The Sisters Brothers - strangely hypnotic

If you think this book is just another Western, think again. Yes, it's set in 1850s America, the Gold Rush has begun and we have two gunmen (Eli and Charlie Sisters) on the trail of the entertainingly named Hermann Kermit Warm. So far, so "Western" - however, the story is really about the struggle that Eli Sister is starting to have with his life, and the seemingly unbreakable bond he has with his brother. The story is narrated by Eli, and no holds are barred in how he describes the way he and his brother live. They work as assassins for the Commodore (who has shades of a mafia boss for me), and are incredibly good at their jobs - if the Commodore sets them on your trail, you haven't got long to live. Eli is the sensible one, who takes pride in his work and seems to be continually trying to keep his savage brother focused on the job at hand, but Charlie cannot help but drink to excess and seek the company of the ladies of the night. Eli is beginning to dream about meeting a nice girl and settling down - maybe running a store. But Charlie doesn't care for this proposition and seems to be more than happy to carry on as they are. Eli is determined that this will be their last job, and tries to keep the bloodshed to a minimum, but the bond with his brother is so strong that when he is threatened, Eli demonstrates just how deadly efficient he can be. These two brothers are psychopaths and the body count soon increases as they travel across the country to hunt down their prey. You know you shouldn't like these characters and yet, it's hard not to have a certain amount of sympathy for them - which just goes to show how excellent the writing is! I found myself really rooting for Eli to find his new life, away from his brother who always seems to drag him back into violence. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt is, despite its subject matter, a funny and easy to read story. Others have compared it to a Coen Brothers film and I can totally see where they are coming from. Quirky. Entertaining. Great witty dialogue. If you can take a bit of blood and gore, you'll thoroughly enjoy this book.

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 325 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from my husband.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, audio CD, ebook.

The Hanging Tree - good to be back!

Peter Grant is a London-based police officer who is part of a very special unit - the one that deals with all the "weird" stuff! The weird stuff tends to involve faeries, spirits, river gods and all manner of magical creatures. Most live alongside the non-magical population in harmony, but there are always bad apples in any group, and when they create havoc and mayhem, it's up to the members of The Folly (Peter and his boss, Nightingale) to handle it. A suspicious death during a party at the most expensive apartment block in London wouldn't usually trouble The Folly, but as Lady Ty's daughter was present at the time, she asks Peter to investigate as a favour to her ... and as he owes her big time, he cannot refuse. Needless to say, this doesn't turn out to be a run-of-the-mill case, and Peter is soon plunged into the dangerous world of the arcane. He "bumps" into his old partner, Leslie, who seems to have acquired a new face and new skills - and yet, she doesn't kill him, despite having a golden opportunity to do so. And where Leslie is, that usually means The Faceless Man, Peter's deadliest foe, isn't far behind. As the investigation continues, we come across new characters, and I particularly liked the arrival of an FBI-like magical unit that mostly hindered the operation. The Hanging Tree is the sixth instalment of the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch, and as I have come to expect, it's a fast-paced mix of magic and police procedural. The main characters are like old friends - even the baddies - and they are always given some excellent dialogue. Plenty of action sequences are mixed in with some more thoughtful moments - I particularly like how the relationship between Peter and girlfriend Beverley is developing. Entertaining and enjoyable and I'm ready for more - I definitely won't leave it quite as long until I delve into the next book. I always read the audio edition, as narrator Kobna Holbrook-Smith totally brings these stories to life. For me, he IS Peter Grant. I've only got one more thing to say ... when is this going to be made into a TV or film series?

My STAR rating: FOUR.

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

The Silkworm - solid entertainment!

I wrote this review at the end of 2018, but neglected to publish it, so here it is now for your delectation and delight!

In this, the second outing for Cormoran Strike, the action gets going when the wife of author Owen Quine hires him to find her missing husband. Why, you may ask, hasn't she gone to the police? Well, it turns out that the temperamental, publicity-seeking Mr Quine has a history of "disappearing" only to turn up a week later. She believes he is on one of his jaunts and just wants him home to help care for their daughter. The investigation begins, and Cormoran, together with his assistant, Robin, soon start to suspect that all is not what it seems. When Cormoran finds Quine's body, it becomes a murder hunt. But when the police arrest Mrs Quine for the crime, he is convinced that she is innocent, and sets out to find the real killer. This is a solid piece of crime writing from JK Rowling under her pseudonym for this series of books. There are twists and turns, a bit of gore, plenty of suspects and a set of characters from the publishing world that you would hope bears little resemblance to reality! The central character of Cormoran is gruffly compelling, with more of his back story being revealed, including a half brother. I welcomed the increasing use of Robin in the action, which makes for a more rounded book, as she is great foil for the one-legged, ex-army private detective. The Silkworm, by Robert Galbraith, is definitely an entertaining read, and is a book I would recommend, unless you are very squeamish. A good way to end the year!

POPSUGAR Challenge 2018 prompt 24: A book with a female author who uses a male psuedonym.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 592 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from the library.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, audio CD, ebook.

Set In Darkness - murder and politics!

