The Rembrandt Affair (A Gabriel Allon Thriller) by Daniel Silva

Epigraph in the book:  Behind every great fortune lies a great crime. - Honoré de Balzac

First line in the book:  Port Navas, Cornwall.  By coincidence it was Timothy Peel who first learned that the stranger had returned to Cornwall.

Daniel Silva talks about his latest and tenth book of the Gabriel Allon series courtesy of the Today show, MSNBC's Morning Joe and the Barnes and Noble Studio (take your pick or watch them all):

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Interesting, fascinating and thought-provoking videos. 

Now, here is the description of the book taken from Allon's official website:

Two families, one terrible secret, and a painting to die for ...

Determined to sever his ties with the Office, Gabriel Allon has retreated to the windswept cliffs of Cornwall with his beautiful Venetian-born wife Chiara. But once again his seclusion is interrupted by a visitor from his tangled past: the endearingly eccentric London art dealer, Julian Isherwood. As usual, Isherwood has a problem– one only Gabriel can solve.

In the ancient English city of Glastonbury, an art restorer has been brutally murdered and a long-lost portrait by Rembrandt mysteriously stolen. Despite his reluctance, Gabriel is persuaded to use his unique skills to search for the painting and those responsible for the crime. But as he painstakingly follows a trail of clues leading from Amsterdam to Buenos Aires and, finally, to a villa on the graceful shores of Lake Geneva, Gabriel discovers there are deadly secrets connected to the painting. And evil men behind them.

Before he is done, Gabriel will once again be drawn into a world he thought he had left behind forever, and will come face to face with a remarkable cast of characters: a glamorous London journalist who is determined to undo the worst mistake of her career, an elusive master art thief who is burdened by a conscience, and a powerful Swiss billionaire who is known for his good deeds but may just be behind one of the greatest threats facing the world.

Filled with remarkable twists and turns of plot, and told with seductive prose, The Rembrandt Affair is more than just summer entertainment of the highest order. It is a timely reminder that there are men in the world who will do anything for money.

It is great to keep up with Gabriel Allon and company since he killed Ivan Kharkov in Saint-Tropez in The Defector (review: 26 July 2010).  I am sorry this book has to end because I have enjoyed this book tremendously.  Silva's Author Notes and Acknowledgments are a gem of information as usual.  Even though Silva has said that his books are purely for our entertainment but I believe that there are elements of truth in them and it would not be imprudent to heed them.  I highly recommend it, after all, I am a die-hard Silva fan and am already looking forward to the next one.  Excellent and well-researched.

Rating: 5/5

Turn Up The Heat (A Gourmet Girl Mystery) by Jessica Conant-Park & Susan Conant

First line in the book:  Early May in Boston.

What this book is about - taken from the blurb:
Chloe Carter has a lot on her plate - cramming for exams, convincing her pregnant best friend that she'll be a great mom, and helping her chef boyfriend with his fledgling restaurant on Boston's posh Newbury Street.  There, the staff gets along like petits pois in a pod.  They all pull pranks on one another - all except Leandra, a waitress who can't take a joke.  Then one morning her dead body is found in a fish truck.  Was this a prank gone awry?  Or did somebody want her to sleep with the fishes?

I love the introduction to this book, the third entry in the Gourmet Girl series.

Good news first.  The book gives the reader plenty of insights into the nitty-gritties of the restaurant business and also regales you with both the good and the shocking stories about the restaurant business, for example, how a business goes about pricing the dishes on the menu, rampant theft or the backstabbing which is all too common in the restaurant business.  I cannot imagine the amount of work that goes into running a food business or what the behind-the-scenes is like but it does sound like a madhouse.

The portrayal of Beantown as a place of obscene wealth and stick-thin bodies is spot-on although the heroine is a down-to-earth, girl-next-door kind of girl who lives in a modest condo with an unusual pet.  Her circle of friends are also normal, down-to-earth people who work hard to make a living and survive in this cutthroat world.  The main characters of the book are the only part of the book I like, unfortunately. 

Now the bad news.  I am trying very hard to say something positive about this book but I find it much easier to offer you my honest opinion.  First of all, it is a strange book and I do not mean it in a good way.  It has neither head nor tail and the plot is awful.  The writing is below average and all over the place.  The ending is very badly thought out.  Overall, it has no appeal whatsoever.  Apart from the entertaining stories about the restaurant business which I think could be published as a separate book and the fabulously sounding recipes at the back of the book, I cannot not see how this book can be a winner.

However, if you are interested in the restaurant business and a fan of Conant-Park and Conant's other Gourmet Girl mystery books, please help yourself to reading this light-hearted easy-to-read crime mystery, otherwise it is a waste of time.  However, being a booklover, I want to give them the benefit of the doubt.  I hope this book is only a one-off misjudgment.

