoy it of course, I simply suspect that with this being the first in the series, the author is still getting to grips with throwing off her readers.

The writing is good, it has a nice flow to it. Some parts feel slightly over written, but it's only the author's first novel and the first in a series so lots of time is spent in setting things up and giving the reader the impression of this world, which is no easy feat when there are so many characters involved as there are in mystery novels.

But all in all this is a good addition to any mystery fan's collection. It has plenty of things any cozy mystery should; a sleuth who is active in unravelling the mystery, a cast of colourful supporting characters and a nice flow to the writing. I can't wait to see what Book Two has in store for Tricia and the gang.

Book Review - And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

This is my first (and it won't be my last after reading this) novel by Agatha Christie and I chose it because of the great recommendations it has received here on Amazon. And after finishing it I can agree with those who awarded it such great ratings because it was one of the best and most puzzling murder mysteries I have ever encountered.

The premise is simple enough, ten strangers stranded alone in an empty house on a small island off the coast of Devon and one by one they die. Christie has cleverly weaved the rhyme "Ten Little Soldiers" throughout the narrative and it leaves you with no clue about what is going on or how the murders could have ever been committed! It really does baffle you until you read the the last few pages where you begin to piece together what actually happened.

The writing is simple but sharp and each character is defined with a back story as well as characteristics and you often get a peek into their heads and find out what they are thinking but not once does Christie slip up and give away the fantastically drafted explanation as to what is going on. The thing about the ten characters is that any of them could have done it if they were clever enough but you also begin to think that perhaps someone outside of the group is doing it. Christie almost invites the reader to come up with their own guess as to what is going on, but you will be wrong! And she wants you to be!

The ending is completely ridiculous and far fetched but it doesn't matter because you believe it because Christie explains it so well and it's obvious that a lot of planning and care was put into setting it up and resolving the story. However the murderer is a logical choice, and you will think after the revelation "why didn't I guess that person was the killer?"

If you are a fan of murder mysteries read this now because you won't find anything as baffling or as clever as this anywhere. Give this a try and see if you can trump Christie.

Book Review - Murder, She Wrote: A Slaying in Savannah

A Slaying in Savannah by Donald Bain

The 'Murder, She Wrote' book series continues to be an enjoyable one with A Slaying in Savannah, which takes a different approach to the other previous books in the series.

This time Jessica is invited to Savannah to the reading of her old friend Tillie, who makes the request that Jessica solve a murder which occurred forty years ago. There is also a sub-plot involving a haunting, which is continued right up until the end of the novel, where Jessica (as well as the reader) is unsure of weather or not a haunting has taken place or not.

The story, as usual if you have read any previous MSW novels, is littered with different characters, plot twists, mystery and wonderful description, told through the eyes of an ever observant Jessica Fletcher. The author does a great job at keeping the reader involved and guessing as to what will happen next, which is difficult to do when a mystery story is being told in a first person narrative.

The only downfall I had while reading this novel, was at times, the book contained far too much description, particularly of various locations in Savannah itself. It's good that the author has visited and researched what seems to be a very colourful and interesting place, but there are times when the narrative jumps to that of a travel description. But that is the only fault I have, and it is a very minor fault at that.

If you are a fan of mystery novels, or more specifically cosy mysteries which can be quickly read and are hugely enjoyable, then I recommend this, as well as the other books in the series.

Book Review - Night Child

Night Child by Jes Battis

Night Child is the debut novel from author Jes Battis and it focuses on Tess Corday, and OSI-1 investigator who stumbles into a mysterious case involving a dead vampire and a teenage girl named Mia. I think the best way to describe this novel is think Buffy, the Vampire Slayer/Charmed meets CSI with a dark twist.

