The Long Midnight of Barney Thomson - darkly funny

I very nearly stopped reading this book after the first few pages. It begins with a bleak and violent scene and I thought, oh no, not for me. However, something made me persist, and I am so pleased that I did. Barney is a Glaswegian hairdresser who feels pretty much invisible. He is ignored by his wife, his co-workers and, worst of all, the customers in the barber shop where he works. Often, he is left twiddling his thumbs while a queue of people sit waiting for their hair to be cut by the two other barbers. All this is against the backdrop of a pervading sense of fear that has been created by the activities of a serial killer who has been evading the police for some time. But Barney's hum drum existence suddenly becomes uncharacteristically interesting when he accidentally kills one of the barbers, and instead of reporting the incident, he panics and tries to dispose of the body in the hope that the police will chalk it down as the next victim of the elusive multiple murderer. Things start to go out of control and he confides in his mother, who, to his great surprise seems to know a thing or two about making a body disappear. Barney's life becomes increasingly complicated, and little do those around him realise that they are becoming more and more likely to fall victim to this reluctant killer. Who knew that murder could be so funny? There are some great moments in this book and you cannot help but like Barney and sympathise for his ever-growing predicament. You know you shouldn't be rooting for him, but somehow you just cannot help it. Full of dark wit, great dialogue, believable characters and a fine dusting of farce, The Long Midnight of Barney Thomson, by Douglas Lindsay is a book that I found highly enjoyable. A great book to read while travelling or relaxing on holiday. And Barney's story doesn't end there, I have just found out that there are more books featuring Barney, so I may just have to indulge in some more darkness!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 181 print pages.
Price I paid: free (the ebook was on offer back in 2013 ... yes, it's taken me this long to get round to reading it)
Formats available: print, ebook.

The Soulkeepers - young adult fantasy

Fifteen-year-old Jacob Lau is pulled from the wreckage of a car with only a hazy memory of how he got there. With his mother missing, and his father already dead some years earlier, Jacob is packed off to stay with his only remaining relative, an uncle he didn't even know existed. Jacob struggles to settle in and lashes out at those around him. This results in him having to work for the beautiful, yet scary woman who lives across the road. It turns out that she is not what she seems, but then neither is Jacob, who discovers an ability to control water. The woman tells him he is a Soulkeeper, and his destiny is to protect human souls. She offers to help him find his mother, but only if he agrees to submit to her training regime. He agrees, but doesn't really believe half of what she says. Needless to say, things do not go terribly smoothly and he loses what little trust he had in those around him. This is a coming of age story with mystery, supernatural beings and a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. The Soulkeepers is a bit of a page-turner, with some good set pieces, and I did warm to a few of the key players, however, I felt that it was a little on the superficial side and I would have liked to have seen a bit more depth to the characters, some of whom are very one dimensional and predictable. Maybe that will come in the remainder of the series (this is the first of a set of six by G.P. Ching). By no means an unpleasant way to spend a few hours, but it didn't grab me enough to make me really want to seek out the rest of the books. However, as I am not the target audience for this book (young adult), this may come as no surprise! Overall, a bit of light adventure that would make a good holiday read.

My STAR rating: THREE.

Length: 312 print pages.
Price I paid: free.
Formats available: print; audio download; ebook.