About the authors:
They are a mother-daughter team, Susan Conant and Jessica Conant-Park. Susan is the author of the Dog Lover's Mysteries and the Cat Lover's Mysteries and six-time winner of the Dog Writers Association of America's Maxwell Award. Jessica has written four books of the Gourmet Girl Mysteries with her mother and is married to a chef.

You can find out more about them and their books on their website at http://sites.google.com/site/conantparkmysteries

Rating:  1/5 (Love it or toss it)

The Proof Is in the Pudding (A Della Cooks Mystery) by Melinda Wells

First line in the book:  "You're going to love what I've done to promote your show!" said Phil Logan, as soon as he finished gasping for air.

Taken from the blurb:

Della's agreed to be on the panel for the Celebrity Cook-off Charity Gala.  The spotlights are fixed on twenty celebrities, amateur cooks for the night, preparing their favourite dishes in a hotel ballroom.  But before the judges have a chance to sample the delights, food columnist and gold-digging playboy Keith Ingram is found dead.  And one of Della's closest friends, LAPD Lieutenant John O'Hara, is the prime suspect.  His supposed motive?  Protecting the heart of his little girl, whom Ingram has recently dumped.  New Della needs to serve the real killer justice - not an easy order to fill when the key ingredient lies within one man's sordid love life...

This is the third and latest book in the Della Cooks Mysteries.  It gets better and better and like I said before, this is an above average cosy mystery.

Wells has deftly drawn out the story in a cleverly plotted puzzle which keeps me from putting the bits and pieces together.  I think the old story in publishing circles about a writer of magazine adventure serials might have played a part in how the puzzle fits together at the end and if you do not already know what the story is, you will have to read the book.

It is a well written and thought out story with an unexpectedly happy ending.  It certainly qualifies as a page-turner.

I hope that Wells will continue to write about Della Carmichael and gang because they are such down-to-earth characters and it is a joy to read about people who have so much love and support for one another.  She writes candidly about the intimacy between lovers and the mutual affection between good friends in a way that strikes a chord in my heart.

Last but not least, we can never underestimate or take for granted the comfort and satisfaction a home-cooked meal can bring us.  If only I could cook like her but that is another chapter for another time, I guess.

Rating:  4/5 (A treat)

Killer Mousse (A Della Cooks Mystery) by Melinda Wells

First line in the book:  Through my earpiece, I heard the director's voice:  "Take your place, Della.  Thirty seconds to air. ..."

Killer Mousse is the first book in the Della Cooks Mystery.

Della Carmichael has her own cooking school called The Happy Table in Santa Monica.  However, her financial position is not something to shout about and she is relying on her debut cooking show to fund her school.  So far, this is the biggest challenge Della would ever have to face.  Her husband, an LAPD detective, died of a heart attack two years ago and she is fortunate to have two best friends, Liddy Marshall and Shannon O'Hara in her life.  The latter's daughter, Eileen, is living with her at the moment while she is attending UCLA.  Eileen also works with Della at her cooking school. 

Della is hosting her debut In the Kitchen with Della cooking show on Better Living Channel with a studio audience when her predecessor Mimi Bond who used to front the Cooking Diva show volunteers to taste it, promptly chokes on the "Killer Mousse," keels over and dies.  To add even more misery to her plate, Mimi's daughter is now accusing Della of killing her mother and the TV kitchen has now become a crime scene.  How can Della prove her innocence?  Can she make the police believe that she did not poison the mousse?  Would she be known in the tabloids as "The Killer Cook" if the killer was not found soon?  What will happen to her new career?  So much depends on this job working out for her.  Well, things are not always as straightforward as they seem and it is true in this case.  Above all, Della is determined to uncover who the killer is and restore her really fabulous dessert's reputation, fast! 

I have enjoyed this book tremendously.  Count me in as a fan of Wells.  I recommend it to anyone who loves a fast-paced and engaging plot, twists and turns, a Mustang explosion on LA's 101 freeway, a birth in a car, some romance, a dash of humour and hours and hours of pure fun.  Yeah, you'll love it.  There are lots of cooking tips in the book too, what more could you want? 

Happy reading and cooking! 

Rating:  4/5 (Scrumptious debut)

Death Takes The Cake (A Della Cooks Mystery) by Melinda Wells

First line in the book:  "I hired you a cake coach," said my boss, Mickey Jordan.

I always seem to start a book series right bang in the middle through no fault of my own because sometimes, that is the only book available in the bookshop at the time but being a seasoned reader, I can pick up a story anywhere anytime and besides, you do not need to read the first to enjoy the second and vice versa.  Wells' Della Cooks Mystery is another cosy mystery I am hooked on at the moment.  Death Takes The Cake is the second culinary adventure in the series.

It is about a forty-seven-year-old owner of a cooking school in Santa Monica, California, star of a new cable cooking show and amateur sleuth named Della Carmichael.  She has two pets - Tuffy, a black standard poodle and a little gray and gold calico cat called Emma.  The cat's story and how Della adopts her come later in Killer Mousse.  She and Angelica Miles from the Booktown Mystery share a passion for baking.  Needless to say, the book comes with delicious cake recipes at the end which should be checked out! 