The main character, Tess Corday is actually a very likable, first person narrator. I have found that quite often it is difficult to like the main character in a first person novel, but here Tess is a fun, feisty, relateable character whose tenancy to act first and think later is all part of her charm. We get the story through her eyes, so one of the most likable characters in the novel is her best friend and college Derrick who takes on the sidekick role and often gets some of the best lines his relationship with Tess is a fun, deep and trusting friendship. We also have other characters such as Lucian a necromancer who Tess is drawn to, Selena Tess' boss/teacher who I found to be another extremely likable character and Marcus the big boss who isn't the friendliest of people towards Tess.

The story itself has a good few twists and turns, the story is well developed and well thought out and the main twist at the end was surprising in some ways, but in others I managed to figure out what was going on as the book progressed. Battis makes good use of mythology, often exploring different supernatural elements such as scyring, glamouring, telepathy as well as having a whole cast of characters with special powers and different supernatural beings such as mages, vampires and necromancers.

I picked this novel up after wanting to read it for quite some time, and although it did take me a while to get into it - likely due to the amount of technical babble that the author has chosen to include, once I got about half way through I couldn't put it down until I finished, in fact I think I read the last third of it in one sitting almost. But there is, as I said quite a lot of technical language relating to forensics and that side of the novel, which I can't make my mind up over if I think it helped the novel or not. I think what makes the novel different is the inclusion of all the forensics language, so it kind of makes the supernatural side of the story fit better into the real world because it creates scientific explanations of what is going on and obviously it is all fantasy, but Battis does a good job of making it sound "real". The writing is top notch, there are a lot of pop culture references, perhaps a few too many sometimes but it's all part of the tone of the book and again, makes you think of Buffy.

One thing that did bother me slightly was the ending, there seemed to be a lack of closure for such a well thought out, well researched and well written novel. The story kind of just stopped, I would have liked to have seen what happened after the action stopped and the villains were defeated, I don't know maybe we'll find out in the next book but it would have been nice to have been left with a sense of closure. This is probably one of my only major complaints about the novel, because other than the fairly abrupt ending the story was great.

Overall, this is a decent debut novel and I will be picking up the sequel A Flash of Hex. Hopefully by then Battis will have perfected the balance between supernatural, fantasy and technical jargon because here the technical language does seem to take over the main narrative from time to time but this is still an interesting and entertaining read for fans of the urban fantasy genre.

Book Review - Murder She Wrote: Dying to Retire

Dying to Retire by Donald Bain

This was the second novel in the Murder, She Wrote series, the first being The Maine Mutiny (Murder She Wrote) and after finishing it just now, I can say that it was a fantastic read.

If you are familiar with the Murder, She Wrote book series then you'll be aware of how the typical story unfolds; We are introduced to the characters, Jessica finds herself usually on her travels, someone ends up dead and Jessica suspects foul play. However, in Dying to Retire the usual formula is shaken up a bit, as Jessica and co. find themselves at the funeral of a former resident of Cabot Cove but the local detective suspects murder. It doesn't take long for Jessica herself, along with Seth and Mort to get involved and start trying to piece together the mystery behind their friend's apparent accidental death. One aspect which I loved about this story is how two separate locations, miles away from each other are cleverly linked in the final of the story, author Donald Bain clearly knows how to weave a great murder mystery.

I don't want to give too much of the story away here because part of the enjoyment of this book is picking up on clues and trying to piece together the story as you read. The book itself is easy to read and is suitable for all ages, and I'm sure anyone can enjoy this book book because it really is an engaging, and fun read. Full of quirky characters and a down to earth heroine who is easy to like and is easy to imagine in this novel if you are a fan of the television series.

The story itself is told through first person, so we get the events told through Jessica's eyes. A clever move on the writer's side to allow us as the reader to try and piece together the clues as Jessica does. If you are a fan of a good, old-fashioned murder mystery then this series is for you and I would highly recommend Dying to Retire - once you pick it up you won't be able to put it down!

