I loved this book; I found the description of place and interweaving characters a delight, and the central relationship between Ida and Midas utterly convincing, and very touching. I really liked the turning into glass motif – strange and yet satisfying, as was the admittedly tragic ending. The only part of the book that needed… Read more »Read more

The summer read of 2016 and a complete page turner!  The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins has you gripped with intrigue from the outset.  Firstly, the reader is intrigued by where exactly this tale of an emotionally distraught, self-destructing alcoholic is actually going but very quickly you will be gripped and it will… Read more »Read more

Only one of the best known and most acclaimed authors in the UK and yet ripped limb from limb in our reactions to this book, which were many and various: Appalling stereotyping of the Irish members of the cast, who could not be distinguished, the one from the other; Complete disregard for the truth, despite… Read more »Read more

Harry August was, for a first novel, a huge achievement, we were all agreed on that. Not that it stopped us pointing out some short-fallings, most notably the ridiculously badly thought-through Quantum Mirror and the chore of Harry killing the serial killer every lifetime for no particular purpose. The central plot elements though – the… Read more »Read more

Great instalment in the Vera Stanhope Series, Ann Cleevs writes very well with a full story and all the ends tied up by the end, her style is similar to the dames of crime from old, Christie and Sayers, no extra characters who add little, full explaination as to why and who did it, and… Read more »Read more

Humanity is dying, under attack from an unknown enemy who is killing them in wave after wave of horror and blood. The 1stwave took out electricity; the 2nd wave decimates cities all over the world; the 3rd wave comes in the form of plague and the 4th wave see’s the few who are left running… Read more »Read more

The best book I’ve ever read – first in the trilogy ‘The First Law’. As a lifelong sci-fi and fantasy reader, this appealed to me more than the usual elves and dwarves type of fantasy – there’s plenty of swords and sorcery here but done with grittiness, anti-hero characterisation, lots of blood and torture, and… Read more »Read more

I enjoyed this latest title by Irvine Welsh which is the sequel to Trainspotting, but not as much as I was expecting to! It’s a bit of a disappointment as I was looking forward to a “laugh out loud” exciting read. It was disappointing that not all of the characters from the first book are… Read more »Read more

Still Alice: a pretty appalling book as far as good literature goes. To say that it played on stereotypes is a bit of an understatement. The main relationship between Alice and husband John was sketchy at best, completely without relatable emotion, and the relationship with arty daughter versus sensible daughter was utterly without subtlety. The… Read more »Read more

Rendezvous at the Russian Tea Rooms is entertaining non-fiction at its best. Depicting the real life events that inspired writers such as Dennis Wheatley and Ian Fleming – who based his character M on spy hunter Max Knight – Rendezvousis a tantalising adventure through the first part of the Second World War. Willetts focuses his story… Read more »Read more