Taken from the book blurb:

To help boost ratings for her show, humble host Della reluctantly agrees to enter a televised cake competition sponsored by Reggi-Mixx, even though the company's owner, Regina Davis, is an old college nemesis.  When Della hears that competitive pastrymaking is a blood sport, she doesn't take it literally until she finds someone drowned in a mixing bowl full of cake batter.

It turns out the victim has a list of enemies longer than the ingredients in Regina's inferior cake mix.  But when her dear friend's husband becomes the prime suspect, Della is determined to serve a killer some just desserts...

Yes, Della's financial situation is in dire straits.  Winning the $25 000 prize at the competition would solve a lot of her problems including paying off  her debts and keeping her little cooking school open.  However, when a murder occurs in her kitchen space on set, she cannot help but turn sleuth amidst her busy schedule and hectic life to get to the bottom of the mayhem. 

Interestingly, the book gives an insight into the competitive world of television cooking shows just like the ones we watch on television.  In fact, I don't think I have ever read a book which is centred around a television set and a culinary one at that.  Being female myself, I like the fact that Well writes poignantly and perceptively about female friendships and that the smart and sexy protagonist has two very good and supportive friends who stick together through thick and thin.  Even better, Wells has kept me guessing till the very end.  Again! 

Well written and fast paced with believable characters and a tight plot, this book is not to be missed.  The intricate drama is enough to keep you up all night.  I have been born again to cosy/culinary mysteries and gourmet detectives.  I will recommend this to anyone who loves an above average cosy and this is it!

About the author: Melinda Wells was born in Georgia and grew up wanting to be a writer.  She wasn't interested in cooking until she was living in New York City and engaged to marry a talent agent.  Currently, Melinda Wells lives in Los Angeles with rescued pets and enjoys cooking for friends.  She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, the Writers Guild of America, the American Crime Writers League, Sisters in Crime and the Authors Guild.

You can visit her website at http://www.dellacooks.com/

Rating: 4/5 (Page-turning)

Bookmarked for Death (A Booktown Mystery) by Lorna Barrett

First line in the book:  Crowded behind a table with her two employees and her guest author, Tricia Miles, owner of the Haven't Got a Clue mystery bookstore, held the left end of the sheet cake and flashed her most winning smile.

Taken from the book blurb:

To celebrate her bookstore's anniversary, Tricia Miles hosts book signing for bestselling author Zoë Carter.  But the event takes a terrible turn when the author is found dead in the washroom.  Before long, both police and reporters are demanding the real story.  So far, the author's assistant/niece is the only suspect.  And with a sheriff who provides more obstacles than answers, Tricia will have to take matters into her own hands - and read between the lines to solve this mystery...

If you are expecting a Tess Gerritsen or even a JD Robb, this is the wrong book for you!  The second book in the Booktown Mystery, this is a light, cosy and entertaining murder mystery.  As light as it is, I was still taken by surprise at the whodunit at the end.  I wonder how many of you can guess who the killer is.  It is a well-written book that moves along at a great pace, not so different from the others in the series.  I guarantee you won't be sorry you picked up this book.  I do love this series and hope that Barrett will bring back Tricia Miles in the future!

You can find out more about Barrett on her website on http://www.lornabarrett.com/ or if you like catching up with her on her blog, just sign up for her newsletters on http://www.lornabarrett.blogspot.com/

Rating: 3/5 (Recommended)

Murder is Binding (A Booktown Mystery) by Lorna Barrett

First line in the book:  "I tell you, Trish, we're all victims."

The picturesque village of Stoneham is hailed as the Safest Town in New Hampshire until a body of a septuagenarian bookseller is discovered in The Cookery bookshop by none other than the owner of Haven't Got A Clue mystery bookstore.  Yes, you got that right, it is the first murder in Stoneham in over 60 years.

Apart from the body, something is missing from The Cookery - an oblong Lucite container with a little hinged door sporting a sturdy lock and housing a rare first edition aged cookbook. 

Murdered:
Doris Gleason - owner of The Cookery bookshop.  Avoided by the rest of the shop owners on Main Street.  Not likeable.  Tried to get the other shop owners to take part in a collective bargaining to negotiate a new lease but no one is interested in her campaign.  Has a daughter called Susan who has Down syndrome.  Her body was found with a carving knife jutting out of her back behind the kitchen island in her bookshop. 

Prime suspect:
Tricia Miles - owner of Haven't Got A Clue mystery bookstore.  Sells vintage first-edition mysteries and newly minted bestsellers.  Lives with her regal, gray domestic longhair cat, Miss Marple, in the loft apartment over the bookstore.  Divorced from her stockbroker ex, Christopher.  Doesn't please easily.  Moved to Stoneham almost 6 months ago.  Has a bittersweet relationship with her older sister, Angelica, although it is only one-sided.  Loves nothing better than to sit in her most comfy chair and read after a long day at work which also means she hasn't got much of a social life.  She found the body of Doris Gleason and became Stoneham's jinx of death! 

