The Man from Beijing by Henning Mankell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The story begins with the horrific murder of many individuals, all residents living in a small village somewhere in Sweden. My attention was grabbed immediately and for page after page I was kept wondering, why? who? how? And so on, when you also discover there is also when? In fact there are several whens? As well as some wheres? The tale slowly reveals historical events in China that involve a particular family and the internal feuds and conflicts affecting them.
It took me a while to realise that there was a lot more detailed information to come before I’d get some kind of take on the tale. Mankell is most adept at writing stories that will include other countries and characters that eventually relate to the central plot, intriguing and entertaining the reader throughout the book. Another reason I like his books so much, albeit that it is usually a Kurt Wallander crime thriller that I turn to. But The Man From Bejing was just as much a compelling read. It is full of detail, relevant and interesting historically. It’s a story that asks you to work at the plot sometimes, with rewarding conclusions.
The main investigator this time is a Swedish judge, Birgitta Roslin, whose grandparents are among the murdered victims. Birgitta Roslin is an impressive woman who deserves another book! I wonder if there is another thriller with her at the helm? Highly recommended.


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Depths by Henning Mankell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It took me a few pages to realise that the author is holding the reader inside the very weird and strange head of a mad, maybe even psychopathic killer. It felt uncomfortable and alien to the effect that I was tempted to give up reading ‘Depths’ - even though it is by an author popular with me through the Wallander novels. However, of course I pressed on with it and ended up liking it.
The title refers to the process of measuring the depths of the sea, or soundings, in the waters around the archipelago of Sweden, and in particular seas that are around Stockholm. The main character is a compulsive obsessive, and the depths of his mind were dark and very dangerous. I started reading under the impression that it may be a story about World War 1, which in essence I suppose it is. But not at all; this is a tale about the way a human mind can ‘go wrong’ and how distraction and lust may result in tragedy. There is tension and unease throughout the novel, reflecting Mankell’s amazing skills as a writer. He is precise and accurate with realistic situations and dialogue. It is quite a different kind of ‘crime thriller’ and I can recommend it to fans of the genre as well as to anyone who just enjoys a good read with oodles of – pardon the pun – depth!


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Seconds Away by Harlan Coben
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Seconds Away is the novel that follows on from Shelter, Coben’s previous Mickey Bolitar book. It did not disappoint with the usual intriguing and engrossing chapters throughout the novel, and had the occasional snippets about the characters from the first one to keep readers up to speed. I was pleased to see Spoon and Ema return in this book as they helped to provide an element of humour to counterbalance some of the more sinister moments. There is the expected suspense and danger you need in a thriller and a great ending. All in all I enjoyed this book just as much as Shelter and can thoroughly recommend it to adults, younger and older!
There was a lot in this Mickey Bolitar book about the relationship between him and his uncle Myron. There was also some more about the back story, the fate of his parents and so on. That was also done well and it helped me gain an overall context to their family. Something I think all readers will welcome.


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Shelter by Harlan Coben
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When teenager Mickey Bolitar moves in to live with his uncle it is as a result of seeing his father die, and his mother becoming an addict undergoing rehabilitation. Despite resenting the situation with Uncle Myron, Mickey sets out to attend his new secondary school only to find even more problems await his attention. One of his new friends, Ashley, vanishes without trace, and Ema and Spoon agree to help Mickey find her. Both of these characters have their own appealing traits and I found it very entertaining on every page whenever they appeared!
Mickey is an ace at martial arts and this becomes extremely useful when he is confronted by some idiot students, in order to rescue two girls from them at his new school. Meanwhile, Mickey has even more problems with the bullying local police chief, father of one of the idiots. He is the captain of the school basketball team and is also a major competitor for the attentions of one of the more popular girls in the school. The mystery of Ashley’s disappearance becomes much darker and involves a strip club and a strange ‘Bat Lady’ who lives in an old house that Mickey passes every day on his way to school. Shelter is a great crime novel that has you involved right to the very end.


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While the Bombs Fell by Robbie Cheadle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading this book, which was full of nostalgic and poignant reminiscences about the 1940s, many of which applied to my baby boomer generation. The horrible fear for children and adults alike, of being bombed while you slept, comes through clearly in the writing. The privations suffered by the general population of food; clothing and utilities such as fuel and energy are well illustrated by the authors’ focussing upon Elsie and her family. The stories about this little girl’s life in rural Suffolk during World War 2 are obviously biographical and the name of Robbie Cheadle’s co-author is a bit of a give-away. There may be some fictional aspects to the book but I felt that the whole narrative provided an important authentic record of those times. Some of the anecdotes and chapters do jump about a little and could have been sequenced more logically. If there was a reason for this it was not clear to me.