Book Review - Murder She Wrote: Murder on Parade

Murder on Parade by Donald Bain

Having just finished this novel, the latest I've read in this long running series of novels based on the equally long running television series of the same name I'm going to award this book the full five stars.

Set around Cabot Cove's 4th July parade, this story sees Jessica and co. investigating the murder of a rich businessman who has moved to the town and funded a rather extravagant Independence Day celebration which isn't wanted by some members of the town. I decided to read this book simply because the Cabot Cove based mysteries have always been my favourite on TV and in the book series. The writer Donald Bain who continues to do this series justice (and the character of Jessica) has captured the residents and town perfectly, we are even treated to the return of former Cabot Cove sheriff Amos Tupper who is in town for a visit. Characters such as Mort and Dr. Seth have been adapted brilliantly and the writer has found their voices and most importantly captured Jessica Fletcher's personality accurately. As these books are told in first person from Jessica we get an insight into her thoughts and reactions to things going on. We don't however get to see her put the pieces together but that would spoil the reveal wouldn't it?

This book is an easy read, I read it in about three days but it could easily be read in one or two sittings because these stories really do draw you in. Although compared to most crime and mystery fiction on the market these books take a more light-hearted and softer approach they will never bore you because they are very comfy and friendly books to read. There's no extreme violence, sexual references, bad language or overly grotesque killings in here, you will be draw in my the eclectic mix of characters lead by a likeable (if a little but delightfully nosey) heroine with a knack for putting the pieces together. But I think what is most charming about these books and the Cabot Cove ones especially is that you get unlikely, young at heart characters solving the crimes. Yes, you have to overlook the fact that no one seems to age, and presumably this book is set in 2008/09 time and the characters should all be in their eighties by now but it doesn't spoil the enjoyment you get from this.

The writing is in the same, usual, slightly quirky style that the other novels in the MSW series in wrote in. Told in a first person point of view from Jessica Fletcher we follow her as she tries to find the clues and put the pieces together. Donald Bain has got this character down pretty well, and being a man writing a woman he is doing well. There's a nostalgic feel to the writing and it does make you feel as if you are reading one of Jessica's adventures which could easily have been part of the actual show. With the book being set in Cabot Cove we get the usual mix of residents, some new some old, but each stands out and has some character development of some kind.

This novel and the others in the series which I have read; The Maine Mutiny (Murder She Wrote), Majoring in Murder (Murder She Wrote) and Dying to Retire (Murder, She Wrote) (Paperback) come highly recommended for a quick, fun and intriguing read which will have you guessing until Jessica herself reveals whodunnit.

Book Review - Murder She Wrote: The Maine Mutiny

The Maine Mutiny by Donald Bain

As a fan rare younger male of Murder, She Wrote I'm sure I'm not the average reader of this book series but this was the first book in the popular range of Murder, She Wrote novels that I've read and I loved it. It's very lighthearted and genuinely feels like it belongs in the same world as what we see on screen. There are parts of the novel which are slightly silly and a bit far fetched but being a Murder, She Wrote tie-in those elements work perfectly and never ruin the story, in fact I don't think these books would be the same if there wasn't a bit of silliness included in them.

Onto the story, which I knew the basic outline before I bought the novel, and because of it's setting in Cabot Cove is one of the main reasons why I decided to make this my first Murder, She Wrote novel. We have many familiar faces here, including Doctor Seth and Sheriff Metzger and many other quirky residents of the small town make up the characters central in this story. The story itself is told in first person, so we get to see the events through Jessica's eyes and often we get her interpretations or thoughts on a particular event. Obviously the writer chooses not to give all of her thoughts away as that would ruin the story, but it's fun being Jessica for a while as the events unfold. Here, the story is set in the midst of Cabot Cove's new "Lobster Festival" and a lot of the action takes place around the town's lobster men who aren't getting a fair cut for the lobster that they catch for a greedy businessman. It wasn't difficult to guess who got murdered, but the murderer was very well crafted and actually surprised me in the end. The writer does a good job of laying down clues, but it's only as you get towards the end that you actually start piecing them together and guessing who the murderer was - just like the TV show.

