Amongst Our Weapons - Pure Escapism!

Amongst Our Weapons, by Ben Aaronovitch is the ninth book in the Rivers of London series, and it does not disappoint. An unusual murder takes place at the London Silver Vaults, but despite the massive amount of security there, the murderer vanishes without a trace. DC Peter Grant of the Special Assessment Unit is assigned under the supervision of DCI Thomas Nightingale of course. The investigation takes a nasty turn when another body turns up with the same injuries that could only have been caused by something supernaturally extraordinary - which is right up Peter's alley. All roads lead to a trip "up north". Unfortunately, at the same time as all this is going on, Peter's partner Beverly (who is a river goddess) is due to give birth to twins and she has given him explicit instructions not to miss the event. While she makes preparations, including the digging of a massive birthing pool, Peter must track down what seems to be an avenging angel determined to destroy a group of people who delved into things they shouldn't have delved into during their student days. And why is Peter's old colleague and current nemesis, Leslie, so interested in what's happening too? This story is full of magic, history and reveals more and more back story of the main characters, who are now so familiar that they feel like old friends and it's fun to spend time with them once again. Snappy dialogue soaked with wit, a complex plot, lots of action and intrigue, plus talking foxes obsessed with snacks - who could ask for more? A delight and a worthy addition to the series - but if you haven't dived into the Rivers of London tales before, I would urge you to start with book one. Once again, I read the audio, which was fantastically narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 432 print pages.

Price I paid: £1.99

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook. 

The Salt Path - A Celebration of Nature and Love

The Salt Path by Raynor Winn is a memoir based on the experiences of the author and her husband, Moth. Just days after they learn that Moth is terminally ill with CBD (Corticobasal Degeneration, a neurological disorder), they lose both their home and livelihood. Now homeless and virtually penniless after a failed legal battle to save their home, they make an impulsive decision to walk the South West Coast Path - all 630 miles of it (well, it is Somerset to Dorset via Devon and Cornwall) - with only the stuff they can carry on their backs. They soon discover that this is no easy stroll. The steep and scary ups and downs may be scenic, and the passing holidaymakers might enjoy the scorching weather, but it's not as much fun when you are carrying a heavy load and neglected to bring any suncream. Food, water and a place to rest their heads in their small tent are a constant worry, and they are permanently hungry and soon tire of noodles! However, as they walk, they experience the wonders of nature and the kindness of strangers and something unexpected happens - Moth starts to both move and feel better in himself. Slowly but surely, they come to terms with their situation and, if possible, become even closer than they were before. This book is both inspirational and irritating at times. It is, after all, an opinion piece and therefore, if you don't like the author's opinions, you may not like parts of this book. But, overall, the epic trek is one of resilience in the face of an unknown future, the continual slog with little money and not knowing where (or even if) you would sleep at the end of each day is gripping. I raced through it at speed (something Ray and Moth definitely did not do) and would definitely recommend this to anyone who is facing a major change in their life, or indeed anyone considering such a challenging walk! Being in nature can be incredibly healing, and sometimes, just putting one foot in front of the other is an achievement worth celebrating. 

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 288 print pages.

Price I paid: free, borrowed from a friend.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

Fifteen Dogs - What If Dogs Were More Human?

Fifteen Dogs, by Andre Alexis is a book that was gifted to me and I'm so pleased it was, because I might not have picked it up otherwise ... although I do love dogs, so perhaps it would have eventually found its way to me by another route. Anyhow, no matter how it reached me, I'm very happy! The gods Hermes and Apollo are in a bar, arguing about what would happen if animals had human intelligence. Apollo bets that this would result in the animals being even unhappier than humans - and Hermes takes on the bet that if only one of the animals dies happy, then he wins. And so, as they pass a local veterinary clinic, they give the 15 dogs inside human intelligence. Now capable of human thought, the dogs escape and become a pack in a local park. Some do not adapt and die very quickly, others embrace their new life and start spouting poetry, and others want to reimpose dogginess onto the pack and stage a violent coup. We then follow the survivors - one of whom is taken in by a couple and he becomes very close the the woman ... and even learns to converse with her. But when the dog meets one of his former pack, things do not end well. Often heartbreaking, but also sprinkled with humour, this is a really interesting and absorbing read and is definitely a "what if ..." type of book. The characters are distinct and are an intriguing mix of human and dog. The only reason I didn't give this five stars was that it was a little bitty - I think I would have liked there to be less dogs overall, and then to be able to spend more time with each of them. Some dogs appeared and were gone in the blink of an eye ... which, I suppose is a reflection of "fate" ... we never know what's around the corner! This had a beautiful cover and the edition I read felt lovely in the hand. Do any of the dogs die happy? Well, you'll just have to read to find out.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 161 print pages.

Price I paid: Free, was a gift.

Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.