Harrison - A Fistful of Charms - 13/04/07 - 29/04/07

This book is the fourth in the series of books that follow the adventures of a which, pixy and vampire team of private detectives (or 'runners'). The other books in this series have been fast-paced and full of action. In comparison, this one was somewhat slow, laboured and the plot was complicated without having much of interest. Sorry to say, this was not that great a read. The real question now is whether to buy the fifth book in the series or not...I think possibly I will, they're quite a fun read.

Gerritsen - Life Support - 09/04/07 - 13/04/07

Although this is a crime book it is different from many others in the genre. For a start, we sort of know who the criminals are from very early on in the story. The interest here comes from waiting for the main characters to work out exactly who and why.

It's clear that Gerritsen is an expert writing in a field that she understand extremely well. For the non-expert reader in particular the medical detail is deep and very satisfying. This book will appeal to all those who love ER and in particular House, but for anyone who is shy of blood it is best avoided, the descriptions can be very intense and hyper-realistic.

Gerritsen also writes more traditional police focused books, but this is a welcome change to the genre standards. Well worth reading.

Coben - Promise Me - 07/04/07 - 09/04/07

This is the latest in the Myron Bolitar series of books by Harlen Coben. Whilst the books are well written with exciting and well-paced stories, the 'heroes' are a strange bunch indeed. Bolitar is an ex-basketball player and his sidekick a super-rich martial arts expert. His sports agency company (which has expanded in this book) is staffed by two ex-wrestling women, one of which weighs in at 300+ lbs. You must get over this though becuase the books are worth it.

In this one, the story is based on Bolitar's own idiocy and focuses on the search for the daughter of a couple with whom he has been friends for some time. As with all these non-cop crime books, the success of the non-expert in the world of the expert is somewhat hard to swallow, but at least it is well explained in this book. The action is non-stop, and the book hard to put down, expecially as it nears its climax. Read this, and the others in this series.

Hoskinson - Inside - 04/04/07 - 07/04/07

This is a first person account of John Hoskinson's experience of going to prison. It would be very hard to describe it as an enjoyable read, but it is nevertheless a fantastic book. The prison that he describes is a million miles away from the one that he (and that we) have read about in the papers - he refers many times to the fact that the papers make it sound like a 'holiday camp'. In truth, the prison he describes seems to be failing prisoners and society - training criminals and creating drug addicts rather than treating or rehabilitating. It's extremely powerful stuff - hard to read at times, but nevertheless strangely entertaining.

Harvey - Cold Light - 24/03/07 - 04/04/07

I bought and read this book on the basis of the recommendation on the front cover (which you may or may not be able to read). When one of your favourite authors is quoted on the front then it should bode well. In this case I was not disappointed. This is one (the latest?) in a series following a detective from Nottingham called Resnick. The plot centres around a kidnapping, and although the plot builds slowly (maybe a bit too slowly) it is a satisfying and engrossing read. Once you get halfway it is almost 'unputdownable'. I'm certainly going to read more in this series - I hope I get to like them as much as Michael Connelly's work.

Vargas - Have Mercy on us All - 16/03/07 - 24/03/07

I must confess to having read this book only in translation, but it probably lost very little. It's a tense thriller set in Paris following the investigation of a strange series of killings which appear to be linked to the Black Death. Ultimately, I found this book to be a little unsatisfying - good as the story was the end was rushed and left too many questions unanswered. However, there are other books in this series and to my mind they are definitely worth seeking out.