Acceptable Loss

A body has been discovered on the edge of the Thames, and Commander William Monk has begun his investigation.  He discovers that the victim has been strangled and is a notorious criminal; one who preys on young boys and provides them for the entertainment of wealthy men.

At first his investigation leads him to arrest a man who is eventually shown to be innocent of the murder.  However, the source of his information, a prostitute, is shortly murdered afterwards.  Monk's investigation leads to another arrest; this time of a wealthy, well known personage.  He is the father-in-law of his and his wife's friend Oliver Rathbone.

The ensuing trial creates tensions amongst family and friends.  Will their relationships withstand the trial.

Author Anne Perry has done an excellent job in putting the reader in the midst of 19th Century London with its crimes and courts.  A good read.

Shroud of Dishonour

A prostitute has been lured to her death.  Not an event of major consequence in 13th century Lincoln, except that it occurred within the confines of the Templar chapel!  Bascot de Marins is asked to investigate by the preceptor.

It isn't long after this that another prostitute is murdered, this time in her own home.  The method of murder is the same; strangulation by a garotte.  The interesting thing about both murders is that 30 silver pennies are found with the bodies.  Only with the latter body is a Templar cross cut into the woman's breast.

Is someone out to tarnish the reputation of the Templar Knights who take an oath of poverty and chastity?  de Marins needs to discover the murderer before the contingent of knights can leave for Portugal to fight the Moors there. 

Another murder attempt is made on a former prostitute, but she manages to escape and in the process stabs the suspect in the leg twice.  Unfortunately she didn't see who the attacker was.  However, de Marins now has someone to look for.  Unfortunately the suspects that he and others have in mind don't have a limp!  What is he to do?

You can find out the conclusion of this book by Maureen Ash by picking it up and reading it!

Shatter the Bones

Stuart MacBride is an ace author at creating a lot of tension in his novels and this one is no exception.

DS Logan McRae is involved in the investigation of a kidnapped mother and child.  They had become famous for their singing on a reality show.  Now their lives were in jeopardy as the kidnappers threatened to kill them if the ransom wasn't paid within their deadline.

As usual, McRae manages to get sidelined from the main investigation by another investigation.  Drugs are involved and after making an arrest others are coming after him and his girlfriend, Samantha, threatening "consequences" if he doesn't return the drugs.  McRae has his hands full and when his home is fire-bombed, Sam is injured in a fall attempting to escape the flames.

The tension builds as Mcrae slowly, but efficiently works on the clues unknowingly presented by the kidnappers leading to an explosive finish.

Fuherer, Folk and Fatherland ~ A Soldier's Story

As a Canadian, I never really knew the stories from the "other side" when it comes to World War II, but this personal biography of Albin Gagel is very descriptive.  It outlines the situation in Germany following World War I and the build up to World War II by the Nazis. 

Albin Gagel was born in 1918, so by the time Hitler rose to power he was a young man.  He would go on to serve in the Wehrmacht, which did not require the men to be members of the Nazis.  Gagel served in France and Norway before being sent to the Eastern Front.  He did not revel in the killings, he only wanted to survive, especially more so once he met his future wife Gisela.

War on the Eastern Front was hell, especially during the bitter winters for which the German soldiers were not prepared.  Once the Russians began to push back things got worse.  Gagel was wounded, but once he was recovered he was sent back leading a company of misfits.

When the war was over he was captured, but well treated by the Russians.  Realising that he could be shipped eastward to a labour camp, he made good his escape and returned home.  There he discovered that the Americans were treating the Germans very poorly.  His brother came home nearly starved to death by the Americans who had held him prisoner.  Another brother told him that the Canadians and British who had held him captive treated him fairly and fed him well.

Following the war Western Germany was in dire straits until the Russians blockaded Berlin.  As a result of the Marshall Plan things improved, however Gagel and his wife didn't want to be on the front line should war break out again.  They looked to emigrate; would it be America, land of the free?  Since the Americans continued to conscript soldiers they decided against that country because they didn't want their young son involved in war.  Australia was too far away.  Canada seemed wide open and a land of opportunity, so that is where they finally emigrated to.

This is a well written story that gets the reader right into the war, understanding how the individual soldier felt.  You experience the battles and deaths alongside Gagel.  It is a book that should be read by any student of history, especially those who study World War II.

Murder for Christ's Mass

A body is found at the base of a quarry wall on Christ's Mass day.  It was discovered under a bank of snow, so must have been there for a few days since the blizzard that had struck four days before.  The death was not caused by a fall because there is a knife wound through the heart.

Basot de Marins is asked by the castellan and sherrif of Lincoln to investigate.  His servant Gianni discovers an ancient coin above the quarry where the body fell from.  It is in excellent shape, but is from the reign of Stephen.  It should have been turned in long ago to be melted down to form coins of the current reigning monarch, John.  Is it evidence of a treasure trove that rightly belongs to King John?  Did the murder occur because of the trove?  de Marins has his work cut out for him.

Before long, another murder occurs in a similar fashion.  Is it tied to the first murder.  Author Maureen Ash is excellent at giving clues to potential murderers.  Each one could be the potential criminal, but surely only one is.  The reader is left wondering along with the investigator de Marins.

An excellent historical "whodunit".

Bad Boy

Peter Robinson's DCI Alan Banks is on holiday in the United States when this thriller begins.  His daughter's best friend is dating a "Bad Boy".  Tracy actually fancies him, too, but knows her father wouldn't approve.  Erin, her best friend, has a row with the bad boy, and takes his gun when she departs for home.  Her mother discovers the gun.  This sets in motion the action in the novel.

Bad Boy Jaff decides to run when Tracy tells him what happens.  He takes Tracy with him, she thinking that it will be a fun adventure.  It turns out otherwise when she takes him to her father's empty cottage.

Annie Cabbot, Alan's friend and colleague has taken on the responsibility of checking on his cottage and watering the plants.  She discovers Tracy there and is suspicious; Jaff shoots her then runs with Tracy, who is now a hostage of his.

Banks comes home from the U. S. A., not knowing anything about the events.  The ensuing days will turn deadly.

Robinson has once again written an excellent thriller.  A book hard to put down.

Empire of Silver

The sons of Genghis Khan begin the story in a fight for control of the vast Mongol empire created by Genghis.  Ogedai is the one who gains control.  He builds the city of Karakorum and expands the empire first to the east, taking vast lands belonging to the Chinese.

Next, he sends his general Tsubodai westward with the "Golden Horde" with several of Genghis' grandsons leading vast tumans.  Their first capture is Moscow in winter time.  Winter was a time normally that people didn't fight, but Tsubodai took advantage of the frozen land to quickly move on his enemies.

It was at the cities of Buda and Pest where the westward expansion halted.  Guyak, the son of Ogedai was called back to Karakorum to become the next khan because his father had died.  As he turned eastward he took the Mongol army with him.  He was expecting to have to fight his uncle for the khanate. 

One is left to wonder how far the Mongols would have ranged were it not for this death.  What would have become of Europe?

For fans of historical novels, this is a great read.  Author Conn Iggulden puts you right there in the battles with the fighters; you live the story.