Other characters:
Ginny Wilson - 20-something redhead and the only employee of Haven't Got A Clue.  Lifelong resident of Stoneham.  Ex-employee of The Cookery.  Going out with Brian. 

Angelica Preston - Tricia's older sister.  Confirmed chatterbox.  Excellent cook.  Recently separated from her fourth husband, Drew.  Showed up in Stoneham ostensibly to help Tricia in her bookstore but what is she actually up to? 

Bob Kelly - president of the local chamber of commerce and owner of Kelly Realty.  Shows a romantic interest in Angelica.  You either love him or hate him. 

Sheriff Wendy Adams - no-nonsense countenance.  Leads the murder investigation aided by Deputy Jim Placer.

Frannie Mae Armstrong - originally from Texas but have been living in Stoneham for more than 20 years.  Works at the local chamber of commerce at the counter as a secretary-receptionist.  Loves to read Nora Roberts but not those J D Robb ones. 

Russ Smith - middle-aged, dark-haired and good-looking editor of the Stoneham Weekly News.

Mr Everett (William) - silver-haired elderly gentleman who once owned and managed Stoneham's only grocery store.  Haven't Got A Clue's most regular patron, so much so that he bags a part-time job at the bookstore.

Mike Harris - selectman for the election.  Runs his campaign from the most narrow storefront on Main Street opposite Tricia's bookstore and intends to open shop for his insurance business after the election. 

Winnie Wentworth - village eccentric, a combination bag lady/antiques picker.  Goes to tag sales, estate sales and auctions to find books and junk to resell to the Main Street shop owners.  Her old 1993 Cadillac Seville serves as a rolling junk mobile.  She is the second murder victim - is her death accidental or connected to the missing antique cookbook?

Deborah Black - owner of Happy Domestic, a boutique specializing in new and gently used products like how-to-books, gifts and home décor.  Buys her stock from Winnie.

Bess - plump 60-something receptionist at the elegant Brookview Inn.

Grace Harris - Mike's elderly mother and widow.  Resident at St Godelive's Assisted Living Center recovering from Alzheimer's or so her son claims!

Deirdre Gleason - Doris's twin sister.  Accountant background.  Re-opens and takes over the running of The Cookery. 

Whodunnit?

This is the first book in the Booktown Mystery.  It reads like a modern Miss-Marple Hercule-Poirot Agatha-Christie mystery and provides a refreshing change from my usual fare.  I placed an order for this book right after reading the third book, Bookplate Special (read the review: 13 August 2010) because I was delighted with that book and wanted to get to know more about its quirky characters and the quaint village.  Besides, who would not love a sister-duo amateur sleuths mystery centered around bookshops accompanied by delectable recipes?  Bookmarked for Death is next on my reading list.

Rating: 3/5 (Cosy read)

The Tsar's Dwarf, A Novel by Peter H Fogtdal

First chapter in the book:  My name is Sørine Bentsdatter.  I was born in 1684 in the village of Brønshøj.  My father was a pastor, my mother died in childbirth.  When I turned six my body decided not to grow anymore.  I don't care for the term "dwarf."  As a rule, I don't care for dwarves at all.

The Tsar's Dwarf is Fogtdal's first novel in English. This book has been translated from the Danish by Tiina Nunnally.

The first thought that comes to mind after reading The Tsar's Dwarf is that I have never read a book quite like this before! It is unlike any book I have ever come across!  It is a strange little booky-wook.

Sørine is unlike any other dwarves in the world.  First of all, she is uncommonly ugly.  She can both read and write.  She knows German, Latin and a little French apart from her native Danish.  She is funny, witty, brilliant, sarcastic, vulgar, intelligent and impossibly human. She is almost capable of love.  She is by no means a victim.  There is no reason to feel sorry for her because she can manage to get by in the world without extra assistance.  She can certainly take care of herself.  She has a right bossy mind of her own!  On the other hand, she can be quite unpredictable - she can be kind, compassionate and caring.  However, you can never know what to expect from her or what her little mind is thinking until she tells you so.  Lastly, she can see things with her dwarf vision. 

One day, she is gifted to Russian Tsar Peter Alexeyevich by King Frederik of Denmark and is sent to St Petersburg where the tsar's wife, Catherine, farts freely and audibly and finds Sørine amusing and contemptible at the same time.

Sørine's chronicle of her pitiful and obnoxious life begins in Copenhagen and ends in Copenhagen.  Compartmentalized into ten chapters with pencil drawings of herbs and written in the present tense, her search for the quest and meaning of life springs forth a lot of thought-provoking and challenging questions about Life, Heaven and Hell and God for the simple reason that she hates God and the world for the way she is treated; questions that we probably ask or ponder ourselves from time to time, some more than others.  This IS the central theme of the book.  I must salute Fogtdal for his superior understanding of the human psyche and emotions and for his talent in projecting them through this affable yet complex and extremely original character, Sørine.

