Daggers and Men's Smiles

On the island of Guernsey, DI Ed Moretti and DC Liz Falla have been called to a film set because someone has viscously slashed a set of costumes with a dagger.  Later, a similar dagger has been thrown into the garden area where the author of the movie is staying.  Early the following morning, Moretti is called and informed that the location manager for the film is dead.

A few days later the author is found dead in a tunnel that had once been dug by German prisoners.  Alongside the body is another dagger; this one engraved in German.

Although the crimes have been committed on Guernsey, Moretti is sure that there is a connection to Italy, so he travels there in search of answers.  While there, a material witness is killed back on Guernsey.  Looking through the victim's possessions, Moretti comes up with a clue as to who could be behind the killings.

Author Jill Downie's murder mystery finishes with a lot of action at the end.  I found that her writing was full of material that seemed to be filler, however it was a good read.

The Payback

Dennis Milne has been given, what he hopes, is his last assassination assignment.

Meanwhile, back in England, DI Tina Boyd has been called out to what appears to be a suicide.  However, she is convinced that it is murder.  The victim had been a high profile journalist who had been gathering evidence on a well known, but seemingly Teflon-like criminal.  Boyd had been helping him gather the evidence.  When an attempt is made on her life that night, Boyd knows who was behind it, and sets out to return the favour.

Unbeknownst to Boyd, a man she needs to contact in Manila has just been killed by Milne.  Boyd decides to go to Manila, while Milne is assigned to kill her when she arrives.  Milne has his gun trained on her and then puts it down.  After some discussion the pair decide to team up and get the person behind all the killings.  But, can they trust each other?

The action is fast paced after the pair join up.  Murder and mayhem ensue as they pursue their goal.  They are surprised when they find out that the reason behind their objective isn't what they had thought, but something much more sinister.

Author Simon Kernick's third volume in this trilogy is both tense and exciting.  A very good read; hard to put down.

You Are Dead

A young man has just received an urgent phone call from his girlfriend, complaining about a man in their underground parking garage.  The call ends with her screaming.  Now the police are looking for her.  Meantime, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace and DI Glenn Branson are at the scene of a recently uncovered body.  This one has been dead for quite some time.  Unable to take on both cases at the same time, Geace assigns Branson to the body and takes on the missing person case himself.

The forensic pathologist confirms that the body is female, and that it had been reburied in its current site.  That means that Branson's team is going to have to look through the list of missing persons from quite some time ago.  During the autopsy on the remains, "U R Dead" is found marked on the skull.

The hairstyle of the abductee and another recent missing person are similar as are their hair colour and length.  Could there be a connection?  Surprisingly, Branson informs Grace that his victim's hair matches the other two.  Searching past missing persons, Branson finds documentation of another victim whose partially decomposed body was found with the"U R Dead" tattoo on it.  That victim looked like a dead ringer for the missing person Grace is looking for and the other missing woman!

Shockingly another young woman goes missing shortly afterwards.  And within hours after that, Grace receives information that his victim has been tattooed with "U R Dead"!

The two teams come to the realisation that they have a serial killer on their hands.  A special task force is formed to catch the killer.  The question is, will they get the killer before he strikes again?

Author Peter James' murder mystery is exciting from start to finish.  The reader is left with suspicions throughout, which build as the novel moves on.  An excellent read.

The Outcast Dead

Ruth Galloway has an interesting archeological discovery on her hands.  A body outside the castle in Norwich might be a famous murderess of children who was executed quite some time ago.  Meanwhile her friend, DCI Harry Nelson is investigating a modern potential child killer.  His friend, Cathbad, calls to tell him that Nelson's suspect is innocent and to warn him of convicting her.

When fibres are found in the mouth of the baby, suggesting the child had been suffocated, Nelson has the mother brought in for questioning.  The ex-husband comes in voluntarily.

Ruth is shocked when historian Frank Barker tells her that the murderess she is investigating, wore a silver medallion, because she found just such a medallion at the dig.

