Month: October 2010

Library Loot

Published on by Margaret5 Comments

Library Loot:

From top to bottom they are:

  • A Detective at Death’s Door by H R F Keating. I haven’t read anything by H R F Keating, so I’m not sure what to expect. There’s a long list of his books at the front of the book and a brief summary of his work. He was the crime reporter for The Times for 15 years and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Chairman of the Crime Writers’ Association and the Society of Authors as well as President of the Detection Club. With such credentials I’m hoping to like this book, the fifth Detective Superintendent Harriet Martens novel. Martin Edwards’ page has much more information about Keating.
  • The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl. I’ve recently read Dickens’ The Mystery of Edwin Drood and am keen to read more of Dicken’s books and books about Dickens (both fiction and non-fiction). So, even though I wasn’t too keen on Pearl’s novel about Edgar Allan Poe, I thought it was worth borrowing this book to try it. From the back cover this novel seems to be about Dickens’ final instalment of his last manuscript that disappeared after his death in 1870.
  • The Turning of the Tide by Reginald Hill. This was originally published under the pseudonym Patrick Ruell in 1971 called The Castle of the Demon. It looks as though it’s a sinister thriller when Emily discovers a body lying in the water at a sleepy coastal town. I like Hill’s Dalziel and Pascoe books and am hoping his earlier book won’t disappoint.
  • Frozen Moment by Camilla Ceder. ‘Move over Wallander‘ it says on the front cover. Camilla Ceder is a Swedish writer who also works in counselling and social work. This is her first novel; a murder mystery featuring Inspector Christian Tell, a world-weary detective with a chequered past. I picked this book off the new book stand attracted by its cover.
  • The Rain Before It Falls by Jonathan Coe. I’ve never read anything by Coe but I keep seeing his name on various blogs, so my eyes were drawn to this book in the library. The book’s blurb attracted me, describing the book as ‘intensely lyrical in its evocations of rural Shropshire and post-war London, and extremely moving in its portrayal of the nature of love and happiness.’ It looks like my sort of book.

Read-a-Thon Update

Published on by Margaret1 Comment

Reading going very well now. Just finished Exit Music, made notes as I read as well. It’s a great book – I’ll write about it later.

I’ve decided to read a very different book next – Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman. I need a break from crime fiction.

Read-a-Thon Update

Published on by Margaret2 Comments

Just gone 8am  now. I’ve been reading for two hours this morning – I gave in last night and went to sleep, just couldn’t stay awake. So, my Read-a-Thon is just a mini one. But from now on I’ll read until the time’s up – that’s the plan anyway. I’d like to think I’ll finish Exit Music and pick up a new book in that time.

Right now in Exit Music I’m about three quarters of the way in. It’s concentrated reading, I need to pay close attention to every detail otherwise I lose the plot!

Read-a-Thon Update

Published on by Margaret6 Comments

Just a quick update. Thanks for the comments in support. I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity of being able to spend time on concentrated reading. Exit Music is a long book and I’ve made great inroads into it but still have quite a long way to go. It’s living up to my expectations  – such a shame it’s Rebus’s swan song.

October 2010 24 Hour Read-a-Thon

Published on by Margaret12 Comments

This is my first foray into the 24 hour Read-A-Thon. I haven’t joined up for this – it started today at 1.00pm (GMT) and I’ve only just decided to give it ago, but I know there is no way I’ll be able to stay awake for the whole 24 hours. I like the blog button so that’s another reason for doing it.

I’m currently reading Exit Music by Ian Rankin, so that’s going to be my first choice. I’m not going to plan what else to read. I’m going to take whatever I fancy for variety. I have a bookcase of unread books to choose from plus a number of library books.

Unread Books

And so to read …

Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre: Book Review

Published on by Margaret5 Comments

Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre begins with a graphic description of a particularly nasty murder scene, which is normally guaranteed to make me stop reading. But it would have been a great shame if I’d let it put me off this book, because I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was published in 1998 when it won the First Blood Award for best crime novel of that year.

The dead man is Dr Ponsonby, a well- respected doctor working for the Midlothian NHS Trust in Edinburgh. Investigative journalist, Jack Parlabane gets involved as he lives in the flat above Ponsonby and the terrible smell (think blood, poo and sick) coming up from below leads him into the murder scene. It soon becomes apparent to the reader who did the murder and it is the motive behind it that needs to be ferreted out.

The book alternates between current events and the back stories of the characters – Dr Ponsonby, his ex-wife Sarah, Stephen Lime, the Chief Executive of the Midlothian NHS Trust and above all Jack Parlabane. This is not a police procedural, and Inspector McGregor, in charge of the investigation, has just a little input. It’s fast, full of action, and surprisingly funny. There are some really despicable characters and Jack himself is not a shrinking violet – but I liked him.

I went to see Christopher Brookmyre this week at an author event in Livingston. He’s an excellent speaker and very funny too.  He read an extract from his latest book, Pandaemonium, but he’s written quite a lot more which I want to read first. Fortunately my son has all his books, so I’ve borrowed a few.