Himself - spookily entertaining!

There are some books that within the first few paragraphs, you just know you are going to love. And Himself, by Jess Kidd was certainly one of those for me. Set in two time frames - the 1970's and the the 1950's, we follow a young man's journey back to Mulderrig, the tiny Irish village of his birth. Mahoney is on a mission to find out why his mother gave him up for adoption when he was a baby. All he has is a photograph of his young mother and the name of the village. Mahoney is a good looking boy, and a charmer, but he is not without fault. People are drawn to him, both men and women and one particularly feisty lady, Mrs Cauley, an elderly actress, takes him under her wing, determined to find out what happened some 20 years ago. Almost everyone says that his mother left town on a bus and never came back, but there are some, including Mrs Cauley, who are sure there is a darker tale to tell. And boy, is there ever! Throw in the fact that Mahoney can not only see dead people, but have conversations with them, and you have all the ingredients for a most entertaining mystery. And this book does not disappoint. The characters are excellent, and all get the chance to shine with some zingy dialogue ... even the ghosts! Moments of brutal violence and heartbreak mingle almost seamlessly with humour and hope. Magnificently narrated by Aidan Kelly, I really wish this book was still on my "to read" pile, so that I could enjoy it for the first time all over again! An absolute corker! Jess Kidd is an author I will definitely be seeking out in the future.

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 368 print pages.

Formats: print, unabridged audio download, audio CD, ebook.

Price I paid: £2.98.

Engleby - disturbingly good

This book appears to be the memoir of Mike Engleby, initially focusing on his university days, during which he starts to become slightly obsessed with fellow student Jennifer. But when Jennifer disappears, he cannot quite understand what has happened and this part of his life starts to haunt him. As time passes, and Mike begins a career in journalism and meeting new people, he keeps on writing, but returns to his musings on Jennifer time and again. In each recollection, additional snippets of information are revealed about what Mike's relationship with her and others was really like ... or does it?  I would like to say that Engleby is a classic case of a novel featuring an unreliable narrator - which it is to a certain extent, but it is so much more. It delves into the disturbing tricks our minds can play on us and the differing images of ourselves - the variety of ones we present to other people, and the one we know to be our true self. But then again, do we ever really know our true self? What makes us who we are - nature or nurture or both? The reader starts to wonder whether we can trust anything Mike actually says? Is he a calculating liar, or a self-deluded monster? This is a disturbing book that never lets you feel settled. It is a fine example of contemporary story telling by Sebastian Faulks, an author who rarely disappoints. The narrative takes you in all directions and even now, I'm still musing over what really happened. A book that definitely gets into your head, and stays there long after you turn the last page!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 342 print pages.

Formats: print, unabridged audio download, audio CD, ebook.

Price I paid: free, borrowed from husband.

Career Of Evil - excellent thriller

Career Of Evil, by Roberth Galbraith is the third outing for private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant, Robin Ellacott. Life is ticking along pretty nicely - Robin is shortly to be married to her childhood sweetheart Matthew, and is now pretty much a partner in the detective agency, doing a job she loves. Cormoran has begun a new relationship with a beautiful woman and is enjoying working alongside Robin. However, when a woman's severed leg is delivered to Robin at the agency, it sets off a chain of events that threaten to ruin not only their business, but their very lives. Cormoran is convinced this is the work of one of four men from his past - all of whom are capable of such evil and who would also want to see him destroyed. He provides all the relevant information to the police about his list of suspects, but when further violent acts take place, and the police start to focus on someone Cormoran is convinced didn't do it, he and Robin try to take matters into their own hands. However, this leads to increasingly dangerous situations and a loss of clients, with the result that the strain starts to impact on Robin's relationships - both with Matthew and Cormoran. In this incredibly gripping thriller, we find out more about each of the three main characters, and really start to understand them better. I found the interplay between Robin and Cormoran especially entertaining. There is an underlying attraction between the two of them and, especially in this book, we are privy to Cormoran's thoughts and his determination to reign himself in ... knowing that it would be such a bad idea to make a move on Robin, as he values the work they do together and doesn't want anything to spoil that. The killer causing all this havoc is particularly violent, and there are some grim moments, so for those with a weak stomach, this may not be the book for you. The only thing I'm still unconvinced about is Robin's relationship with Matthew - he comes across as a weak, needy and incredibly grumpy pain in the bum, and I cannot understand why Robin is with him. Despite this irritant (which may just be me), Career of Evil is a great read and I am already looking forward to the next instalment. By the way, I read the audio edition, which I can highly recommend for its wonderful narration by Robert Glenister.

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 512 print pages.

Formats: print, unabridged audio download, audio CD, ebook.

Price I paid: £0.99.

Sovereign - Tudor shennanigans

It's absolutely ages since I last read a Matthew Shardlake novel ... and I really wish I'd made the effort to continue with this series sooner! Sovereign, by C.J. Sansom, is the third instalment following the life and times of the lawyer who once worked for the infamous Thomas Cromwell. But those days are over, and Shardlake is trying to keep his head down and just get on with his legal work, with his trusty assistant Jack Barak in tow. The year is 1541 and King Henry VIII is touring the country on an epic "Progress" with his young Queen, Catherine Howard, at his side. Henry's ultimate aim is to bring York's troublesome citizens to heel after a failed rebellion, and Shardlake is forced to go to the city to assist with the processing of the many petitions to the King by Archbishop Cranmer, as well as making sure a dangerous conspirator survives his imprisonment so that he can be returned to London for "interrogation".  Unfortunately, keeping his head down becomes impossible when he becomes caught up in the murder of a local glazier as well as a secret the royal family are desperate to hide, and it isn't long before attempts are made on his life. After reading the first page of this novel, I knew I was in safe hands. The author is so well versed in his characters and the Tudor period, that real life events and people are seamlessly merged with fictional characters and it's hard to tell them apart. This is a real edge of the seat page turner, which manages to educate the reader without you really noticing, as well as being hugely entertaining. There is a large cast of characters, but all have a reason to be there, and are so clearly drawn that I wasn't confused about who was who once. As you would expect from a novel set in this era, there are moments of terror, treachery and mind-blowing unfairness. However, there are plenty of light touches too - especially between Shardlake and Barak. A really great addition to the series and I'm more than happy to dive back into it again in the very near future!