The book follows a similar pattern to that of the TV show, it sets up all of the characters nicely, Jessica finds herself somehow involved and is set of fining out who the murderer is. We get a lot of fun, supporting characters and of course many red herrings are planted. There's even an instance where Jessica finds herself stranded at sea! So the element of danger for Jessica is here too.

This book will have you drawn in from the first page, I think I read this in about three days, reading large chunks at once because it was difficult to put this down. The story itself is very easy to read and very fun, if you like a good old fashioned murder without blood, gore and government agents involved which a lot of crime novels these days seem to have a lot of, then the Murder, She Wrote book series is for you and I would highly recommend reading the Maine Mutiny as well as others in the series.

Book Review - New Moon

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

New Moon is the second novel in the Twilight series (or saga as it is now more commonly known) written by relatively new author Stephanie Meyer. Chronicling the life of teenager Isabella "Bella" Swan the series is based around the relationship between human and vampire. However, the strong and often suffocating relationship between Bella and Edward Cullen which dominated the debut novel in the series is absent for almost the entire book here and surprisingly it works.

When the Cullen's realise that they must leave town because their lives and Bella's have become much more complicated since she became implicated into their dangerous world, Bella and Edward's relationship comes to an end (or more of a long pause). For a good portion of the novel we are then given page after page of Bella dealing with the break-up and the loss of her true love and this does get repetitive after about a hundred pages or so. But it does get better with the inclusion of Jacob Black, a character who had a small role in Twilight, is now given more to do and actually turns out to be a very likable character and a friend to Bella who often is presented (I'm not sure if it was intentional by Meyer) as using Jacob, never-the-less their friendship is an enjoyable aspect of the novel.

Of course everything isn't as it seems and being a novel there are a few twists, particularly involving Jacob, but I'm sure if you've seen the film version of Twilight or read the book then you'll have figured out his "secret". In fact the supernatural and action sides of the novel, I feel are much better written than the emotional and romantic sides which often feel flat and unconvincing and don't really appeal top readers such as me who aren't angst ridden teenage girls. Perhaps Meyer herself felt unconsciously more comfortable writing the mythological side of the novel over the teen romance side.

Meyer being a relatively new writer and a lot of people would argue, not a very good author does improve immensely as a writer and as a storyteller in this novel in comparison to Twlight. She still is no great or anything, but for what these novels are meant to be she has her craft down. Here we are given less metaphors and adjectives which seemed to make up a good two-thirds of Twilight and more actual story and character development. I haven't read any further in the series beyond New Moon, but I'm hopeful that her streak will continue because it is fair enough reading a book because of the story, but if the writing isn't up to much then you aren't going to enjoy it.

To finish, New Moon is an improvement over Twilight both technically and in terms of storytelling. Fans of Edward's character may be disappointed in the lack of time he has in the novel, but personally I enjoy the relationship Bella has with Jacob - it's obviously a different kind of relationship but I think it works much better on the page. This novel will be perfectly suited to teenage audiences (more specifically teenage girls) but if you are a fan of the vampire and supernatural genres then there might be something in here for you as well - that's why I started this series and so far I've enjoyed them, while not loving them, they make for entertaining reads.

Book Review - Murder She Wrote: Majoring in Murder

Majoring in Murder by Donald Bain

This Murder, She Wrote title is the third of the long running series that I have read, and so far I think it's my favorite. Jessica Fletcher is teaching a semester at Schoolman College in creative writing and when a freak tornado hits, a lecturer is found dead. It's ruled as an accident, but Jessica suspects murder and sets out to find the truth.

It's not an overly long book, about 260 pages, and the chapters are often fairly short which helps the pace. Donald Bain gives the characters plenty of time to develop as well as laying down clue after clue as well as including a couple of sub-plots along the way. The murderer came as a surprise, I actually considered a good handful of the characters as I was reading, so I was pleased that I had been fooled and the reveal in nicely though out and plays as a good ending for the novel.

