Doubleday

The fourth in the series detailing the murder investigations of Inspector Knutas and the journalist Johann Berg. An interesting tale dealing with the art world in Stockholm and the island of Gotland.

Probably would be better to read these books in sequence as there was a sense of missing some essential developments in the relationships of the regular characters, and the Inspector appeared somewhat remote. There is a strong impression of place which one is aware one is missing by not knowing the locations.

There isn't a well-known label one can attach to this story - it's a puzzle, modern in its use of current technology, a precautionary tale maybe in the use of that technology, a thriller in that murders appear to occur. I urge you to read the inside cover blurb, and take note of chapter heading detail - it will make reading this book somewhat easier.

'Love in a Torn Land' is Jean Sasson's biography of Joanna Al-Askari Hussain's journey with her husband and child from war torn Kurdistan to England.

It is an extraordinary story wonderfully told by a writer with a gift for writing the experiences of other people. She makes us feel every step of the way the incredible danger Joanna and her family were in. We cannot forget that Saddam Hussain appeared to be on a mission to annihilate just about every Kurd in sight, by what ever means possible which is why this story is so amazing that people survived to tell the tale.

Another dinosaur novel from Steve Cole, this time Tyrannosaurus Rex comes to life and, used by baddies, threatens humanity. Z-rex has a link with our hero Adam, a 13 year old boy, because his father has used his son's brainwaves to animate the dinosaur electronic interactive game which gets massively out of control.

When his father is captured, Adam is left alone and has to flee for his life - who are friends and who are enemies ? What can he do to save his father, himself and the world from this terrifying monster ?

Lehane was a well established thriller writer before he wrote The Given Day, set in an America coming up for air just after the First World War and just before prohibition and the roaring 20s.

The action in a thriller tends to emphasize the here and now, as we frantically turn the pages to find out how the ending can give coherence to the plot.

The title itself suggests the kind of immediacy that keeps modern newsrooms humming, and could even be the title of a 60-Minutes-type current affairs show.

This book is a review in itself detailing "The Wit and Wisdom" of Terry Prachett's popular Discworld series. It takes you book by book in chronological order through the series, picks out the most amusing jokes, situations, exchanges, moments and presents it in a fast pace newspaper column layout. This makes for rapid, easy reading that the author would like readers to "dip into" whenever they have a spare moment or need a laugh. ..read more

A novel for young adults, set in an era comparable perhaps to our Victorian era, this is a moral tale set on a desert island. Following plague and tsunami, two young people from vastly different backgrounds - one a boy from the island just approaching manhood and the other the daughter of a European aristocrat - find themselves abandoned.

I am a great Bill Bryson fan and enjoyed reading this book. Although, to tell the truth, it was so realistic that I almost thought I was camping out with them him and his friend.

I was relieved when Bill finally reached a decent place to spend the night, and then found a supermarket where he stocked up on mostly junk food! My heart went out to Katz, who stoically brought up the rear and at times did not speak to Bill for hours. I felt I had walked every inch of the way with them and was thrilled when they finally got to the end and felt quite exhausted!

This is the third book by Kate Atkinson featuring Jackson Brodie. Although I hadn't read the previous two, this one can be read as a ‘stand alone' book.

As fantasy novel it seemed unusual as the view point was of leaders and rulers rather than of a relatively insignificant citizen (who becomes a hero). It feels a bit as if you were playing Civilisation or Risk. The number of different characters and their separate storylines left me feeling more dispassionate towards them and their fate, although it did give the author a chance to kill some of them off without losing all of his protagonists! ..read more