Nelson is surprised when the ex-husband, who is now a suspect, turns up in Ruth's house.  Naturally he expresses his innocence.  A short time later, Nelson's team is out into turmoil when a child is abducted from its home.  Fortunately the child is found safe and sound some time later, but who was the perpetrator?  The following morning the son of one of Nelson's team is taken by a woman with short hair from the babysitter.  She had presented a note to the babysitter making things appear real.

As the pages turn, the reader can't help but feel frantic.  The loss of a child is devastating, and author Elly Griffths makes the reader feel closely connected.  Possible suspects are presented, but the real one isn't revealed until late.  An intensely good read.

The Dungeon House

Les Bryant, a retired detective, has just informed the cold case team of DCI Hannah Scarlett, and DC Maggie Eyre of the disappearance of a fifteen year old girl, who has a connection to a murder-suicide that had occurred 20 years ago.  She is the second girl to go missing recently.  The other girl also had an indirect connection to the original murder-suicide

Scarlett remembers that her former mentor, Ben Kind, had felt that the case was not a true murder-suicide.  Why would a man kill the daughter he adored?  As Scarlett works her investigation into the cold case, she comes up with information that a bald person was seen running from the scene.  Could it have been a woman?

Evidence unearthed about the original case leads Scarlett and Bryant to find information about the current case of the missing girl.  Unfortunately a woman they want to speak to has also disappeared.  It is an offhand remark by Scarlett's boyfriend, historian Daniel Kind, that leads her and Bryant to what turns out to be a shocking conclusion.

Author Martin Edwards has written a real page turner.  The tension mounts with each page read.  Definitely hard to put down.

The She Wolf

No one has ever escaped the Tower of London, no one that is until Roger Mortimer manages to in 1323.  Having made his way to France, Mortimer is offered the opportunity to participate in a crusade being organised by the Count of Valois.  However, Mortimer had to play the waiting game.  The crusade was put on the back burner when a scheme to engage the English in a war was proposed.  Mortimer finds himself in a war against his own country.  A successful siege by the French results in the Duke of Kent, brother to King Edward, becoming a French hostage.

Pope John XXII is prepared to lay down rules of a truce between France and England.  He feels that Queen Isabella should come from England to broker the deal.  He is also no longer in favour of a crusade.  Upon arrival in Paris, Isabella asks for King Charles' protection.  She has no plans to return to England until the Dispensers are removed from power.  She begins a liaison with Mortimer.

Edward becomes angry when his wife and son refuse to return to England.  Soon King Charles decides to send her home, however Robert of Artois warns her and Mortimer.  A short time later, Isabella, her son Edward and Mortimer invade England with a small force.  Will they be able to overthrow the king and the Dispensers?

Author Maurice Druon continues well researched his historic novels with this one.  It is a very good read, especially for fans of historical fiction.

Grail Knight

Richard is dead and King John has outlawed Robin of Locksley once again.  Robin wants Alan Dale to help him steal some valuable items from the local abbot, who had commissioned them from a local Jewish artisan, and was now refusing to pay for them.  At the same time, Alan is informed that the Knights Templar are planning vengeance on him due to a forged note, which robbed them of five hundred pounds of silver.  Alan was not the forger, nor the thief.

The theft is carefully planned and carried out.  However, it is as if the abbot had foreknowledge of the theft, because he was prepared for it.  Robin and Alan escape by the skin of their teeth.

A short time after the robbery, a group of Knights Templar come to arrest Alan at his home.  Fortunately another knight bears witness to the fact that Alan could not have stolen money from them.  Happy news arrives soon, when Alan's wife, Goody, informs him that she is pregnant.

After a late night attack on his home that destroys it and endangers the health of Goody, Alan teams up with Robin to get retribution from the man who had ordered it, and at the same time retrieve the Holy Grail. Alan is shocked and angered when Robin includes Nur in the group going to get the Grail.  She is the one who put the curse on Goody, but she is also the one who knows where the Grail is.

And so the quest begins.  It will bring trials and tribulations, battles and new friends.  But will they find the Grail?  If they do, can they get back to Goody with it in time to save her life?

Author Angus Donald has written an excellent historical novel full of action.   The search for the Grail is an all consuming event that occupied many a knight, and Donald's novel is a real page turner as he leads the reader in the quest.  A very good read.