If you have read any of the other books in the series then you'll know the formula and how well it works for these novels. It creates a comfortable, light read which once you get into you'll find it hard to put the book down. It's well written as usual, told in first person from the eyes and mind of Jessica Fletcher. There are a cast of quirky and developed supporting characters, I particularly liked Eli a student who helps Jessica in her investigation and we have Seth and Mort appearing as well via telephone conversation with Jessica.

This is a great read and a fun one, which I think can easily be read one weekend and I'd highly recommend this as well as The Maine Mutiny (Murder She Wrote) and Dying to Retire (Murder, She Wrote) (Paperback) the two other Murder, She Wrote titles I have read.

Book Review - 1st to Die

1st to Die by James Patterson

1st to Die is the first book in the Women's Murder Club series of crime novels by James Patterson. This was the first novel by Patterson which I have read and I really enjoyed his fast paced, often gritty style of writing and storytelling. The characters are well crafted and the four lead women each bring something to the story, and the supporting characters fit in nicely and serve their purposes.

Centring on Lindsey Boxer, a San Francisco homicide inspector who is given the case of Philip Campbell, a man who violently murders a bride and groom on their wedding night. She's paired up with a new partner Chris Raleigh who inevitably she falls in love with. However, Lindsey has just been diagnosed with a rare and deadly blood disease, which is an interesting sub-plot and ties in nicely with the overall story at the end. Her best friend Claire is a pathologist, and is the most likeable character for me in the book. She and Lindsey have an excellently written friendship, the two of them could easily be sisters they are that close. Then there's Jill and Cindy, Jill works for the DA and Cindy is a reporter trying to get her big break with the Honeymoon Murders case. Considering the author is male, he has written these characters incredibly well and believably. Especially the parts which are told from first person (which is most of the book) from Lindsey.

One thing that is stopping me from giving this a full five star rating is that the twist, although a good one revealing the killer is a little far-fetched. The novel is very serious, well researched, with some technical language and scenarios which could be imagined in real life so the slightly over the top twist did change the tone of the novel for me slightly, but didn't stop me enjoying it after all it is a novel not a true story, but I'd just liked to have had a more realistic twist. But as I said, I haven't read any other books by Patterson yet (although I am planning on reading some of his other work) so I don't know if he likes to use silly twists and reveals a lot in his work. But I think that would be my only gripe with this otherwise fantastic book as a whole.

If you like a book with plenty of twists then this is for you, because there is twist after twist right until the last page. It isn't that difficult to guess who the killer is a chapter or two before the reveal but even then after the killer has been unmasked there is still another twist or two up Patterson's sleeve. The writing isn't overly complicated, it helps the pace of the story and the chapters are very short, you can often read about twenty at a time and forget to put the book down because it really does suck you in. If you are going to be reading this before bed start at about nine o'clock then you won't be up until two a.m. not being able to put it down! On the whole I'd highly recommend 1st to Die, it's fast paced, easy to read and ties many different issues and plot lines together nicely. This is a very promising start to this series.

Book Review - Death's Daughter

Death's Daughter by Amber Benson

This debut solo novel by actress Amber Benson (probably most well known as Tara from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer) focuses on Calliope Reaper-Jones (fantastic name!) who is called in to take over her father's job as Death when he is kidnapped. It's an interesting idea, and I was hoping that it would be a mature, well written, character driven piece of urban fantasy fiction. However, it never really lives up to its potential.

