Death Trap

Photographer Kate O'Donnell is concerned about the treatment of some her friends in the building they have flats in.  The owner is trying to push them out, even though their rent is controlled.  She turns to DS Harry Barnard for help.  This pair are at odds, but at the same time sparks are there that they won't admit to.

Barnard does a little investigating to find out who owns the house.  Kate and her roommate, Tess, happen to meet up with the father of one of her students.  The following morning Kate finds out that the man has been arrested.  Is it because he is a black man?  The girls are warned to find another flat, for their own safety.

The father of one of Tess' students is arrested after the police barge into his house.  The family is sure that the police have planted ganja in the house.  Eh is also accused of murdering a white prostitute.  Kate wants to gather evidence that will prove his innocence.  She discovers that the lad is now missing.   It leads her to wonder how corrupt the police in Notting Hill are.

The girls are shocked when they are given an eviction notice, although they had been expecting it.  Meantime, Barnard is quietly investigating the buyer and seller of the building that the girls are living in.  For his efforts he gets beaten up, not once, but twice; he also finds out that Kate is threatened.

Author Patricia Hall has written a very good thriller about the racial tensions and corrupt policing of London in the early 1960s.  A very good read.

The Gods of War

Caesar has crossed the Rubicon!  Pompey has ordered the senate to flee Rome with him.  Once Caesar has Rome in his hands he plans on following Pompey to Greece.  He plans to put Mark Antony in charge of Rome, while he takes Brutus with him to fight Pompey.  It is something that Brutus has a hard time with, so he decides to join Pompey in Greece.

Caesar has only one option, and that is to go after Pompey and Brutus. Min the cold of winter he invades Greece.  Before the armies can join in battle, he offers Pompey's army peace, and is rejected.  Caesar then leads Pompey on a chase across Greece, finally turning to face him on the flat plain at Pharsalus.  Outnumbered two to one Caesar wins the battle and Pompey is forced to flee.  Caesar follows the fugitive south and then across the Mediterranean to Egypt.  There he finds that Pompey has been assassinated.

Now in Alexandria, Caesar meets with Ptolemy, the 13 year old king.  It doesn't take Caesar long to realise that Ptolemy is ruled by someone else.  He is then surprised when Cleopatra is delivered to him in a rolled up carpet.  It doesn't take long for the beautiful queen to convince Caesar to join her in her quest for control of the Egyptian throne.

Although Caesar's men capture Ptolemy, and negations between the two nations are successful, treachery abounds.   When all is said and done Caesar begins to plan an empire based in Rome and including Alexandria and Cleopatra.  Later, he is given a grand welcome back in Rome.  He informs the citizens of his dreams of a Roman Empire.

Unfortunately for Caesar, there are members of the senate who don't like what he is planning.  He is offered a crown, but he rejects it, which pleases the masses.  Although he rejects the crown, it doesn't prevent certain members of the senate from assassinating him.

Author Conn Iggulden had written an excellent historical novel that finishes off the Empire series.  Space constraints prevented the author from offering the complete story, however, it is still a very good read.

The House at Sea's End

DS David Clough and DS Judy Johnson have been called out to The House at Sea's End because a group of archeologists have found bones.  Unfortunately they can not get to them now because of the incoming tide.  The next morning forensic archeologist Ruth Galloway begins her investigation of the bodies.

DCI Harry Nelson has returned from a holiday on the Canary Islands just in time to supervise the excavation, for it seems that the bodies are victims of murder.  The bodies are all male, and all have been shot; execution style.  Could they have been soldiers from one of the wars?  Ruth plans to run an isotope analysis on the bones.

The analysis shows that the men came from Germany.  Nelson is sure that the local home guard from the last war needs to answer some questions.  Not long after this a German academic visits Ruth.  He had received a letter from one of the home guard speaking of a great evil.  Could it have to do with a German invasion in World War II?

When Nelson checks up on the home guard men, two have recently died.  Although the causes seem to be natural, Nelson is suspicious.  Later, the German academic is found floating in the sea; he had been stabbed in the heart.  Nelson is convinced the case is related to a German invasion plan.  But how are the current murders and the invasion plan tied together?

