The Chess Men - a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy

In The Chessmen, the concluding part of the Lewis Man Trilogy by Peter May, we catch up with Fin Macleod on the island of Lewis. Fin is now head of security on a privately owned estate, and his first job is to investigate a spate of poaching. This brings him into direct conflict with Whistler, who was one of Fin's best friends in their teenage years. Whistler is a "for the pot" poacher, and also has been working on a large replica set of the Lewis Chessmen for the local laird. Fin gets into serious trouble one stormy night while chasing Whistler, who then rescues him. The following morning, they discover a local loch has drained, and resting in the resultant mud is a light aircraft containing a body. They both recognise the plane as being that of the infamous local musician Roddy MacKenzie, who disappeared 17 years previously. But why does Whistler seem shocked to find his body? This event triggers memories and feelings from the past that have unforeseen consequences and reveal a mystery that has been kept secret for 17 years. While all this is going on, Fin is still trying to build a life with his childhood sweetheart and his newly discovered son. This book is a really good read. Maybe it is because I am now familiar with the main characters, or maybe it as because many of the loose ends were tied up, but it felt like the best of the three. Again we find out more about Fin's back story which helps to round this character out even further, discovering that he used to roady for Roddy's band. The action switches between past and present, and also between the first and third person, but the writing is so good and tight, that this presents no difficulty to the reader. I read the audio edition narrated by the wonderful Peter Forbes whose accents are fabulous ... well, to my ear they are! Highly recommended.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 400 print pages.
Price I paid: £5.84.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; ebook.

The Cleaner of Chartres - thoughtful and thought provoking

You have to keep your wits about you a little bit when reading The Cleaner of Chartres, by Sally Vickers, for it jumps between time frames and places on a very frequent basis. We follow the life of Agnes, our eponymous heroine, from her humble beginnings of being found in a basket with nothing to her name but a blue earring, to the present day where she has developed a niche for herself as one of the best cleaners in Chartres - her most prestigious job being that of cleaning the famous Cathedral. The orphaned Agnes was given the name by the bachelor who found her, but he didn't think he could take care of this new born child, so handed her over to the local Convent, where she was raised by the nuns. Not great at schoolwork, she excelled in all things practical, and was meek, quiet and unprepossessing. This gentle soul was raped, but she never told anyone. This resulted in a pregnancy, but Agnes still did not reveal how this could have happened. At just 15, the nuns felt she was too young to become a mother and had her baby boy taken away for adoption. Agnes was devastated and suffered a serious mental collapse, spending time under the care of a psychiatrist. Always wanting to find her baby boy, Agnes got herself into yet more trouble. After a few years, she did find peace of a sort caring for the man who had found her as a baby. Following his death, she ended up in Chartres, and that's where she stayed, making a life for herself by being helpful to everyone. Many years had passed in peace, but current day events contrive to bring much of the past to the fore again, and Agnes finds herself in the middle of a perfect storm of circumstances and gossip which result in her being accused of a violent crime. I read this book in audio, narrated by the fabulous Michael Maloney who brought all the characters to life, particularly the formidable Madame Beck who takes a dim view of Agnes. This really is an excellent read. I thought Agnes was a bit too much of a drip at first, with all the local men having a soft spot for her, but she grew on me as both her past and her backbone was revealed. All the characters are well drawn and the book slowly worms its way into you. Well worth the effort.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 304 print pages.
Price I paid: £7.99.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; unabridged audio CD; ebook.

Die Trying - bit of a gun obsession Mr Child?