Sørine has gotten under my skin. It is impossible to spend three days and nights with her without loving this sardonic creature. She tells it like it is. She is a girl dwarf after my own heart.  This book will make you snigger/chuckle non-stop or shout "Aha!" or cringe with embarrassment or go into meditation.  It is very much Fogtdal's signature.  It is a wonderful historical novel that gives us an insight, whether real or imagined, into life in the Russian and Danish courts in the 17th and 18th century.  The Tsar's Dwarf has ticked all the boxes (plot, narrative, historical details, dialogue) that a good book should be. 

I will recommend this book to anyone who are compelled to read outside their comfort zone or who have the audacity to read something so overwhelming and heartbreaking.  I will be looking forward to reading Fogtdal's next book in English and I am already curious as to what it shall be.

Here is Peter Fogtdal on the legendary Sørine and the fact that he does not own an automobile:



Fogtdal maintains the weblog Danish Accent on http://www.fogtdal.blogspot.com/ 

To get more intimate with Fogtdal, you can also friend him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/peter.h.fogtdal 

Rating: 6/5 (Unusual, far-out book)

Bad Boy (A Chief Inspector Banks Novel) by Peter Robinson

As I have mentioned before, I have had the pleasure of meeting Peter Robinson on his book-signing tour in Cambridge on 6 August 2010. 

Click here to look at some photographs of me and the author: 
http://chooseandbook.blogspot.com/2010/08/there-is-first-time-for-everything-and.html

I thought this youtube video of the release of Bad Boy introduced by the author himself was worthy of watching:



First line in the book:  By the end of August, the waterlogged Yorkshire countryside was a symphony of green and gold under a blue sky scribbled with white clouds.

Who could have foreseen that events would unfold in such disastrous consequences when Juliet Doyle first walked into Yorkshire's Western Area Headquarters to report finding a firearm in her daughter's bedroom?  A policewoman fighting for her life in a hospital for one. 

I have not read a book about an English inspector for quite awhile so this book has an interesting effect on me.  I thought it would be the usual English fare but from the end of the first chapter, I was totally hooked for the long haul.  I could not remember reading Peter Robinson's book but I am almost certain I did many moons ago.  A bookblog is a surefire way to check up on past reads but alas, I started this blog only three months ago, therefore, I have no way of knowing.

I like all the characters especially Chief Inspector Banks and his platonic relationship with DI Annie Cabbott.  Apparently, they were lovers once but it did not work out.  Somehow, their relationship enhances the plot and provides a fresh and different tune to a man-woman friendship.

My imagination ran amok when I read a vivid description of what it was like to be shot.  If it is an accurate account, then it is a horrendous experience.  I also learned a lot about British police procedures and the working dynamics and politics within the police hierachy and divisions.  I am most impressed with the strong sense of British culture and perfect renderings of the English country landscape which the author portrayed excellently and consistently throughout the book. 

Apart from the obvious, Bad Boy is simultaneously poetic and entertaining.  This book makes you think.  I will certainly be checking out the old Inspector Banks books.  No doubt Inspector Banks is a paradox - he can be introspective and pensive and yet can be all business when it comes down to the nitty gritty.

Giving a story away is not my style so I do recommend that you give this book a go.

To learn more about Peter Robinson and his other Chief Inspector Banks books, his official website is at http://www.inspectorbanks.com/

Rating: 5/5 (Super duper)

Ice Cold (The New Rizzoli and Isles Thriller) by Tess Gerritson

First of all, I would like to say that I am very pleased that I have bought a signed copy of the above book!


First line in the book:  Plain of Angels, Idaho.  She was the chosen one.

Synopsis:  In Wyoming for a medical conference, Boston medical examiner Maura Isles joins a group of friends on a spur-of-the-moment ski trip.  But when their SUV stalls on a snow-choked mountain road, they're stranded with no help in sight.
As night falls, the group seeks refuge from the blizzard in the remote village of Kingdom Come, where twelve eerily identical houses stand dark and abandoned.  Something terrible has happend in Kingdom Come:  Meals sit untouched on tables, cars are still parked in garages.  The town's previous residents seem to have vanished into thin air, but footprints in the snow betray the presence of someone who still lurks in the cold darkness - someone who is watching Maura and her friends.
Days later, Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli receives the grim news that Maura's charred body has been found in a mountain ravine.  Shocked and grieving, Jane is determined to learn what happened to her friend.  The investigation plunges Jane into the twisted history of Kingdom Come, where a gruesome discovery lies buried beneath the snow.  As horrifying revelations come to light, Jane closes in on an enemy both powerful and merciless - and the chilling truth about Maura's fate.

