Sharpe's Siege - a masterful piece of writing

Bernard Cornwell has done it again with this classic Sharpe adventure. In Sharpe's Siege, our hero, Major Richard Sharpe, is called upon to assist the British Navy in the capture of a fortress on the French coast. This does not bring him happiness, for, in the first place, he is leaving behind is new, and sick wife, Jane, who he fears has "the fever." And secondly, he has to take orders from an incompetent Naval Officer. What should be a fairly routine piece of action behind enemy lines becomes much more complicated by some underhand goings on by both the French, in the shape of his long-time adversary, Pierre Ducos, as well as the British army itself. And guess who gets caught up in the middle of all the politics once again! This leads to his small band of men being abandoned in the fortress they had captured, and facing overwhelming forces of the enemy. Desperate times call for desperate measures ... one of which may be that he has to put his trust in an American privateer who has no love for the British! The action is fast, furious and brutal at times, but we also see the softer side of Sharpe in this book, something which I'm very happy to see. Sharpe fans needn't worry overly, he certainly hasn't lost any of his edge when it comes to the battle. This book is raw at times, showing that there may be victory, but there is certainly no glory or glamour in war. Sharpe's Siege is the eighteenth in the Sharpe series, and I've only got three more to go! I feel like I should ration myself as I am dreading the day when I have no more Sharpe books to look forward to devouring!

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 319 print pages.
Price I paid: £2.50 from a charity shop.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio CD; unabridged audio download; ebook.

Persuader - Jack Reacher on fine form

Persuader, by Lee Child, is an action packed treat for any fans of the rough and incredibly tough anti-hero with the name of Jack Reacher. This is his seventh outing, and for anyone who has missed the story so far, here is a quick recap ... Jack left the US Army where he was a Major in the Military Police. He has been drifting around America ever since, never staying in one place for very long and taking the time to visit the out of the way places of that vast country. In between times, he keeps getting embroiled in sticky cases with either the FBI or other law enforcement agencies, who use him as a consultant to bring the bad guys to justice. Usually this is off the books, which is just as well, as it usually results in a substantial body count! Persuader, the seventh book in the series, is no exception. Reacher is approached to infiltrate a gang of gun smugglers, but he has an agenda of his own, for one of the protagonists just happens to be an ex-military traitor, who has crossed paths with Reacher before. I was hooked from the first line and from that moment I knew I was in for a bumpy, but enjoyable (from the safety of my Kindle) time. There is much violence and very little mercy on show, and Jack isn't someone you'd invite round for Sunday lunch. However, there is something about him that is irresistible, and I just can't stop myself from plunging into his manly maelstrom every few months. Lee Child is frighteningly prolific and scarily consistent at producing true page turners that make you wince, but at the same time, not make you want to put the book down ... a rare skill and long may he reign!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 544 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed as an e-book through local library.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; unabridged audio MP3 CD; abridged audio CD; e-book.

The Thrill of It All - so you want to know what it's like to be in a band ...

For those who may have always wanted to be in a band, then The Thrill of It All, by Joseph O'Connor can give you an insight into the highs and lows of all that such a life can offer - undoubtedly using some insider knowledge from the experience of his sister, Sinead O'Connor! We follow the formation and disintegration of The Ships in the Night, a band whose eclectic bunch of musicians make it hard to place them in a particular genre. In the very un-rock and roll setting of Luton Polytechnic in the 1980's, Robbie Goulding becomes aware of the exotic creature that is Francis Mulvey - an Vietnamese orphan who was adopted by an Irish couple living in Yorkshire! Fran wears make up, Fran wears dresses, and Fran seems to respect nothing and no one, except maybe music. When Fran discovers a kindred spirit in Robbie, they start to skip lectures and perform music together, eventually busking to bewildered passers by in the local shopping centre! Also at the Poly is Trez, a beautiful creature who plays a mean cello, but can turn her hand to pretty much any stringed instrument. When she calls on her twin brother, and drummer, Sean, the band finally comes together. Many gigs in many towns follow, with countless knock backs before they get any kind of a recording contract. Eventually, things turn around for them on a tour in the USA, and suddenly, it's all systems go. The pressure of four people, living, eating, sleeping, and making music together 24/7 starts to make cracks appear. Drugs and drink and unforeseen pregnancies begin to take up more energy than the music. It is made plain from the opening of the book, that things do not end well for the band. However, that journey is an entertaining roller coaster of emotion, and is told primarily from the viewpoint of Robbie. This may be a book about the music business, but it is also about family, with much humour to be had from the exchanges between Robbie and his Irish father who is less than impressed by the choice of career his son has made. But even more so, this is a story of the type of friendships that go so deep that despite the mammoth efforts made to ensure mutual destruction, somehow, that friendship can survive. Great characters and touching moments, there are a couple of flabby moments, the trimming of which would have kept it tight as a snare! Overall, a really good read - and if you get the chance to read the audio version narrated by Ciaran Hinds, then you will not be disappointed!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 416 print pages.
Price I paid: £2.72.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; ebook.