William Monk
has been working for the River Police for some time now, and was not
surprised when a body was found on one of the piers. However, it is the
gruesome way the body was gutted that appals him. His cohort, Orme,
discovers where the woman comes from and they find out who she is.
However, that doesn't solve the crime.
As Monk continues his
investigation he discovers that a doctor had been visiting the victim on
a regular basis. He then discovers that the doctor is a suicide
victim, and that he had been researching the use of opium as a
medicine. Monk wonders at the connection of the two and widens his
investigation. Based on evidence or lack thereof, he wonders about the
conclusion of suicide.
Monk's wife, Hester, starts an
investigation of her own, looking into opium use throughout London. She
discovers that its use is endemic and that huge fortunes have been made
as a result of its importation.
Monk's investigation points to
the wife of the suicide as being the murderer of the woman. She asks
for Monk's friend Oliver Rathbone to be he solicitor. Monk turns to his
former superintendent, Runcorn, for help. Their investigation points
to the suicide in fact being murder. When Monk is attacked it seems all
the more suspect.
Rathbone is hard pressed in court to properly
provide a defence. He must do his utmost to waste time while Monk,
Hester and Runcorn gather evidence and witnesses to help his case.
Author Anne Perry presents a surprising end to this Victorian murder
mystery.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
The Road to Rome
Romulus returns in the third of Ben Kane's "The Lost Legion" series. He
has to fight his way out of Alexandra while joining Caesar's legions.
Unfortunately he loses his comrade Tarquinius in the battle. On the
other hand, he did see that his twin sister Fabiola is still alive.
Fabiola is the lover of Brutus and when the two return to Rome, she purchases the old brothel where she once worked. However, on the day she does that, she runs into her old nemesis, Scaevola. As much as she is frightened by him, she is still determined to achieve her goal; the death of Caesar.
Unbeknownst to Romulus, his friend Tarquinius did survive the battle in Alexandria. Romulus has made a new friend in Caesar's 28th, Petronius. Together they fight in a major battle, where Romulus is grievously injured. That injury leads to the revelation that he was once a slave. He and Petronius are jailed as a result and will be used as gladiators in Caesar's victory games in Rome. Meantime Tarquinius is also bound for Rome. Would the Fates bring them all back together? Only time will tell.
Kane has put together a great historical novel full of adventure and lots of tension, which culminates on the Ides of March. Well worth the read.
Fabiola is the lover of Brutus and when the two return to Rome, she purchases the old brothel where she once worked. However, on the day she does that, she runs into her old nemesis, Scaevola. As much as she is frightened by him, she is still determined to achieve her goal; the death of Caesar.
Unbeknownst to Romulus, his friend Tarquinius did survive the battle in Alexandria. Romulus has made a new friend in Caesar's 28th, Petronius. Together they fight in a major battle, where Romulus is grievously injured. That injury leads to the revelation that he was once a slave. He and Petronius are jailed as a result and will be used as gladiators in Caesar's victory games in Rome. Meantime Tarquinius is also bound for Rome. Would the Fates bring them all back together? Only time will tell.
Kane has put together a great historical novel full of adventure and lots of tension, which culminates on the Ides of March. Well worth the read.
Friday, October 19, 2012
The Time of Terror
The setting for this novel is Europe 1793, the French have just executed
their king, and declared war on their enemies, including England.
Englishman Nathan Peake is in charge of a little brig near the French
coast when it is fired upon by the French. Little does he know that
this will be the start of a new adventure for him.
He is called before The Lord of the Admiralty and tasked with taking a special cargo to Le Havre. He is given a new ship, a motley crew, but is allowed to bring the mate from his brig. Tully is a Guernsey man, and a former smuggler pressed into the British navy, and someone Peake is sure he can rely on. He and his crew are to masquerade as Americans.
Upon reaching Le Havre, Peake finds that the person to whom he has to deliver the cargo is in Paris. He must travel to Paris, where his life is almost lost to the mob, when he is rescued by the American he is to deliver his cargo to, and two young women. He is intrigued by the latter two since one knows his mother and the other is very attractive to him.
Important characters of the Reign of Terror appear in the story such as Danton, Robespierre and Desmoulins. Peake is asked to take a message back to his masters requesting money for Danton so he might fight for peace against Robespierre. Unfortunately for Danton and Desmoulins, they are arrested and tried for crimes against the revolution. Peake finds himself in a conspiracy to free the men, but he himself is arrested. Danton and Desmoulins meet Madame Guillotine, while Peake is held without charge. Fortunately for Peake, he doesn't have an appointment with Madame Guillotine, but is rather released because he is supposedly s friend of Thomas Jefferson.
This is hardly the end of the adventures for Nathan Peake as he finds himself in a naval battle and returning to Paris to get the woman he has fallen in love with before the revolution claims her.