Die Trying, by Lee Child is the second in the Jack Reacher series, and, much like the first, it's a non-stop action-packed tale of death and destruction, and a soupcon of politics. Reacher - ex-military and currently wandering around America just letting the wind take him where it will - comes across a damsel in distress and goes to her aid, only to be unceremoniously bundled into a car with the self-same damsel and finds himself in the middle of a kidnap. He is amazed at how calm his fellow kidnappee (not a real word, but I like it!) seems to be taking this turn of events, and, it appears, she is thinking the same about Reacher. It is revealed that Holly - for that is her name - is an FBI Agent, and also the daughter of a very high ranking General, oh, and the god-daughter of the President of the USA! The pair have been captured by a militia group based in Montana, who are going to declare their patch of land an independent country. Their charismatic leader is a particularly nasty piece of work - and no-one is safe, particularly anyone he sees as a threat to his authority from within his own ranks. Reacher has several chances to escape but, gallant to the end, he won't do so without being able to take Holly with him. A game of cat and mouse develops with Reacher trying to do stuff from within, and the FBI and the military attempting to stage a rescue. Anytime a gun is mentioned - which is a lot - our author delivers us with an almost loving description of the look, the feel and the capability of that weapon. This is definitely not a book for the faint hearted (much like my last few reads - should I be worried?) and is a full-on thriller with an ever-increasing body count - and not everyone is dispatched as simply as a bullet to the head. It's a book that you almost can't wait to be over, but once it is, you are reaching for the next instalment. You have been warned!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 560 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from my library as an ebook.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; ebook.

Mockingjay - a bloodthirsty conclusion

I finished reading Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins, over a week ago in audio format, but time has got away from me and I'm only just completing this blog today. Mind you, I think I have needed all those days to recover from this finale to The Hunger Games trilogy. The action starts where the previous book concluded, with Katniss Everdene having just been rescued from the arena where she was competing in her second Hunger Games. It turns out that this heralds the start of a full blown rebellion against the powers that be, based in the Capital. Katniss is destined to become the rallying point for the rebels, but all she wants is to be left alone. She is bruised and battered and is now without Peta - her fellow competitor who has kept her alive during two tournaments - as the rebels could not rescue both of them, and Peta was sacrificed to save the "girl on fire". Eventually, Katniss agrees to becoming the embodiment of the Mockingjay, in order, primarily, to wreak her revenge on President Snow and all that he has put herself and her people through. And so, let the blood-letting commence ... This book is brutal and relentless. The action is full on, with very few chances for the reader to catch their breath. As the body count increases, so does the realisation that very little is black and white on both sides of the fence and that if someone doesn't put a stop to the war, then humanity will be doomed due to lack of numbers! This is a stark warning for us as a race. We have to learn from the past and if we continue the cycle of atrocity, revenge, counter-revenge, etc, etc, we might not end up much different to the society portrayed in this trilogy. I will not provide any further spoilers, but I would recommend all three books (if you can stand the violence) as a sobering reminder of the horrors that man can bestow upon his fellow man. You have been warned!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 464 print pages.
Price I paid: £7.99.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; pre-loaded digital player; ebook.

Mortal Causes - Rebus is back in the groove

Mortal Causes is the seventh outing for Inspector John Rebus, and I am pleased to report that it is a successful one. It is August in Edinburgh, and that means we are slap bang in the middle of the world famous annual "Festival" of comedy, drama and literature. Rammed with tourists, this is boom time for the local economy. So, when a body is found that has some of the hallmarks of sectarian violence, alarm bells start to ring - especially when there have been bomb threats targeting the Festival. With insight into such matters gained during his time as a soldier in Northern Ireland, Rebus is seconded to the elite Scottish Crime Squad to aid the investigation ... and needless to say, neither he, nor the members of the squad, are particularly pleased about that. Nevertheless, he starts to make headway when it turns out that the victim is the son of a notorious local gangster who is well known to Rebus. Our hero digs ever deeper and starts to suspect that not everyone who should be on the side of good can be trusted. He plays his cards very close to his chest and gets beaten up a few times for good measure. Throw into this mix a difficult relationship at home, and you have the makings of an unhappy and grumpy Rebus ... hence, the odd glass of comforting beer and whiskey chasers are never far away! As more bodies turn up, Rebus homes in on the perpetrators and tries to get ahead of the game to protect the city of Edinburgh from disaster. Ian Rankin has produced a well crafted tale, with lots and lots of threads which are slowly and skillfully untangled to reveal the final denouement. It's a good sign when I just wanted to keep on reading, despite really needing sleep, particularly towards the end! After a bit of a wobble in the previous book, I'm happy to report that Rebus is definitely back in the groove!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 320 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from husband!
Formats available: print; abridged audio download; MP3 CD; ebook.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - back on form!