Below is a promotional video on Ice Cold:





Above: a conversation with Tess Gerritson. I hope the television series comes to the UK eventually.  To find out more about this show, do click on http://www.tnt.tv/  The other alternative is to fan them on Facebook.

My take:  I am pleased to have finally gotten my hands on the latest book on the Rizzoli and Isles thriller and a signed copy at that.  From the very first page of Ice Cold, you can feel that Gerritson is writing out of her comfort zone and it is a welcome breath of fresh air.  I believe that any author, experienced or budding, must evolve and change once they have found their niche.
First of all, the plot is set in a new location and focuses on a religious cult group which has disappeared in mysterious circumstances.  Secondly, there are lots of unexpected twists and new characters involved who play major roles in the book.  Thirdly, the book reads like a totally different book from the first seven of the series and yet, the characters and their lives are familiar.
Throughout the book, the story screams of tension and heart-pumping adrenaline.  It is certainly a terrifying read.  I feel every emotion that the characters feel.  I feel the suspense of every scene.  I can even feel the icy cold seeping through my bones.  I feel for their pain and fear.  Their helpless situation seems so real and effectual.  You cannot help but feel you are a part of their hopeless situation.  It is indeed tiring to read this book because there is so much emotion involved.  Just when you think you have found the answer, there is another loophole for you to jump in.  It is relentless until you come to the conclusion.  I am not sure whether anyone can see that there may be scope to develop this book further next time.  Gerritsen's talent for conveying emotions like fear or the chilling weather are so tangible that this book will definitely captivate you and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Rating:  5/5 (A winner)

Fans of Rizzoli and Isles and of course Tess Gerritson will be pleased to know that the author is on her way to UK for her UK book tour.  She will be signing her books and meeting her fans at these venues:

Sunday, August 15: Edinburgh International Book Festival, RBS Main Theatre, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh. 8 PM.

Monday, August 16: Newcastle. Waterstone’s Newcastle, Emerson Chambers, 6:30 PM.

Tuesday, August 17: Manchester. Waterstone’s 91 Deansgate, Manchester. 7:00 PM.

Wednesday, August 18: Belfast. Sponsored by the No Alibis Bookstore, event at The Movie House Cinema, Dublin Road, Belfast. 7 PM.

Thursday, August 19: Rainham. Rainham Library, 7-11 The Broadway, Rainham, Essex. 7:30 PM.

Friday, August 20: Bishopswood. Sponsored by Rossiter Books. Bishopswood House, Bishopswood, Ross-on-Wye. 7:00 PM.

Sunday, August 22: Blooming Good Books Festival, Silverdell of Kirkham. Southport, Merseyside. 2 PM.

Bookplate Special (A Booktown Mystery) by Lorna Barrett

First line in the book:  "Get out of my house!"

Following on from reading Diana Orgain's Bundle of Trouble, I went back to my bookstore to see whether I could find a few more cosy mystery books and lo and behold, I found Lorna Barrett's Bookplate Special. 

If you want to know more, you can fan or friend up with Lorna Barrett on Facebook.  Here is her direct link:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lorna-Barrett-author/377309661950?ref=search

This being the third book in the Booktown Mystery, I am introduced to an array of different, original and interesting characters in the middle of their fictitious lives.  Set in a small town called Stoneham in New Hampshire, the protagonist, Tricia Miles, is a hey-what-do-you-know mystery bookstore owner!  Her sister, Angelica Miles, is the proprieter of two businesses - a 1950s retro café aptly named "Booked for Lunch" and a charming little cookbook store, "Cookery."  There is also a cat named Miss Marple.  Both sisters are magnets for murders and therein lie all the sleuthing and twists and turns of the story which will either get you hooked or turned off. 

I am also gobsmacked by the concept or culture of freeganism.  It is a waste-not, want-not anti-consumerism philosophy and impacts on our environment.  I watch in fascination these youtube videos from UK, Australia and America and will explore this interesting subject further.  I hope you will too:








Otherwise, if you still prefer buying your food from supermarkets/markets/shops and like food as much as books, this book also contains yummy recipes like Bob's Favourite Meatloaf and Mini Spinach Quiches among others.

This is a feel-good cosy-up-in-a-rocking/wicker-chair a-rug-over-your-knees with a cup of steaming hot chocolate book.  It certainly took me back to my younger days of reading!  Read it for pleasure or a break from those dark and gruesome crime that we all love! 

Bookplate Special is an Agatha Award Nominee for best novel of 2009.

Rating: 3/5 (Read it or leave it)

Chapter and Hearse (A Booktown Mystery) by Lorna Barrett

This is the latest instalment of Lorna Barrett's Booktown Mystery.  Check it out:

First line in the book:  The poster on the Cookery's display window had advertised the book signing for at least a month.

