Scaredy Cat

Two women dead.  One woman selected as she got off the tube and viscously killed in her home.  At the same time another woman is killed in the same way.  The deaths resemble the deaths of two other women killed earlier on the same day.

DI Tom Thorne realises that it isn't one serial killer, but rather two!  When will the next two die?  He and his team must act swiftly to prevent the killings, but can they?  Author Mark Billingham keeps you intrigued as you read; at times you are led in one direction only to discover you are following the wrong path along with DI Thorne.

A good read, don't pass it by.

Raven ~ Blood Eye

It is the eighth century; the Romans have been long gone.  Britain has sunk into the dark ages with half a dozen kingdoms vying with each other for control of the island.  Along come a brutish group of men set on gathering great wealth to take back home ~ The Norsemen are men not to be dealt with lightly.

Giles Kristian begins his trilogy by creating the character of "Raven", a young man who has no memory of his past, however when his town is raided by Sigurd the lucky, the Norse language comes to his lips naturally.  Raven joins Sigurd and his Wolfpack as they go in search of a "church book" in order to win silver or glory in Valholl. 

The story is fast paced, well written and worth the read.

Lost River

Author Stephen Booth has DC Ben Cooper and DS Diane Fry working separate cases; cases that are personal for each of them.  For Cooper it is related to a child that he pulls out of a river, but is unable to save from dying.  His investigation leads him into a family's present and past.  Fry's investigation is about an event that occurred in her past, which because she was the victim, she is not supposed to be investigating.  Fry has to rely on her sister and Cooper for help.

Both investigations will have a direct impact the future of both Cooper and Fry.  I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next by Booth.

Brendan

I've been a fan of Morgan Llywelyn's writings for years.  She has always been very true to the Irish subject that she is writing about.  So, when I picked up "Brendan" I was expecting to read about 'Brendan the Navigator' and his voyage to the New World.  Unfortunately that was not to be the case.

Was I disappointed?  No, I was not.  True to her form, Llywelyn told the story of Brendan, from a young man until his death.  Bits and pieces of his voyage to the New World were interspersed.    Brendan didn't find the Isle of the Blessed, but he did become a saint for his works.  Llywelyn shows that Brendan was a man with all the questions that man has, and in his search for answers he didn't find Paradise, but he did find his god.

I found this to be a very interesting and relaxing read.  As usual with all of Llwelyn's writings, it is well researched and worthy of the read.

Blood Line

DI Tom Thorne finds himself involved in a murder investigation where the victim holds a small piece of an X-ray picture in her hand.  Is it a clue to the identity of the murderer?  Why would the murderer be carrying an X-ray when murdering someone?  Thorne then discovers that the victim's mother had been murdered 15 years before by a serial killer.  Then the investigation spirals out of control as more victims are found in the same tragic circumstances.  It would appear that the murderer is targeting the children of the serial killer's victims!  Who will be next?  How can they be found and protected before the second serial killer strikes again?

Once again, author Mark Billingham has the reader second guessing themselves.  The ending comes as a complete surprise. 

Don't let this book pass you by!

Alive in the Killing Fields

If you are a student of the history of Southeast Asia, this is a very interesting read.  I knew that the Khmer Rouge were brutal under Pol Pot, but I didn't realise how atrocious their day-to-day actions were.  This little biography tells of how one young boy survived the genocide perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge.

Buried

DI Tom Thorne normally investigates homicides, but he has been seconded to the Kidnap unit in part to get him out of the hair of his superiors.

A young lad has been kidnapped having been last seen getting into a car with an older woman.  Through twists and turns the reader is led to believe that an older murder might have something to do with the kidnap investigation.  You are always left wondering how pieces of the puzzle fit together, but they do.  And they create a picture the reader is not expecting.

I really like how the author, Mark Billingham presents the reader with the thoughts of the kidnappers and of the victim as you get further and further into the book.  I am sure that you will find this book enjoyable.