Saturday, 15 September 2012
Friday, 14 September 2012
The Governor's Wife by Mark Gimenez
This is a very entertaining Texan story which reads like the kind of story I read many years ago as a child when writers wrote stories for the sake of telling a good story and did not have to worry about credibility. I particularly enjoyed the politics and the humour as well as the introduction to the sad plight of the people living in the colonias on Texas' southern border. It has been both a fun yet serious read.
From the hardback: Bode Bonner is the Republican governor of Texas. He has everything he ever wanted: money, power, influence. But something isn't right in his life - everything feels too settled and easy. He longs for one more moment of excitement, one more challenge.
Lindsay Bonner is Bode's wife, and she's bored too. Bored of Bode's womanising, bored of the endless cocktail parties and receptions. She is desperate to break free of her bland, wealthy Texan lifestyle.
And that moment comes when she saves a poor Hispanic boy's life. From then on, nothing will be the same for Bode and Lindsay Bonner. Their lives are about to change in ways they could never have predicted.
About the author: Born and educated in Texas, Mark Gimenez attended law school at Notre Dame, Indiana, and practised with a large Dallas law firm. He is married with two sons. He has written five previous novels: The Colour of Law (2005), The Abduction (2007), The Perk (2008), The Common Lawyer (2009) and Accused (2010).
Visit markgimenez.com for more information.
Mark Gimenez talks about his latest book, The Governor's Wife (2012):
Rating: 4/5
Thursday, 13 September 2012
Monday, 10 September 2012
Saturday, 8 September 2012
Not Dead Yet by Peter James
Peter James' eighth book - Not Dead Yet (2012) - in the outstanding and award-winning Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series set in the beach city of Brighton and Hove on the south coast of England, is another good read but without much of the credibility we have come to expect from Peter James, as the story deals with the coveted world of celebrities and how fan adoration, if unchecked, can sometimes turn into obsession and become gravely dangerous.
Pick it up today or you can start from the very beginning with the debut Dead Simple (2005) and simply read on till you reach No 8. Not Dead Yet went straight to No 1 in the UK hardback bestseller list selling 8 500 copies in three days. This series is published in 34 languages.
From the hardback: For LA producer Larry Brooker, this is the movie that could bring the fortune that has so long eluded him. For rock superstar Gaia, desperate to be taken seriously as an actor, this is the role that could get her an Oscar nomination.
For the city of Brighton and Hove, the publicity value of a major Hollywood movie being filmed on location, about the city's greatest love story - between King George IV and Maria Fitzherbert, is incalculable.
For Detective Superintendent Roy Grace of Sussex CID, it is a nightmare unfolding in front of his eyes. An obsessed stalker is after Gaia. One attempt on her life is made days before she leaves her Bel Air home to fly to Brighton. Now, he has been warned, the stalker may be at large in his city, waiting, watching, planning.
About the author: Peter James was educated at Charterhouse, then at film school. He lived in North America for a number of years, working as a screenwriter and film producer before returning to England.
Peter James has written twenty-two novels and three of them have been filmed. All his books reflect his deep interest in the world of the police, with whom he does in-depth research, as well as science, medicine and the paranormal. He has also produced numerous films, including The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Joseph Fiennes.
He divides his time between his homes in Notting Hill, London and near Brighton in Sussex.
Do visit the author's website at peterjames.com for more information. Don't forget to check out Peter's newsy blog as well.
The author talks about his latest book and gives us some interesting tidbits from his experiences as a crime writer:
Rating: 4/5
Wednesday, 5 September 2012
Night Watch by Linda Fairstein
Night Watch (2012) is the fourteenth and the latest in the Alexandra Cooper novel series. I have read all of Linda Fairstein's books and do not feel the need for any intense review. I have only this to say - I am a fan of Linda Fairstein and whatever she writes, I will read.
Her books are not only about a good mystery but it is also about a captivating city that she has set her novels in - the Big Apple. I love reading about the places she mentioned in her books which carry so much history as well as intrigue and some of these places are not even on the tourist hotspots! I reckon a good book, be it fiction or non-fiction, is one that gives you scope to discover more and further.
On Night Watch, she has made a change from writing about historical places to writing about the treacherous world of fine food and wine in New York City. It is a fascinating read! I highly and will always recommend Linda Fairstein's books to anyone.
From the blurb: Forty-eight hours after New York Assistant D A Alexandra Cooper arrives in France to visit her restaurateur boyfriend, Luc Rouget, her holiday is cut short when a young woman is murdered. The only evidence discovered on the body is one of Luc's matchboxes promoting his new restaurant in New York. Before the investigation begins, Alex is summoned back home to handle a high-profile case.
Mohammed Gil-Darsin, Head of the World Economic Bureau, has been accused of attacking a maid in his hotel. As the scandal unfolds, Alex finds her attention torn between preparing the alleged victim to testify and a murder case with ties too close to home.
When a second body is found with Luc's matchbox - this time in Brooklyn - Alex begins to fear that the two cases may be connected, and that uncovering the sordid secrets of the city's most wealthy and powerful could cost her and her loved ones everything they hold dear.
About the author: Linda Fairstein is a former prosecutor and one of America's foremost legal experts on crimes of violence against women and children. For three decades, she served in the office of the New York County District Attorney, where she was Chief of the Sex Crimes Prosecution Unit.
In 2010, she was presented with the Silver Bullet Award from the International Thriller Writers Association. Her Alexandra Cooper novels have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have debuted on the Sunday Times and the New York Times bestseller lists, among others. She lives in Manhattan and on Martha's Vineyard.
Do visit Linda Fairstein's website for more information.
Rating: 5/5
Sunday, 2 September 2012
Saturday, 1 September 2012
Red Wolf by Liza Marklund
With Red Wolf (2003), Liza Marklund wants to show that power and the abuse of power always carry with it the potential for corruption. This is another intelligently written story that I did not want to miss.
Liza Marklund tells us briefly in her own words what Red Wolf (2003), the fifth book in the Annika Bengtzon series set in Sweden, is all about:
About the author: Liza Marklund is an author, publisher, journalist, columnist, and goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. Her crime novels featuring the relentless reporter Annika Bengtzon instantly became an international hit, and Marklund's books have sold 12 million copies in 30 languages. Her novels have all been number one bestsellers in all five Nordic countries, and she has been awarded numerous prizes, including a nomination for the Glass Key for best Scandinavian crime novel. The Annika Bengtzon series is currently being adapted into film. For the latest updates, visit lizamarklund.com
About the translator: Neil Smith studied Scandinavian Studies at University College London, and lived in Stockholm for several years. He is deputy editor of Swedish Book Review. He now lives in Norfolk.
The next and sixth book in the Annika Bengtzon series, Last Will (2012), is out now.
Rating: 5/5
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