The Cuckoo's Calling - surprisingly good

I'm probably coming to The Cuckoo's Calling a bit late in the day as, for some reason, I was put off by the fact that it is written by JK Rowling under the name of Robert Galbraith, which kind of annoyed me, as the pseudonym didn't remain secret for very long ... which kind of felt like she wasn't sure the book would be taken seriously under her own name, but then everyone knew pretty much instantly anyway! If anyone is avoiding this book for the same reason, please don't! It's a triumph. The Cuckoo's Calling is a great crime thriller, set in London, a London which is described so lovingly that I felt it become one of the characters. So, what's it about? When famous model Lula Landry falls to her death from her apartment, everyone assumes it's suicide, except her brother, who hires struggling private detective Cormoran Strike to investigate. Cormoran isn't keen to get involved, but is persuaded by the fact that when he was a boy, he was the best friend of the brother of the same family, who died in tragic circumstances, plus ... he desperately needs the money ...  and his long term relationship has come to a messy end, so could do with the distraction. Into this whirlwind comes Robin, the new temp. She is efficient, discreet and seems to have a knack for digging out information that Strike needs before he even asks for it ... only trouble is, he can't afford to keep her on. This unlikely duo start to make headway into an investigation that leads them into the murky world of fashion and finance - where everyone seems to have something to hide. If Lula didn't kill herself, then there is a whole host of suspects in the frame, from the dodgy boyfriend or the flaky friend, to the infamous rapper who is obsessed with her. As Cormoran chips away at the evidence, small nuggets about his past reveal more and more about his character with very satisfying results. The main action keeps you guessing right to the end, which is just what you want from a thriller. Definitely a page turner that won me over as a Robert Galbraith convert. This is the first book of a series to feature this character, and I am already looking forward to making his acquaintance once again with his next case.

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 449 print pages.
Price I paid: FREE, borrowed from library.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; ebook.

Dracula - a book with a bit of bite!

Not being a horror fan, this isn't a book I would have usually gone for, but when it appeared free on Audible before Christmas featuring some great narrators, I couldn't resist. I am so pleased that I took the plunge. The story is set up by Jonathan Harker, who travels to see Count Dracula in Transylvania, to provide legal support for a real estate transaction. When he sees the Count for what he really is, the experience almost sends him mad. He finally escapes when Dracula heads off to Whitby. Here, the Count happens upon the holidaying Lucy Westenra and the blood-sucking begins! Her friends and fiancé are not sure what's happening to her and they call on the assistance of Dr Van Helsing, who soon engulfs everyone with garlic in an effort to save Lucy. The action then moves to London and it becomes apparent that the Count is set on creating a new world order, led by vampires. Can he be stopped? All the protagonists come together to hunt and destroy the Count once and for all. This culminates with an epic chase across Europe, back to where it all began! But not everyone will make it out alive. This is such a famous story that you think you know it inside out, but the original Bram Stoker text is, in my humble opinion, far better than any screen adaptation. It takes the form of letters, diaries, telegrams and ships logs, written by the different characters. I also love the fact that there is a really strong female character in the form of Mina Murray, who is pivotal to the success of the book. Totally absorbing and thrilling, without being overtly gory or scary, I can highly recommend this book, particularly the narrated Audible Edition version featuring Alan Cumming, Tim Curry, Simon Vance, Katherine Kellgren, Susan Duerden, JohnLee, Graeme Malcolm and Steven Crossley. Excellent!

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 352 print pages.
Price I paid: FREE (special offer from Audible before Christmas).
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; ebook.

Goldfinger - Bond in fine form!

Bond is back on my reading list and is in fine form! In Goldfinger, the seventh outing for the spy with incredible longevity, the action starts with James Bond being a little disgruntled. He is finding it increasingly difficult to live up to his 007 billing and is wondering about his future - does he really want to continue killing people? While on an enforced stopover in the USA, he is asked to help someone who is convinced that the man he has been playing cards with is cheating. Bond takes on the challenge and proves this to be the case, running off with the beautiful girl who had been an unwilling accomplice to the fraud. Back in London, Bond is called in to investigate the smuggling of gold out of the country by none other than Auric Goldfinger - the card cheat himself! This sets Bond on a collision course with one of the richest men in the world, with death and destruction coming along for the ride. The actions sweeps us across Europe and then to the USA, where Bond is forced to help plan and execute the biggest heist in history - with the gold reserves at Fort Knox being the target. Goldfinger and his henchman, Oddjob, are completely despicable, and for once, Bond's attempts at romance are, for the most part, thwarted by the inclusion of lesbian characters ... although, sadly, the author didn't seem to have the balls (no pun intended) to carry this through to the end. Despite this, Ian Fleming has produced some superb passages in this book, with his usual eye for detail and joyful descriptions of food, cars and people. One of my favourite scenes is a tense and thrilling round of golf between Bond and Goldfinger ... in fact, I would go as far as saying that it's worth reading the book just for this!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 320 print pages.
Price I paid: £0.00, borrowed as an ebook from the library.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, unabridged audio CD, ebook.

Happy New Year!

Can't say I'm sorry to see the back of 2016 ... it's been a tough year on so many fronts. It's sometimes hard to be positive, but I feel it is the only way to go for things to turn around. I'm going to start with the small stuff.

Stop worrying about the things that don't matter ... who cares if I haven't dusted today?

There's already enough Grinches in the world, it doesn't need another one.

Be hopeful. Look forward. Give others the opportunity to become infected by positivity.

Focus on the good stuff ... family, friends, pets, nature, music, art and of course, books!

So here's to 2017, and all the warmth, fun and vitality that a year of reading can bring.