Small Wars - Promising start which wasn't sustained

Having previously read The Outcast, by the same author, I was looking forward to Small Wars by Sadie Jones. We are introduced to the two central characters, Hal Treherne and his wife, Clara, during they courtship. It is sweet and innocent, and we see a deep love for each other develop and grow into a solid relationship. However, most of the action in the book takes place a few years into the marriage. Now the parents of twin girls, Hal is posted to Cyprus, and his family join him shortly thereafter. The colony is not at peace, with guerrilla rebels fighting to rid themselves of the British and the Turks in a bid to be united with Greece. Now a Major, this is the first real action Hal has seen, and he is keen to "get stuck in", just like his father and grandfather had in  previous conflicts. However, things start to get messy, with innocents getting caught in the crossfire and no visible enemy prepared to do battle. Indiscipline in the ranks starts to become an issue, and Hal witnesses the worst that humanity has to offer. Clara notices a change in him, and when the gentle man she has loved turns into a harsh, ill tempered and absent husband, she is not sure what to do. As the situation becomes increasingly tense both outside and inside the marriage, Hal sends Clara and the children away for their own safety, but tragedy strikes. Can Hal's sense of honour and duty be reconciled with his conscience and will their marriage survive? This is a part of history that I know nothing about, so I found the snippets of information about Cyprus during this time (1950's) really interesting. The story was bowling along nicely and I was relating to the characters and enjoying their journey, but then, for me, it ran out of steam. I cannot quite put my finger on it. Things started to move very fast and I was somehow not convinced by the change in Hal and his subsequent actions. There were a good few characters who I thought were going to be fleshed out and be built on, but this did not happen. I felt that too many of them were there just to serve a particular plot point rather than them being completely integral to the story. By no means bad enough to make me never want to read another book by this author, however, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed by the ending after what was a really promising first half.

My STAR rating: THREE.

Length: 376 print pages.
Price I paid: £0.50 from a second hand stall.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, ebook.

The Flame Bearer - Uhtred is back, and this time it's personal

Age is starting to catch up with Uhtred of Bebbanberg in this, his tenth outing, but do not fear, there is plenty of fight left in the old dog yet! In The Flame Bearer, the country is mostly at peace following the truce between with Queen Aethelflaed of Mercia, and Sigtryggr, Northumbria's Viking ruler (who also happens to be Uhtred's son-in-law). It seems that the time has finally come for Uhtred to head back to Bebbanberg and claim the birthright that was stolen from him by his treacherous uncle and which his cousin is now in possession of. However, as usual, things conspire to get in his way and it seems that he is not the only one with eyes on Bebbanberg and he needs to use all his guile to find a way to the fortress by sea, without tipping his hand as to his intentions. Can Uhtred combat the threat from the formidable Constantin of Scotland, Einar the White and indeed, the Saxons, whose actions threaten the existence of England's Kingdoms? Well, in what many are assuming to be the final outing for Uhtred it is great to have some kind of a resolution. I have always enjoyed spending time in the company of this rough and tough hero whose soft centre cannot help surfacing every so often, and The Flame Bearer allows me to indulge one more time. Bernard Cornwell creates characters that stay with you long after you have closed the covers, and Uhtred has to be one of his finest. But the bevy of excellent supporting cast in Uhtred's world bring a satisfying depth to the stories ... Finnan being my own personal favourite. As you would expect, the action sequences are fast-paced and urgent, and the dialogue sparkles. This book was a little shorter than previous outings and maybe that is a sign that Uhtred's story has indeed come to an end. I have really enjoyed this series and even if there are no more books to come, I've still got the TV series to get my Dane/Saxon fix (season 2 is currently being shown in the UK). Thanks Mr Cornwell, can't wait to see what you do next!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 304 print pages.
Price I paid: FREE, borrowed from local library.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio; ebook.

Climbing With Abraham - a book to get you thinking

During the season of Lent, I endeavour to read a devotional book to help focus my mind. This year, I chose Climbing With Abraham, by David Ramos. This book leads you on a 30 day journey in the company of Abraham. Each day starts with a passage from Genesis featuring the life of Abraham, which is followed by a few paragraphs exploring what was going on and relating it to our own lives today. We follow the struggles and doubts and devotion and trust of the man who would go on to become the Father of Nations. This book helps the reader to look more closely at such an important figure and how it wasn't exactly all plain sailing for him. Each section provides an opportunity to sit quietly for a few minutes and gain some insight into how faith can start and how it can grow. If that is what you are looking for, then this might be a good book to start with. By no means intimidating or even assuming any great depth of knowledge, I found this book interesting and thought provoking. Not for everyone I know, but if you want to take a closer look at Abraham, then there are worse places to start.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length:106 print pages.
Price I paid: FREE.
Formats available: print; ebook.