The main reason why the book just doesn't sit well with me is because the main character Calliope, is written very poorly. She is supposed to be a perky, pop culture referencing, twenty-something however she just falls flat as the main hero of the story for many reasons. mainly it is because of the way she is written, and as the novel is in first person this carries on throughout the whole book. She acts like a thirteen year old girl, and refers to things and people as either stupid, boring or jerkoids and it just put me off a bit because this made the book much more suited to a children's audience when it was intended for adults. I mean literally the word "stupid" appears at lease twice a chapter and it really makes you not like Callie. But the fact that she does nothing but cry and have other people do everything for her also puts the reader off as she can't seem to do anything without someone doing it for her. She also spends a lot of her time going on about shopping and going to the sale in Saks, which at times is a little unrealistic as why would she think about shopping in the middle of a quest? I did get the impression that Amber was trying to create a Buffy-esque character in Callie, but it just doesn't work here at all. The character's age could have easily been changed to thirteen or fourteen and it would have made little difference.

That said, the majority of the supporting characters are much more likeable and better written. Particularly Callie's sister Clio, executive assistant (and faun) Jarvis and even the dog Runt are the stand out characters here. In fact I think having Clio as the main character would have been much better, she is smart, adventurous and likeable. Some of the supporters do get annoying after a while, particularly when they are overused but they are still much more likeable than Callie herself and are needed most of the time to get Callie out of the mess she clearly can't get herself out of.

One thing which this book does well and what Amber Benson has clearly thought a lot about is the fusion of different mythologies. We have God, the Devil, Kali, Greek Goddesses, Hell, Purgatory, Heaven and much more all mixed into one and I think it works well and is one of the better aspects of the story. The story itself wasn't as good as I'd hoped, it wasn't as dark as I was hoping for, in fact I think if the sexual references were edited out or toned down, some of the language took out and Callie's age changed to thirteen this could have worked much better as a children's/young adults book. It has an adventure, lots of imagery and ridiculous scenarios which would probably appeal to the fans of Harry Potter and the likes.

Benson clearly knows how to write, and she has some great ideas, but my main problem with this novel is the unlikeable main character who just brings the book down so much! I'd say if you are a teenager then go for it, this book might be for you but if you are an adult looking for a good urban fantasy then this really isn't for you.

Book Review - 2nd Chance

2nd Chance by James Patterson and Andrew Gross

This is the second in Women's Murder Club series by popular writer James Patterson. After the first novel in the series 1st to Die was a hugely entertaining and gripping read, I wasn't sure the follow up novel would be able to live up to the standards the first set up for this series and it did.

The formula is pretty much the same here, but I found the main case involving racially targeted murders much more gripping and more believable than the honeymoon case of 1st to Die. It was engaging and it was left open pretty much all of the story. The killings seemed random at first, but obviously a pattern emerged and it threw me a little when I was trying to guess who the killer was.

Lindsey, Claire, Cindy and Jill all return. They are the central characters after all and each of them gets a storyline. Lindsey is reunited with her estranged father, who fit into the main story wonderfully. Cindy begins dating a neighborhood priest who again is linked to the main story. Jill finds herself pregnant and her story is probably the most poignant but I don't want to spoil it for potential readers. Finally, Claire finds herself effected by the main storyline as well when she is shot. The girls however, still work together on the case, each of them contributing and each of them being woven into the plot nicely.

The writing style is very simple and the chapters are kept short which helps keep the novel moving at a fast pace and makes you want to read on. It is easy to keep reading this into the early hours of the morning without even realizing it! Patterson isn't the most talented writer out there, but he is a talented storyteller and he does justice to his craft.

This book comes highly recommended, and if you haven't read the previous book in the series then you should give that a read as well.

Book Review - 3rd Degree

3rd Degree by James Patterson and Andrew Gross

Earlier in the year I raced through the first two books in this series 1st to Die and 2nd Chance of the Women's Murder Club and I enjoyed them both. So I was excited to begin this novel, especially because one of the central women was to die.

The basic outline of the story this time around is San Francisco is being targeted by terrorist like protesters who are using the upcoming G-8 meeting to bring attention to their protests. Various people are killed over the course of the book, (I don't want to spoil the story so I'm keeping this description as bare bones as I can) but when one of their own is killed the case gets personal for the WMC.