Author Seth Hunter has written a well researched novel. For any fan of history and historical fiction, this novel is well worth the read. The Time of Terror is the first in a trilogy and I am looking forward to the sequels.
He is called before The Lord of the Admiralty and tasked with taking a special cargo to Le Havre. He is given a new ship, a motley crew, but is allowed to bring the mate from his brig. Tully is a Guernsey man, and a former smuggler pressed into the British navy, and someone Peake is sure he can rely on. He and his crew are to masquerade as Americans.
Upon reaching Le Havre, Peake finds that the person to whom he has to deliver the cargo is in Paris. He must travel to Paris, where his life is almost lost to the mob, when he is rescued by the American he is to deliver his cargo to, and two young women. He is intrigued by the latter two since one knows his mother and the other is very attractive to him.
Important characters of the Reign of Terror appear in the story such as Danton, Robespierre and Desmoulins. Peake is asked to take a message back to his masters requesting money for Danton so he might fight for peace against Robespierre. Unfortunately for Danton and Desmoulins, they are arrested and tried for crimes against the revolution. Peake finds himself in a conspiracy to free the men, but he himself is arrested. Danton and Desmoulins meet Madame Guillotine, while Peake is held without charge. Fortunately for Peake, he doesn't have an appointment with Madame Guillotine, but is rather released because he is supposedly s friend of Thomas Jefferson.
This is hardly the end of the adventures for Nathan Peake as he finds himself in a naval battle and returning to Paris to get the woman he has fallen in love with before the revolution claims her.
Author Seth Hunter has written a well researched novel. For any fan of history and historical fiction, this novel is well worth the read. The Time of Terror is the first in a trilogy and I am looking forward to the sequels.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Phantom
Harry Hole
has returned from Hong Kong. He wants to investigate the murder of a
drug user. Why? Because the accused is Oleg, son of Rakel, both of
whom were an important part of his former life. The thing is, Hole
doesn't realise that he is targeted for his own death.
As Hole begins his investigation he learns of a new synthetic drug that is available in Oslo; it is called 'violin' and is very addictive. He also surmises that it is the Russian mob that is involved because of the way murders in the drug world are being committed.
Author Jo Nesbo fills in the story of Gusto, the victim of Oleg's killing and how he started out pushing drugs small time and was then taken in by the Russian mob. Hole sets out to learn as much as he can, working outside the law, yet for law and justice.
Oleg initially is put into protective custody, because his life is in danger from the drug cartel operating in Oslo. Unfortunately there are corrupt police in the force, and they arrange for Oleg's release. Harry has to find him before anyone else does. When he does, he finds out that Oleg's silence is being bought by the cartel's holding of his girlfriend and that Harry's life is in danger, too.
Harry's life almost comes to an end when an assassin tries to cut his throat, but Harry survives, barely, and continues with his investigation. He knows that it is going to lead to a showdown. He is surprised to learn that the corrupt policeman is not who he suspected. Several possible killers are presented to the reader in the last several pages of this thriller before the real killer is revealed.
Nesbo is no stranger to providing the reader with a sense of intrigue and deep suspense in his novels. A very good top notch read.
As Hole begins his investigation he learns of a new synthetic drug that is available in Oslo; it is called 'violin' and is very addictive. He also surmises that it is the Russian mob that is involved because of the way murders in the drug world are being committed.
Author Jo Nesbo fills in the story of Gusto, the victim of Oleg's killing and how he started out pushing drugs small time and was then taken in by the Russian mob. Hole sets out to learn as much as he can, working outside the law, yet for law and justice.
Oleg initially is put into protective custody, because his life is in danger from the drug cartel operating in Oslo. Unfortunately there are corrupt police in the force, and they arrange for Oleg's release. Harry has to find him before anyone else does. When he does, he finds out that Oleg's silence is being bought by the cartel's holding of his girlfriend and that Harry's life is in danger, too.
Harry's life almost comes to an end when an assassin tries to cut his throat, but Harry survives, barely, and continues with his investigation. He knows that it is going to lead to a showdown. He is surprised to learn that the corrupt policeman is not who he suspected. Several possible killers are presented to the reader in the last several pages of this thriller before the real killer is revealed.
Nesbo is no stranger to providing the reader with a sense of intrigue and deep suspense in his novels. A very good top notch read.
Monday, October 8, 2012
The Cold, Cold Ground
It is the time of The Troubles in Northern Ireland. Bobby Sands has
died as a result of his hunger strike. Detective Sergeant Sean Duffy is
a Catholic policeman amongst many Protestant police, and the narrator
of the story. The police are all armed, and ready for a riot at any
time.
It is shortly after Duffy has gone home that he is called out to investigate a murder. The victim has been shot in the chest first and then the back of the head. To symbolise that he was a Judas, his right hand had been cut off afterwards, but Duffy couldn't find the 30 coins that were normally left with such a murder victim.