In the eleventh outing for Detective Inspector John Rebus, the action centres around Queensbury House, which is about to become the site of the new Scottish parliament. Our grumpy, single minded hero is assigned as liaison officer to the politicians while the building work continues, a role he doesn't not relish. But things start to get more interesting when a body is found hidden in the fireplace of the old building. It turns out the body has been there for a couple of decades, but when the fresh body of Scottish MP Roddy Grieve turns up in the garden outside, a second investigation begins. Thrown into the mix is the suicide of a homeless man, whose possessions reveal that he has a building society account worth £400,000. Three different teams are working on the three deaths, but Rebus is increasingly convinced that they are linked. Rebus manages to occasionally inspire, but mostly annoy his cast of supporting characters. We have a welcome return for Siobhan Clarke, who is starting to show traits she may well have picked up from her mentor. And new boy Derek Linford, is a highly ambitious, but creepy detective who, needless to say, rubs Rebus up the wrong way. The plot of Set In Darkness is wide ranging and complex, and is sometimes a little hard to keep track of. But it is well worth the effort. Ian Rankin's gritty, clever writing brings the seedy underbelly of both politics and Edinburgh into sharp focus. As usual, there are plenty of twists and turns and red herrings. The return of the notorious criminal Big Ger Rafferty, with whom Rebus has a strangely close relationship, feels like it might be giving us hints of the dangerous territory Rebus might find himself going into in the next book in the series ... but I'll just have to wait and see! As always, a pleasure to read and a most definite page turner.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 496 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from my husband.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, audio CD, ebook.

The Tidal Zone - shattered lives!

This book was a bit of a punt - it was on offer and, I am pleased to report, I have not been disappointed. The story centres around Adam and his family who are going about their normal routine - he writes, his wife is a doctor and their two daughters are still at school - when their lives are turned upside down by a phone call from the elder daughter's school reporting that there had been an "incident". This, it turns out, was when Mim stopped breathing and had to be resuscitated. Now in hospital and undergoing tests, she is feeling okay again, and just wants to go home. As the test continue over days and weeks, she becomes increasingly truculent and bored. However, for Adam, the realisation that his bright, beautiful daughter could cease to be at any moment is earth shattering. He tries to distract himself with his work, researching the devastation wrought on the city of Coventry by bombing raids during World War II and the rebuilding of its Cathedral as a symbol of hope and fortitude. This story of renewal parallels what's happening in his own family, as they find a way to move forward despite the potentially life threatening condition that blights them. The Tidal Zone, by Sarah Moss is written with heart and may appear delicate, but it packs a punch about the important things in life. The characters are believable, although I did get irritated with the wife who seemed to be one step removed from the family at all times. The attention to detail within Adam's research was excellent and I found this element just as interesting as the "drama". Although I enjoyed the book while reading it, it hasn't really stayed with me as much as I was expecting it to. With one exception, it has left me with a real desire to go and visit Coventry Cathedral again - which is no bad thing as far as I'm concerned!

My STAR rating: THREE.

Length: 336 print pages.
Price I paid: £2.98.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, audio CD, ebook.

Miss Garnet's Angel - An absolute delight

When Julia Garnet retires from teaching, she unexpectedly inherits a substantial amount of money from her long time companion. Julia had always been the cautious one of the two, but now at a loose end and with money in her pocket, she decides to go to Venice to see if she can live a different kind of life. She develops feelings for a man who has taken her under his wing and shown her around the city, but her budding hopes are dashed when she gets the distinct impression that he is gay. However, he has helped her to appreciate the beauty of Venice and she finds herself drawn to the ever-present figure of the Angel Raphael. She endeavours to find out more about Raphael and why he seems to be everywhere in Venice. This leads her to acquire two young friends who are restoring one of the churches, and she becomes involved in the drama surrounding their relationship. Alongside the action in present day Venice, the story is interspersed with the ancient tale of Tobias, who travels to Media accompanied by the Archangel Raphael - although he is unaware of this. This book takes us on both a physical and spiritual journey with Miss Garnet as she begins to blossom in a far off city. There is so much to like about this book, which is gentle, but never dull. Miss Garnet's Angel, by Salley Vickers is definitely a love letter to Venice, but also to the idea that no matter how old you are, your life can take you in an unexpectedly fulfilling direction - you just have to take that first step! A thoroughly enjoyable read and I was a bit sad to finish it.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 342 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from my Mum.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, audio CD, ebook.

A Far Cry From Kensington - an evocation of 1950s London

Set in the mid 1950s, A Far Cry From Kensington by Muriel Spark brings to life a time and place where people were trying to recover after the devastation of the Second World War. Our narrator is Agnes "Nancy" Hawkins - although no-one uses her first name. She is a young, rather portly, war widow working in publishing, but, as was common at the time, she is living in one room of a house with other disparate people. Everyone sees Mrs Hawkins as a trustworthy, reliable individual - someone you can go to with your troubles and who would be good in a crisis. Her best friend is Millie, the landlady, with whom she spends many companionable evenings. Things are ticking along nicely until she encounters Hector Bartlett - a wannabe author whose writing is atrocious and she rejects his manuscript in the strongest of terms, in the course of which she coins an unflattering phrase to describe him. Unfortunately for Mrs Hawkins, Hector is "attached" to a very well known author who wields much power in the relatively small world of publishing, with the result that her little outburst causes her to lose not one, but two jobs. While this is happening, unsettling things start to happen at her lodgings with one of the residents, a Polish dressmaker, becoming more and more unstable. Events start to unravel, and it's not until much later that Mrs Hawkins realises how woven together all these apparently random events actually are. This book is highly enjoyable, with a cracking narrator in Mrs Hawkins, and an excellent supporting cast, all of whom are totally believable. It is evocative of the time and place and is full of detail about post-war London and the publishing world of that time. There is light and shade and dodgy dealings, but also a sense of optimism that things can get better. It's the first book by Muriel Spark that I have read, but I'm sure it won't be my last.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 208 print pages.
Price I paid: £2.98.
Formats available: print, unabridged audio download, audio CD, ebook.