This is the final instalment in the Booktown Mystery.  As always, cosy up with a cup of hot chocolate in your favourite reading chair with this book and you are guaranteed a heartwarming tale.  A 3-in-1 book which comes with references to great mystery books and authors past and present, cook-from-scratch recipes and an endearing cat with a mind of its own, not to mention characters that are truly believable, a huge helping of intrigue, romance, friendships, familial relationships, lessons on honesty, acts of generosity/kindness and last but not least, the ups and downs of the book business.  I cannot say more than to urge you to go out and buy this feel-good factor book and also the first three in the series.

If you have been enamoured with Tricia Miles and company as much as I have and have devoured all the books in the Booktown Mystery and are wondering whether she is going to make an appearance soon, then do not despair because the #5 book in the series called Sentence to Death is out 7 June 2011!  Put the date down on your diary.

Rating: 3/5 (A delight to read)

Hardball (a V I Warshawski novel) by Sara Paretsky

Where did I pick up this book?  In the Saint-Roch train station bookshop in Montpellier where I holidayed for a glorious 2 weeks in July.

The author always says it better.  Here is Paretsky introducing Hardball set in the author's hometown in Chicago and also talks a little bit about herself (warning: ends abruptly):



This book has an excellent plot which dates back to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s with reference to Martin Luther King.  Paretsky has skilfully gel the past and the present into one cohesive story.  Her wit and wisdom are apparent in her writing.  It is well and realistically written, the characters are arresting and above all the lady PI is one after my own heart.  Paretsky is certainly a masterful storyteller.  I cannot say it often enough that I highly recommend this book.  I just love this book!

I have ordered the first three V I Warshawski novels from http://www.amazon.co.uk/ and am eagerly looking forward to them in the post!

You can learn more about Paretsky from http://www.saraparetsky.com/

Rating: 6/5 (Excellent)

The Common Lawyer by Mark Gimenez

There is a different breed of lawyers in Austin, Texas:  picture a UT law graduate who oversees his legal empire from a small room on top of "Body Art of Ramon" in neon script, rides a Schwinn bike, is unambitious, a regular kind of guy who drinks Corona with his buddies, rents a one-bedroom, one-bath house in SoCo, has a tattoo of a steel-gray horse head on his upper arm, has a dog for a companion, is unlucky on the girlfriend front and you might wonder, what is his specialty?  Well, it is Traffic Law - where he charges $100 per ticket violation.

Ostensibly, his life changes for the better when a 'freak' girl who is immuned to all known illnesses is sought by a billionaire, Russell Reeves, for her stem cells because they can cure his sick son's cancer.  Therein lies all the drama including an exhilarating high-speed motorbike chase across downtown Austin and an edge-of-the-seat chase which ended over a steep cliff above a lake. 

As Gimenez is one of my favourite authors, I cannot fault this book except to say that Gimenez has ticked all the boxes for me and I highly recommend that you read this book. 

I have also enjoyed listening to the story human-read by Christopher Ragland published by Isis Audio Books.

Rating: 5/5 (As good as Grisham or your money back)

Letter from Shamini Flint, Author

Dear Emily

I came across your blog quite recently and must say it was a pleasure to read a good review of my book from someone who clearly understands Inspector Singh.

Let me know if you would like to do an email interview or anything like that and remind me to send you a signed copy of Inspector Singh, Cambodia when it comes out!

With warm regards
Shamini Flint
Author

Read the review here:  http://chooseandbook.blogspot.com/2010/05/inspector-singh-investigates-singapore.html

Thirteen Hours by Deon Meyer

First line in the book:  05:36: a girl runs up the steep slope of Lion's Head.

I like Captain Benny Griessel.  He is a legend.  He has been on the SAPS for 25 years.  He has just been promoted to Captain.  He is still under the 6-month exile imposed by his wife, Anna, to stay sober from his drinking addiction.  He is trying his damndest best to stay sober.  On the other hand, he finds that he has grown to like living on his own and having his own space.  His latest job is to mentor a group of young policemen from different ethnic backgrounds.  He is grateful for this job and grateful for not been posted to a station like most of his colleagues after the dissolution of the Serious and Violent Crimes Unit.

Then, two events occur. 

1)  A woman walking her dog reported seeing a group of young black and white men running with intent after a girl one early morning.  Why?

2)  Adam Johannes, owner and music producer of AfriSound, a record company, was killed seemingly over a mysterious DVD containing randy sex.  Money was of course involved.  His wife and colleagues were implicated in his murder. 

Inspector Vusumuzi Ndabeni and Captain Benny Griessel fight against time to find the girl and among all the hubbubs in the latter's life including that of his son quitting school unexpectedly to play in gigs and his wife wanting to meet him for the first time since the exile, he achieves it in 13 hours, hence the title of the book.  The murder of Adam Johannes is led by Inspector Fransman Dekker, a serious and ambitious man in the Provincial Task Force aided by a KFC-loving, handbag-carrying Inspector Mbali Kaleni.