After a bit of a dip in the previous book, JK Rowling is back on form with Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. This is the sixth book in the series and we find Harry and his chums entering his sixth year at Hogwarts School. Everyone is on edge, now that Lord Voldemort is back on the scene, but this doesn't stop the lessons at school. Professor Snape takes on the teaching of Defence against the Dark Arts and seems to delight in giving Harry a hard time (no change there!). Meanwhile, in his Potions class, Harry finds himself using an old textbook and discovers lots of extra notes that have been scrawled into it by someone calling themselves the Half-Blood Prince. Harry suddenly becomes the best student in the class, and even learns new spells that no-one else knows. Harry is convinced that Draco Malfoy - a particularly nasty bully from day one - is up to no good and is in the employ of the Dark Lord himself, with the help of Professor Snape ... but no-one seems to believe him. Professor Dumbledore really comes into his own in this book and starts to prepare Harry with one to one sessions where they dip into the memories of various people who have known Lord Voldemort at key stages in his life. We discover why the destiny of both Harry and Voldemort are so intertwined, and that ultimately, one must destroy the other to survive. Harry is also discovering his sexuality and finds himself drawn to Ginny, the sister of his best friend, Ron. Not wanting to ruin his friendship, he tells himself that she is off limits, but then goes through that familiar teenage angst as he sees her with other boys! Thrown into this mix is the relationship between Ron and Hermione. They both like each other, but can't seem to get it together and spend much of the year either shouting at each other, or not talking at all. This book really takes the reader by the hand down the twisty turny path that will lead towards the inevitable stand off that will be the final book of the series, and it does have a shocking twist, which I won't spoil. And who, exactly, was, or is, the Half Blood Prince? Unlike the last outing, there is very little wasted text in the Half Blood Prince. So much is revealed in an exciting way, and by weaving in the regular coming of age stuff for young men and women, it still feels familiar and touching, despite the epic magic going on! I am really looking forward to next and final instalment.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 608 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from library as an ebook.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio CD; unabridged audio download; ebook.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - the plot darkens

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth outing for the boy wizard with the scar on his forehead, things are getting tougher and more dangerous. The book opens as usual, with our hero struggling through the summer vacation from Hogwarts school at the home of his aunt and uncle. He is feeling isolated, with no one to talk to about the battle which took place at the end of the last book, in which his arch enemy, Lord Voldemort, came back in bodily form and killed one of Hogwarts' pupils. Then, one evening, Harry and his cousin are attacked by Dementors. Harry uses magic to save them - but it is forbidden to use magic outside school and Harry lands himself with the threat of expulsion. He is rescued by his friends and taken to the house owned by his godfather, Sirius Black, which turns out to be the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix - a secret society of wizards and witches determined to rid the world of Lord Voldemort. Harry escapes expulsion with the help of Professor Dumbledore and heads back to Hogwarts, but all is not well - as there are attempts by the Ministry of Magic to interfere, for they do not believe that Voldemort has returned at all! And so we see the appointment of Dolores Umbridge - a ministry stooge - as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Her teaching method is to get them to read the textbook and just learn the theory, without any practical lessons at all. In desperation, Harry is persuaded to teach fellow pupils jinxes and hexes to protect themselves against the dark forces. In the meantime, Dolores becomes headmistress and Hogwarts becomes a place of restriction and regulation. Harry is dogged by nightmares and his scar is hurting all the time. It becomes apparent that he is emotionally linked to what Voldemort is feeling. Afraid that when Voldemort realises this, he will try to influence Harry's actions, Professor Snape is commissioned to teach Harry the skill of "Occlumency" - which would build a barrier against this possibility. During the lessons, Harry learns why Snape hates him so much, and the lessons end somewhat abruptly - leaving Harry dangerously exposed, with devastating consequences. Once again, JK Rowling has produced a book full of action and interesting characters, whose back stories are continuing to develop, helping to explain why people are the way they are. I did think that a bit of judicious editing would not have gone amiss - some elements felt a bit repetitive at times and I wanted things to get moving more quickly. However, there is peril, and humour and you are left eagerly awaiting the next instalment. High literature this is not, but a good, solid page-turner it definitely is.

My STAR rating: THREE.

Length: 768 print pages.
Price I paid: free - borrowed from the library.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio CD; unabridged audio download; ebook.