However, some of the childhood memories were delightful and interesting to read, such as thoughts about Christmas and Jack Frost ‘decorating’ the windows with ‘feathery pictures’. There are examples of war time recipes for meals like toad-in-the-hole, that many younger readers would find quite enlightening, and which I remember personally. The mention of pictures reminds me of the old photographs used in the book to illustrate the real people that it tells tales about. This added an extra snippet of pleasure to the narrative.

Most importantly the book gives modern readers some idea about the genuine alarm and worry inflicted upon the general population by the war, while at the same time it reminds us about the downright hard work that was necessary in order to ‘keep on keeping on’ in those times. The diligence and bravery shown by the working classes should never be just taken for granted. Despite all of the negative influences the war and living conditions, inflicted upon the people in the book, the overall positive attitude that they continued to reflect – ‘keep on smiling’ – was inspirational to young and old! Recommended!

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Broken Bones and Shattered Spears: Book Three in the Tenochtitlan Trilogy by Edward Rickford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second story by Edward Rickford that I have read about Cortes and the Mexica. It was no less interesting and exciting, despite the very many complex characters with their complicated names. Once again, after a short period of time trying, I gave up speaking the names out loud. It slowed down my reading time too much. If I had a criticism about the writing it was the uncomfortable over-use in the narrative of various idioms. In particular the expression ‘truth be told’ occurred so often it did become a little irritating. Whether such a phrase was appropriate in the conversations of the various 16th century populace is another point, and it could have been replaced I am sure with other phrases.

This book had much more violence in it and some of the bloody descriptions may affect some readers, but it was appropriate and lent the story authenticity in my opinion. It is not quite a rip-roaring adventure yarn but exciting enough in its own way. There can be no doubt at all about the considerable research that Rickford has done in order to maintain the accuracy of the events that take place in his historical novel, which I found fascinating and often compelling. As mentioned previously some of the idiomatic phrases felt out of place in the historical context of the tale. It was often very difficult to continuously follow the plot when so many similar and complicated names were involved. The author did attempt to simplify things by giving some original characters plain names, like ‘Father’ or ‘Elder’ and it did help. However, I did think that so many minor characters around the periphery of the major plotline could have been drastically ‘pruned’ from the story. But the inclusion of Malintze, Estrada and their behaviour towards Pozon, a slave boy, was delightful and refreshing in some ways. Although realistically portrayed no doubt, the earlier events involving Pozon and his older sister, Yaotl, when he was captured, I found very distressing and incredibly poignant.

Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys historical novels or is interested in the ‘real story’ behind the birth of Mexico.

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The Trafficking Murders by Brian O'Hare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Despite the book’s very disturbing and grim subject I quite enjoyed this crime novel with its large number of different characters. The plot was complex and constantly encouraging the reader to think along various directions, trying to keep pace with the investigative team, led by Inspector Jim Sheenan of the Belfast police department. The author manages to maintain a fairly light touch when describing some of the details about the trafficking criminals’ harsh treatment of their victims. This gave the story more of a general appeal to a wider range of readers in my opinion. I was grateful for that but I imagine others who prefer their crime novels to be more realistic and gritty may not feel the same.

It did manage to make me feel desperately sorry for Alina and the other Rumanian victims who were tricked into seeking a better life in Northern Ireland. I felt the Chinese victims’ aspect of the story became the main target for the police team in the end. The plot grew into more of a cosy murder novel at this point and there was a long complicated explanation in the last few pages. The female detective, Denise Stewart, described this as Sheenan’s Poirot moment, and for me it was the least attractive part of the novel. I usually think the same when they occur at the end of Agatha Christie’s Poirot-type detective novels anyway.

This is the fifth novel in a Chief Inspector Sheenan series and can stand alone to a certain extent. But there were members amongst his team of investigators, like Stewart and Connors for example, who I would have liked to know more about. Maybe I’ll read an earlier novel sometime to find out more?