The above two events were narrated back and forth at approximately 2-page intervals which give the reader an edge-of-the-seat suspense as well as capturing the reader's attention full-time.  The characters, plot, dialogue, social context and pace are strong, fast, compelling, entertaining and at times funny.  Meyer also gives the reader an insight into the new South Africa 20 years after the release of Nelson Mandela with its escalating unease, frustrations, tensions, conflicts, corruptions and politics within the police force and "it's-not-my-problem" attitude underlying its safari parks, abundant wildlife and incredible landscapes. 

Meyer also writes empathically about alcohol addiction, the side effects of giving up alcohol and how addictions of any sort can be a vicious cycle for some people. 

Meyer's latest is a well-written, well-translated and thought-provoking book.  I highly recommend it and look forward to his next book.

Click here for amazing photos taken by Meyer during the writing of Thirteen Hours:  http://www.deonmeyer.com/xtra/xtra_13hours.html

Here is Meyer's explanation on why he writes in Afrikaans and the translation of his books into other languages: 



Thirteen Hours is shortlisted for the 2010 CWA International Dagger award.

Rating: 5/5 (Terrific read)

There Is A First Time For Everything And This Is It!

I went to my first book signing of my whole reading career on 6 August 2010 in heffers, Cambridge.  Time was noted as 1pm.  It was a significant day for me.  I met Peter Robinson who had his latest book called Bad Boy out.  I spoke to him briefly and he was very polite and nice.  As I had turned up early for the event, there was only a dribble of fans.  It was nice to meet an author face-to-face.  Above:  pictures taken during the event.

The Collaborator by Gerald Seymour

I am going to review the book in a different way this time by giving you brief information on four out of several key players and what their roles are in this book:

Eddie Deacon:  Innocent and ignorant.  Happy go lucky.  Jack the lad.  English language teacher.  Picks up a pretty and clever Italian girl in a park, sleeps with her and when she stands him up at an Afghan restaurant, jacks in his job and went in search of her in Naples, not knowing what he is letting himself in for.  When he is in Naples, he is kidnapped by the Italian mob - will he be killed or live to tell the tale?

Immacolata Borelli:  Daughter of a ruthless Naples gangster.  Becomes an infame, a collaborator, a pentito to bring down her Mafia family when her best friend died of contracting a disease from swimming in streams, playing in long grass in fields and under trees in orchards which are all contaminated with toxic waste materials dumped by the Camorras.  The contaminated areas - Marigliano, Acerra and Nola - is called the Triangle of Death.  Mortality rates are high.  The question is will she be pressured to retract her statements or will she plough on to land her family in gaol and avenge her friend's senseless death?  How many innocent people will she wrong or be killed because of her decision?

Lukas:  He has no surname.  He is a hostage negotiatior.  He knows about hostage rescue.  His whole life is his work.  However, what he can never and will never know is the science of when or why or whether a gunman would pull the trigger.  Will he be able to save Eddie from the mob who are known to enjoy death?

Delta465/Foxtrot:  Ostensibly an old man who sits in an apartment, slumped in a chair, watching television.  Who is this?  What role does he play in the rescue and the whole hostage drama?  If you want to know his fate, read the book.

The plot is complex and intriguing.  Other characters are equally fascinating and adds plenty of drama and pace to the plot.  However, the book is long winded and is a slog to read.  You will surely and slowly get to the end but it will be a bloody long road.  It took me four days to finish it.  I did not expect it to end as it did but if you are a fan of corruption, betrayal, revenge and the Italian mafia, you will not be too disappointed with this book.

Gerald Seymour spent fifteen years as an international television news reporter with ITN covering Vietnam and the Middle East and specialising in the subject of terrorism across the world.  He was on the streets of Londonderry on the afternoon of Bloody Sunday and was a witness to the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics.  Writing comes fourth in his list of priorities, after dog walking, float fishing and watching the local rugby team.  He has no official website. 

Rating: 2/5 (Read it or Leave it)

Devil's Peak by Deon Meyer

I have finally packed Deon Meyer's book into my luggage for my trip to Copenhagen on 29 July 2010.  It has been patiently waiting for me to pick it up for awhile and I must say it did not disappoint me this time. 

As usual, Meyer's story is multi-plotted and switches back and forth from one plot to another but which in essence, is a whole story.  In this book, it is a 3-in-1.

The story begins with a shooting at a petrol station resulting in the death of Thobela Mpayipheli's son, Pakamile Nzululwazi aged 8.  Because the justice system has failed in apprehending the killers, the protagonist has taken matters into his own hands by turning vigilante.  His reasoning is that "if children can't depend on the justice system to protect them, to whom can they turn?"  And here, the story begins. 

I highly recommend this book and any book by Deon Meyer from here onwards.  He gradually develops his characters, mood and tone and they serve their purpose well.  He is indeed a fine writer.

If you would like to see where Benny Griessel lives, the road leading to Thobela's farm, The Cata River and other hotspots in the story, click here:  http://www.deonmeyer.com/xtra/xtra_devils.html

Rating: 4/5 (Thoroughly satisfying)