Divided in Death

I have spent a fair amount of time reading this series of books (this is number 18) but very little time reflecting on them - hence no previous blog entries. They're not books for reflecting on really but they are very good crime genre 'quick reads' with enough depth to satisfy. Nora Robb has a good understanding of the human condition. This one was not the best of this series so far but very readable as always. I enjoyed the back story more than the murder tale this time, and the tensions between Eve and Roarke were well drawn and realistic. It was overlong but with a denouement that was clever and satisfying.

A Judgement in Stone

A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell is, I think, one of her best books even though we know right at the start who has been murdered and by whom. That doesn’t matter – what does matter is why - and in the telling of this story Rendell generates almost unbearable tension and creates a gripping ‘page turner’. The gradual unfolding of the chain of events that led to the tragedy in the opening pages is masterful with its insights into human nature and the consequences of every character’s actions.

Sharp Objects

An exceptional debut novel. Dark, compelling, macabre, sad, and very well written. The story revolves around Camille, a ‘cub’ reporter who returns to her family home to cover the story of the murder of two children in the town. As she talks to various members of the local population she is also reliving her own childhood and finally begins to analyse and face its horrors. This is a story of mother and daughter relationships at there most destructive and the consequences through the generations.

Beneath the Skin

This ‘author’ is apparently a husband and wife team writing together. I’m not sure how they organize this, but for me, this book is not as successful as their other novels. The story is told in the first person by three women who are hunted down by a serial killer – how then is it possible for them to relate their stories?  This is meant to be a psychological thriller – I remained decidedly ‘unthrilled’ and was irritated by the plot and the way it was constructed. There was no opportunity to warm to any of the characters and the ending was, to my mind, unsatisfying. 

Testament of Youth

This is a long book that repays every effort that is put into reading it. Vera Brittain’s true story is bold, touching, tragic and extraordinary. The story pivots around her experiences in the First World War, contrasting the time before with what came after as she recounts lives that were lost and those, including her own, that were changed so profoundly forever. It is a love story, a political story, a passionate story, a story of loss and a story that needs to be retold to as many people as possible about the futility of conflict.

Back Again

This blog needs resurrecting and reviews should follow shortly!