Author Elly Griffiths ramps up the tension as the story nears its conclusion.  A very good, quick read.

Black Ice

Sergeant Jill Jackson is working undercover, and has helped in two successful drug busts.  The hope is that her work will bring in someone big.  After a recent bust, Jill's sister is hospitalised as a result of drug use.

Jill gets an invitation to one of the drug lord's home.  She is sure by the way that he is watching her that he might be suspicious of her.  She is shocked when her sister walks in.  Fortunately Cassie doesn't say anything.

As Jill gets further into her investigation, she turns to her friend with the Feds, Gabriel.  As the team gets closer to the big meth distributor, things get tangled for Jill and Gabriel.  Can they get to him before things get terribly out of hand?

Author Leah Giarratano has a couple of sub-plots entwined within this thriller that help tie the story together.  She builds the suspense to such a peak that the reader is unable to put the book down.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.

I Remember You

Harry Devlin is acting on behalf of Finbar Gilfillan in his divorce proceedings.  The night before the court date, Finbar's tattooing establishment had been torched.  And just before the court began, Sinead, Finbar's wife dropped a bombshell, stating that she knew what happened to that girl, Eileen.  This leaves Harry wondering who Eileen is and what happened to her.

It isn't long after this that Finbar's car is bombed.  Fortunately for him, he is in bed at the time; with a woman who isn't his girlfriend.  Meantime, Harry's partner is involved in an automobile accident.  As a result, Harry has to handle a land transaction.  Not that he minds because the person he is dealing with is a beautiful woman.  However, Harry begins to wonder about the transaction.  Why are the woman and her husband in such a rush to sell.  When the prospective buyers are forced to back out on the deal, he wonders how his clients will take it.

Harry is shocked later to find out that Finbar has been killed, as a matter of fact run over several times.  At this point in time the only suspect is Finbar's ex-girlfriend. Harry sets out to investigate.  He discovers things he is not prepared for.

Author Martin Edwards has written an intriguing murder mystery with several twists to the plot.  A good, quick read.

Death Called to the Bar

The annual feast is being celebrated at Queen's Inn.  Unfortunately for the lawyers gathered there, one of them dies during the meal.  DCI Jack Beecham has been put in charge of what appears to have been a poisoning death.  At 32, the DCI seems too young and inexperienced for the Treasurer at Queen's in to manage such in investigation.  Lord Francis Powerscourt is called upon to conduct a private investigation for the barristers of Queen's Inn.

One of the things that Powerscourt finds out from his friend, Johnny Fitzgerald, is that the victim had failed to get a criminal off, and that the criminal after serving his time is now newly out of prison.

Some time after the death another lawyer at the Inn disappears.  The murder victim and the missing lawyer had been working on a fraud case together.  With both lawyers out of the picture it is possible that the fraud case could be delayed or not go ahead at all.  The missing lawyer is found shot to death.  Fitzgerald also finds out from his underworld connections that Powerscourt's life could be in jeopardy.

As Powerscourt continues his investigation, the number of suspects grows, rather than shrinking.  At this point in time another lawyer disappears.  Did he disappear because he is the murderer?  Author David Dickinson continues to build up tension and provides a shocking conclusion to this Edwardian murder mystery.  A good read.

The Glass Devil

Inspector Irene Huss and Superintendent Andersson go in search of a young teacher who has been reported missing.  They find him dead, murdered in his house.  When Huss goes to inform the parents of the death of their son, she finds them also murdered in their home.  In both cases a star inside a circle has been smeared in blood on the victims' computer monitor.  Who would want to wipe out an entire family?

It also appears that the computer hard drives at both locations have been wiped.  The star in a circle is a pentagram, a symbol of satanists.  The pathologist is sure that it wasn't a ritualistic killing.  Huss needs to travel to London to question the daughter of the victim to see if she can provide any background to the killings.  Later it is discovered that the daughter had been investigating a computer-based paedophile ring.  Could that have any connection to the satanists?

Author Helen Tursten subtly suggests to the reader a few possible suspects as this murder mystery unfolds.  It comes to a surprising conclusion.  A very good read.