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Letters from Lake Joe by Mary E. Hughes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having read all three of the ‘Imagining Violet’ books in Mary Hughes’ trilogy, I was looking forward to this novel about the family’s holiday exploits on a Canadian island. The island was called Canonshot originally but was later renamed Burgess Island, due to family connections. Lake Joseph is one of the Muskoka Lakes and in one of Violet’s letters she comments that at seventeen miles long it was some seven miles longer than Windermere, in the English Lake District; which was where she and Frank had spent their honeymoon in 1898. The fictitious letters are written with such amazing authenticity that the reader gets to observe, close up, many of the pleasures and rigours of Violet’s family while spending several weeks there. Violet’s growing brood of children over the first decade had such adventures that you feel part of the family, so well described are their characters.
Meanwhile, Violet’s husband, Frank, was still much involved in the orchestral musical world of Toronto. Eventually he becomes the Director of the Toronto Conservatory Symphony Orchestra. Understandably, escaping to their cottage on Burgess Island, occasionally, provided him with much relief from that very busy society. But at the same time it reminds the reader about the first book in the Violet Trilogy, when she is embarking upon her own musical career. The tragic news in 1911 about Violet’s difficult sixth pregnancy came as quite a shock to me, and I was quite surprised to feel a sense of loss.
The author’s fictionalised letters are based upon her own diligent research about her grandmother, Violet Welsman, in particular but encompass many real characters who were her ancestors and more recent relatives. The group of vignettes in the second half of the book, under the title ‘Muskoka Suite,’ was a collection of the author’s own holiday memories from the middle decades of the 20th century. It revealed a special significance to Mary Hughes and her family about the island that provided a touching relevance to Violet’s letters. This group of stories felt awkwardly inserted and perhaps could have been introduced to readers in a more subtle way. Regardless of this problem, however, I can still thoroughly recommend ‘Letters from Lake Joe’ to anyone who enjoys well written historical fiction about family life.


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The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I particularly enjoyed this book of Anthony Trollope’s because it includes several events from his previous novels and adds a new main theme. This is about the problems involving Mr Crawley who is a clergyman accused of stealing a cheque. Also in this tale are interesting incidents around a conflicted love affair involving a secret portrait painting and suicide. I found the characterisation of Mr Crawley a little overdone after a while, and the return of the contrary Lily Dale became equally frustrating and irritating. But none of that spoilt my overall enjoyment of the book. Each plot within the main plot was engaging and realistic to my mind. Some of the descriptions of the emotions experienced by some of the typical middle class Victorians were effectively authentic, evoking sympathy from this reader at least. Trollope’s maintenance of the social etiquette that prevailed in those times is to be admired.

I was quite surprised to find the final situation between Mrs Proudie and the bishop quite moving, notwithstanding the continuation of John Eames plight with Lily Dale. There are many situations and characters that are more than slightly amusing and encourage outright laughter. A more serious situation involves Grace Crawley, the young daughter of the accused curate. She is clever and pretty and in love with Henry Grantly, the son of the aristocratic archdeacon. This is a match that looks as though it is never to end in marriage due to factors including wealth, class, pride and prejudice, to coin a phrase. Much depends upon the innocence of the curate and Grace’s unfortunately stubborn integrity.

This novel, appropriately entitled The Last Chronicle of Barset, is the one as I stated above, that brings together many of the characters we got to know in the previous five novels of the series. And one of our favourites is Septimus Harding, the Warden in the first novel. His daughter is married to the archdeacon in this book and they too have an important and significant role throughout it; as they did in Barchester Towers, the second book in the series. Whichever of the Barchester series may be your favourite so far, this is the one that outclasses them all. It is a delight and will appeal to anyone who enjoys reading classic English literature.



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A Purgatory of Misery by Frank Parker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The suffering in Ireland due to the potato famine was something I knew about but this book told me so much more. The way in which the English administration made things so much worse through incompetence and self-interest was a disgrace, and the book was both informative and disturbing on that subject. The amount of hypocrisy shown by the many land owners and land lords shows how fragile was the ‘control’ given to them, through the commissioners, by the government at that time. The considerable amount of research involved in writing this important book was very evident, and has to be admired. The book covered a lot of other aspects, such as the relationship between malnutrition and cognitive development, particularly the effects on children of course. Again something I found refreshingly different, but no less upsetting for anyone reading this with even the tiniest amount of empathy.

The viewpoint of Frank Parker, the joint author, towards the end of the book was a salutary experience for this reader. He compares and contrasts the catastrophe of the Irish Potato Famine of 1842 with modern famines, and reminds us of just how much work there is still to be done by the more developed nations of the world to relieve those suffering elsewhere. Even so, Parker seems determined to maintain a ‘no blame’ approach in his discourse about the many misfortunes to blight humanity over the centuries, before and since the Irish tragedy - a difficult thing to do. His account does include the inadequacies of both the government and the Church at that time. For anyone wanting to discover much more about ‘hidden’ European social history ‘A Purgatory of Misery’ will be a valuable and helpful experience.


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