The postmortem reveals that the severed hand didn't belong to the victim. It also appears that the victim had been raped. Duffy has a strange case on his hands. It becomes even stranger when a second victim is found, with the first victim's hand. The following morning, Duffy receives a post card from the killer, telling him that he is acting in the place of God to rid the earth of queers.
A puzzling case of an apparent suicide also lands on Duffy's desk. The facts leading up to her suicide don't make sense to Duffy. Pathologist Dr. Cathcart points to a bruise on her neck, which might be a thumb, and not her own.
Further investigation into the first victim points to him being a man of some rank in the IRA and having some connection to the UVF. Later Duffy is taken off the case when a bomb explodes at a gay bar. However, this doesn't prevent Duffy from continuing the investigation. Author Adrian McKinty offers quite the twist in the conclusion to the first of a trilogy about Detective Superintendent Duffy. An excellent read.
It is shortly after Duffy has gone home that he is called out to investigate a murder. The victim has been shot in the chest first and then the back of the head. To symbolise that he was a Judas, his right hand had been cut off afterwards, but Duffy couldn't find the 30 coins that were normally left with such a murder victim.
The postmortem reveals that the severed hand didn't belong to the victim. It also appears that the victim had been raped. Duffy has a strange case on his hands. It becomes even stranger when a second victim is found, with the first victim's hand. The following morning, Duffy receives a post card from the killer, telling him that he is acting in the place of God to rid the earth of queers.
A puzzling case of an apparent suicide also lands on Duffy's desk. The facts leading up to her suicide don't make sense to Duffy. Pathologist Dr. Cathcart points to a bruise on her neck, which might be a thumb, and not her own.
Further investigation into the first victim points to him being a man of some rank in the IRA and having some connection to the UVF. Later Duffy is taken off the case when a bomb explodes at a gay bar. However, this doesn't prevent Duffy from continuing the investigation. Author Adrian McKinty offers quite the twist in the conclusion to the first of a trilogy about Detective Superintendent Duffy. An excellent read.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Dead Like You
Detective Superintendent Roy Grace returns in Peter James'
latest mystery, "Dead Like You". He is now in charge of cold cases. A
woman has been raped on New Year's Eve in a Brighton hotel. The case
is disturbingly similar to the case of the Shoe Man back in 1997.
Author Peter James offers the reader parallel stories, which flip back and forth between 1997 and now. Grace was in a loving relationship with his wife, who has been missing for nine and a half years. Now his girlfriend is expecting their first child. Then, a young woman had gone missing; possibly a victim of the Shoe Man, who assaulted women and took their panties and one shoe. Now, the assailant takes all of their clothing.
A potential culprit is presented early on in the story, but later on a second potential culprit is also presented, leaving the reader second guessing themselves.
Grace is given a group of ex-coppers to work the cold cases. As he starts with them he informs them that he had been reviewing the Shoe Man case, and when he returned to it the following day he discovered that several pages were now missing. Another mystery is offered up to the reader, and it is just after this that the reader is presented with a third potential culprit.
Grace also has a good team to help him with the current rape cases, but can they solve the crime before another rape occurs, because the current rapist seems to be following the pattern of the Shoe Man. The team is slowly gathering evidence when Grace reveals information to the press, which he hopes will cause the perpetrator to make a mistake. Unfortunately at this same time, Grace is presented with another possible perp.
As the investigating team eliminates suspects, another young woman is kidnapped. Grace and his team are now in a race to save her. Time stretches out for her and Grace's team as author Peter James ups the tension while drawing the reader along to a surprising conclusion. A great read!
Author Peter James offers the reader parallel stories, which flip back and forth between 1997 and now. Grace was in a loving relationship with his wife, who has been missing for nine and a half years. Now his girlfriend is expecting their first child. Then, a young woman had gone missing; possibly a victim of the Shoe Man, who assaulted women and took their panties and one shoe. Now, the assailant takes all of their clothing.
A potential culprit is presented early on in the story, but later on a second potential culprit is also presented, leaving the reader second guessing themselves.
Grace is given a group of ex-coppers to work the cold cases. As he starts with them he informs them that he had been reviewing the Shoe Man case, and when he returned to it the following day he discovered that several pages were now missing. Another mystery is offered up to the reader, and it is just after this that the reader is presented with a third potential culprit.
Grace also has a good team to help him with the current rape cases, but can they solve the crime before another rape occurs, because the current rapist seems to be following the pattern of the Shoe Man. The team is slowly gathering evidence when Grace reveals information to the press, which he hopes will cause the perpetrator to make a mistake. Unfortunately at this same time, Grace is presented with another possible perp.
As the investigating team eliminates suspects, another young woman is kidnapped. Grace and his team are now in a race to save her. Time stretches out for her and Grace's team as author Peter James ups the tension while drawing the reader along to a surprising conclusion. A great read!
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