Pride and Prejudice - sheer bliss!

From the very first line of this classic book, Jane Austen transports her readers to the society built on the manners and status of 200 years ago ... and yet, so much of it still resonates today. The Bennet family are living a comfortable life at present. Mr Bennet is a Gentleman of some standing in the neighbourhood. However, he has five daughters and no son, and when he dies, all of his property will go to a cousin, the ridiculous Mr Collins. Mrs Bennet is desperate to get her daughters married off to wealthy men of distinction, so when news reaches her that an eligible young bachelor (Mr Bingley) has taken over the "Big House", she goes into overdrive. At the very first opportunity, she makes the case for her daughters, much to the embarrassment of Mr Bennet and the two eldest girls - the beautiful Jane and the clever Lizzie. Despite this, Jane and Mr Bingley hit it off, and romance is in the air. Not everyone approves, including Bingley's friend, Mr Darcy, who is proud and haughty and very aware of how someone's station in life could be damaged by marrying beneath them. Lizzie takes an instant dislike to Darcy and verbal sparks fly, particularly when she is influenced by a disturbing story from his past, as told by the dashing Mr Wickham. When Bingley suddenly goes back to London without a word, it seems that Jane's hopes have been dashed. While staying with her best friend, who has married Mr Collins, Lizzie encounters Darcy once again, and is taken completely by surprise when he proposes marriage in a most unflattering way. She refuses point blank and hopes never to see him again. However, fate conspires and when their paths cross again, Darcy comes to her family's aid. Lizzie fears that her prejudice has clouded her judgement, and that maybe he is not so bad after all ...

I could go on and on and on about how fabulous Pride and Prejudice is, but I won't. I just urge you to read it and find out for yourself. Each character is fantastically observed and well drawn, and the situations they get themselves into are entertaining and heartfelt. It is a pure delight from start to finish and this is a book I will read again and again. This time, I read an audio edition, narrated by Lyndsey Duncan, which was an absolute treat!

Maybe one day the human race will put all prejudices aside, and not let pride blind them to reason ... one can but hope! If you want a book that feels like being hugged by a favourite Aunt, then this is the one for you.

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 329 print pages.
Price I paid: £2.99
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; ebook.

The Hard Way - rough, tough and highly entertaining!

Jack Reacher is an ex-military policeman who travels around the USA attempting to keep under the radar, but somehow always ends up slap bang in the middle of a situation that requires his special set of skills. In The Hard Way, his tenth outing, Reacher witnesses what is, apparently, the pick up of a ransom demand. He gets persuaded to help the victims and attempt to find the kidnappers of a woman and her daughter. As he spends more time with Edward Lane, the husband of the kidnap victim, he comes to realise that he is not a very nice man, and is the leader of a gang of mercenaries. He assumes that the kidnap is a piece of revenge for some nefarious action committed by Lane and his cohorts. However, when the sister of Edward Lane's first wife approaches Reacher and says that she is convinced that Lane had something to do with the kidnap and murder of her sister, he fears that history might be repeating itself ... Within the first page, I knew I was in the safe hands of an incredibly skillful author. Lee Child has the exceptionally useful knack of engaging the attention of his readers immediately. You are right there, totally immersed in Reacher's world after just a few lines, and you know you are in for a good time. The action is taut, the dialogue is snappy and the sense of place - whether it be New York, or an isolated farmhouse in the backwaters of Norfolk, England - feels authentic. I raced through this book at breakneck speed, and was always eager to return to its pages. If you are looking for an action-packed thriller with plenty of twists and turns, then I would heartily recommend this book to you. A winner.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 528 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from local library.
Formats available: print; unabridged audio download; ebook.