I thought this would be an exciting, fast paced thriller but unlike the previous two this was much more of a chore to read and I think it was due to the terrorism plot which simply didn't work. I don't know if it was because it seemed to "big" to be believable for Lindsey to solve or if it was just a plain boring main theme. But it does get better towards the last third of the book after the murder of one of the main women, but there was no real big twist or shocking moment like the last two had.

The writing is James Patterson's usual quick chapters, basic writing, not much description but for these books that kind of writing is much more suited to the fast moving, simplistic form he uses. He isn't a great writer by any means, but he does have a skill of plotting fast paced stories. This is one of his weaker efforts by far however I will be continuing the series because I love these characters and their stories and I only hope the next one is better.

The four main characters; Lindsey, Claire, Cindy and Jill are all likeable, strong, fun and quirky women and each one of them in some way or another is a vital member of the WMC. The story is told from Lindsey's point of view for most of it, but sometimes Patterson switches to third person to narrate the bits of the story which Lindsey isn't present. She is the lead homicide inspector with the San Francisco Police Department and she's our heroine. She has been through a lot so far in the series, and she is a likeable enough lead. The other three women are mostly there as Lindsey's aide but are all well rounded, interesting characters. Jill especially this time around gets a storyline which had been hinted at in the previous book.

Overall, to me this book was a slight disappointment compared to the other two which I felt were much more exciting and better plotted books. But for fans of the series this is a must read as it is a huge development of the Women's Murder Club.

Book Review - Run For Your Life

Run For Your Life by James Patterson

These days James Patterson often gets a lot of flack for either not writing his own books, churning them out one after the other or that his format has become tired. However, Run For Your Life is an assurance that when it comes to fast paced thrillers, James Patterson still knows how to keep you reading until the wee hours of the morning.

This was my first experience reading the Michael Bennett character, having missed the first book I knew that from past experience reading Patterson's work, that I wouldn't have any trouble in getting into this one, despite it being the second in the series. There's plenty of introductions to various characters, and we get to know our main character pretty well throughout a mixture of narrative which sees him either at home taking care of his sick children which he raises as a single parent or at work where he is trying to track down one of New York's most notorious serial killers in years.

If you have read any of Patterson's thriller work before then you'll know the formula by now: cop tries to track down killer who goes about killing people with drive and quite often you wonder just how they'll catch the guy. We are also taken into the mind of the villain, The Teacher, which is cleverly done in contrast to the rest of the novel's first person narrative by Mike Bennett. It's an interesting way to tell the story, and although he's done it many times before, by showing us the killer's point of view and actions, Patterson makes you not want to put the book down until you at least get to Mike finding out about The Teacher's latest stunt.

Overall, if you are a fan of these kinds of books then Run For Your Life is a great read. It's fast, unpredictable and thrilling, which is what you want in a James Patterson novel.

Not Much to Say...

Although I don't really have a lot to say at the moment, I've been feeling like this blog has been neglected for quite some time now. And I did promise myself I was going to make more of an effort to blog in 2010!

So where to begin? Well I've practically finished uni for the year now. (I know!) And it's only April. I do have a couple of things to crack on with, and when I say crack on with I mean assignments and revision which I'll probably leave until the day before the deadline. But no more lectures, no more 9am starts - nothing. And if I'm being honest, it has got me rather down. I used to relish summer, it was the magical time of year where we had no school, no teachers and we could watch TV during the day! Now, gone is the magic and I have to look forward to is September when uni starts again. Which thinking about it is quite funny actually because I hate (really I HATE) my course but enduring a few hours of nouns and phonology and grammar and syntax a week sounds a lot more pleasing than having to move back home to a tiny little tiny tiny town where NOTHING happens!

Four months of boredom, here I come!

At least Doctor Who is back on the telly...