An Irish Country Christmas

I've been waiting some time to read Patrick Taylor's "An Irish Country Christmas".  It is the third in his "Irish Country Doctor" series.  A very enjoyable read of rural doctoring in Northern Ireland in the 1960's.  I find myself looking forward to the sequels to this book.  I hope that you will, too.

Evil in Return

I've discovered a new author in Elena Forbes.  This novel tells of a serial killer in London, and the reasons behind the serial killings are slowly revealed leading you as the reader to suspect the wrong people throughout.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Turncoat

Ensign Edwards is given the task of solving a mysterious death in Upper Canada.  In Don Gutteridge's first novel, young Ensign Edwards discovers that the mysterious death is related to smuggling and that the death is a murder!  The murder leads to the discovery that a suicide was actually a murder, too!  A good read.

Rebels and Traitors

This novel follows four people during the English Civil War, their struggles and their successes.  Author Lindsey Davis explores what it was like for people of each class during the war; how some were humbled and others moved up the social ladder.  Battles are graphically described.  For someone who is not a history buff this would be a heavy read.  For history buffs, on the other hand, an intensely enjoyable read.

Dead Tomorrow

Bodies appear with organs missing in the English Channel.  Who is harvesting them and why?  This is the question posed to Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and his team of investigators.  Two young girls; one suffering from liver failure, one a suitable candidate for liver transplant.  What will happen to each?  Author Peter James has your mind grasping for answers as you delve further into the book.  You will not want to put the book down as the pace picks up towards the culmination.

Wounds of Honour

Marcus has just been posted with the Roman army to Hadrian's Wall.  Unbeknown to him, the Emperor has labelled him a traitor to the Empire.  Fortunately he has unknown friends who will protect him.  He goes on to lead a century of men and earn their respect.  His century fights with him and for him.  A gripping historical novel.  I look forward to its sequel "Arrows of Fury".

Empire of the Moghul ~ Raiders from the North

This is no historical novel outlining the quick rise to power of the first Moghul emperor.  Author Alex Rutherford tells us of the trials and tribulations of Babur.  This is the story of his early kingship at 13, his conquests, sudden losses of power, more conquests and losses until finally he is given the kingship of Kabul.  From there Babur set out to defend his country and expand its reach into Hindustan.  Well worth the read.

The Brotherhood of Five

This is a good story of assassination and murderous revenge gone awry.  Set on a small island in England, the background of the story spans Europe during the time of Napoleon Bonaparte.  The only drawback to the novel is the Victorian length sentences that the author uses.  I did a word count on one sentence and it ran to 165 words!  I found this to be distracting.  However, I do recommend the book as a read if you enjoy historical murder mysteries.

The Bishop Must Die

Like a proficient weaver, Micheal Jecks weaves the threads of numerous people and places together to create a great tapestry about England in the early 1300's that would lead to the abdication of a king and the murder of a bishop.  A good read about medieval Europe.

A Visible Darkness

A story of murder and greed.  Greed for military purposes, wealth and historical significances.  Murder for wealth and historical significances.  Combine them into a plot and you have a good story.  The reader is led through the twists and turns of Prussia during the Napoleonic era as Magistrate Stiffeniis attempts to solve a series of murders on the Baltic coast. 

I must say however that you can tell each of the two author's separate contributions to the story as they have slightly different writing styles.

All-in-all a good read.

Fishing for Stars

Bryce Courtney's "Fishing for Stars" is an excellent sequel to "The Persimmon Tree".  Narrator Nick Duncan is caught in a love triangle between "Princess Plunder and "Green Bitch" during the post war era up to modern times.  Throughout the pages of this volume we find the economies of making millions mixed in with Japan's version of the mafia, pitted against the beginnings of the Green Revolution and the fight to save the planet.  All-in-all, an excellent read.

Claudius

Author Douglas Jackson has written this book in the manner in which a river flows.  It starts out slowly and then the pace picks up as you enter rapids, slows again, then repeats.  This story is about the invasion of Britain by the Roman forces of Emperor Claudius and how he achieves victory.  The hero of the story is in charge of Claudius' elephant.  A good read.

A Hornet's Nest

Stieg Larsson finished his trilogy the way he began it!  Exciting and riveting from start to finish!  "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" was a book I started in the morning and didn't put down until I finished reading in the evening!  I was pumped throughout the read.  This set of books should truly be read one right after the other.

It is sad that Larsson died shortly after completing his trilogy.

Anticipation

This evening I plan on starting to read "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" by Stieg Larsson.  The first book in this trilogy, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" was such a page turner, that I couldn't put it down.  I read the book from cover-to-cover in a 24 hour period, only stopping for little breaks.  On the other hand, the sequel "The Girl Who Played With Fire" didn't grip me in the same way.  Now I don't know what to expect.  However, I am looking forward to reading it.  Watch this space for the update.

Today I finished reading "Dust and Steel" by Patrick Mercer.  It is an invigorating read that takes one to the Indian Mutiny of 1857 - 1859.  The reader is gripped by the hero's dilemmas as he goes from battle to battle during the Indian Mutiny.  You get a sense of what the battles were like for the soldiers of the time.

It is an excellent sequel to Mercer's "To Do and Die".