My STAR rating: FIVE.

Length: 662 print pages.

Formats: print, unabridged audio download, audio CD, ebook.

Price I paid: free, borrowed from my husband.

Entry Island - blurring the lines between the past and present

Detective Sime Mackenzie is sent to Entry Island to investigate the murder of the wealthiest man on this tiny island nestled in the Gulf of St Lawrence, many, MANY miles from mainland Canada. Escaping a failed marriage and debilitating insomnia, Sime welcomes the distraction and change of scenery. All the initial evidence appears to point to the victim's wife, Kirsty, as an act of revenge for his infidelity, but when Sime meets her, he has the strange feeling that they have already met and is determined to prove that she didn't do it. As the investigation continues, Sime's dreams (when he snatches a moment of sleep) are filled with "memories" of the ancestor he is named after, who came from a distant Scottish island, and his childhood friend who is remarkably like Kirsty. Sime is torn between what feels like a very personal story and the evidence being brought to light by the investigation. But can he trust his gut, or is stress and the lack of decent sleep affecting his reasoning? Entry Island by Peter May, may be a gripping police procedural, but it is also an emotional tale of the shared history of immigrants and long lost love. Full of great characters and a smattering of the history - the Highland Clearances and the mass emigration of a good chunk of the Scottish population to Canada - there is much to admire. I found myself transported between times and places, and felt the lines blurring between the past and the present much as the main character does. This author really knows how to suck the reader into a story and keep them there, and I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone (and indeed, the Lewis Trilogy). I read the audio edition, narrated with skill and feeling by Peter Forbes - excellent!

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 544 print pages.

Formats: print, unabridged audio download, audio CD, ebook.

Price I paid: £2.98.

Anno Dracula - entertainingly complex!

Anno Dracula, by Kim Newman presents an alternative version of the late Victorian era, where fact and fiction have been merged together to create something very dark and disturbing. It is 1888, and Queen Victoria is no longer a widow mourning the loss of her beloved Albert - instead, she has married Vlad Tepes, otherwise known as Count Dracula. This has led to a distinct power shift from the "warm" to the undead. Anyone with any power has "turned" and the new world order is a scary place which sees impaling as a suitable form of punishment once again. Charles Beauregard, a spy, lives to protect the interests of the Queen, and is commissioned by the mysterious Diogenes Club, to track down Jack The Ripper, who is stalking Whitechapel and killing vampire prostitutes in the most bloody of ways. Also on the case is Geneviève Dieudonné, a four hundred year old vampire "elder" who has seen it all. Together they make a formidable team and hunt down their prey through many twists, turns and not a little danger. There is an enormous amount of atmosphere in this book and the main characters are ones that you are happy to spend time with (the obvious exception being The Count ... for those of us with a sensible disposition). However, the plot is dense and so many characters are jammed in, that it was easy to become lost - I did keep having to pause to remind myself who was who. If you are not familiar with Bram Stoker's Dracula, as well as the other key literary characters who embody the Victorian era, I think you might struggle at times. Personally, I would have preferred something with a little bit more focus. That being said, this is a highly enjoyable, if bloody, romp and will please fans of gothic horror, thrillers and those who love to theorise about who Jack the Ripper really was! 

My STAR rating: FOUR.

Length: 560 print pages.

Formats: print, unabridged audio download, edMP3-CD, ebook.

Price I paid: £1.99.

Mister Johnson - Not for Me!

Written in 1939, Mister Johnson, by Joyce Cary tells the tale of a young African man in colonial Nigeria who lives life as largely as he can, but with little thought for the consequences of his actions. At the beginning of the book, he falls for Bamu, a beautiful woman from the nearby village, and determines to marry her. He negotiates a bride price - even though he has almost no money - and starts to make plans. But this isn't the only thing he can't afford. He works as a clerk for the Colonial Office, and dresses in the English style. He swaggers around, lavishly entertaining the townsfolk, in a manner he feels befits his position. His debts mount up all over town, but he keeps managing to put people off by his infectious manner and promises of a better future. He thinks the world of his boss, and helps him to build a road to connect the town to the North, from where more trade will come and increase the prosperity of the area. But the way he helps is by cooking the books, and this cannot go unpunished. And so things start to spiral downwards ... I really struggled with this book. I found it hard to like the foolish Mr Johnson and, indeed, any of the characters. Certain passages made for uncomfortable reading in how Mr Johnson conducted himself or was treated by others. Many of the situations I just didn't find believable or convincing. There is a deep sadness to the book and the ending is heartbreaking. I know this book is well loved by many people, but I just didn't "get it!"

My STAR rating: THREE.

Length: 251 print pages.
Price I paid: free, borrowed from my husband.
Reading formats available: print; ebook.