So here we go:
Tombland, C.J. Sansom:
Complex, nuanced, subtle and intriguing – just as good as ever. A shame my
arthritic thumbs made reading much of the heavy paperback at any time a rather
painful experience, but that’s not the author’s fault and at least it made me
pace it. The plot is very rich, particularly as it draws heavily on real
events, though Shardlake’s doings are interwoven seamlessly with them. It could
have done with a touch more editing, but it is a huge book. Towards the end it
became more and more grim and for a while I had to force myself to read one
more chapter, just one more chapter – then resolution began, and again it
flowed.
Here's a non-crime:
Bridget Collins, The Binding: Clever concept and a thought-provoking, emotional book, in which books are only rarely ‘made up’ but instead are the repository of memories of people who have visited a binder. To destroy a book is to restore those memories to the person, usually with resulting trauma: memories can be removed through kindness, but also for commercial or personal gain. To say more might be to give away too much: this is a twisty book, stretching the ideas into strange shapes in a society something like Victorian England.
As it happens, I managed to read a non-fiction in May, too:
All that Remains, Sue Black: My usual resistance to factual books slowed
me on this but it really is a fascinating book – very strange in places, and
more about her relationship with death than either her life or her career. She
touches with sensitivity on real cases and her experiences in Kosovo, and to an
extent Thailand post-tsunami. It is very well written and flings us from humour
to pathos and back through the realms of scientific explanations with great
ease.
Now for May's crime fiction:
Gerald Hammond, Dog in the Dark: This has the feeling of a slightly
mournful and bad-tempered Dick Francis, which from me is a compliment. I was
immediately drawn into the world of dog-training and eager to learn more (the
reason I like Dick Francis is that I always learn something from them). In the
end the plot was quite good but some of the attitudes felt more dated than the
late 1980s. Still, I liked the general idea and several of the relationships,
and might well go back for another one.
A.A. Abbot, The Bride’s Trail: Intriguing missing person / identity
theft mystery involving gangsters and city types. Amy the heroine was annoying
naïve but otherwise this was entertaining and exciting.
Frances Brody, Dying in the Wool: I enjoyed this, liking both the
setting and the main character. She was intelligent without being too
precocious and stayed quite well in her historical place. The plot worked, and
the characters were pleasantly ambiguous.
M.W. Craven, Black Summer: Tilly and Poe are back for another chase,
cleverly plotted and North Country-set. This is a very enjoyable series – Tilly and
Poe are excellent characters – but I must try Craven’s other one, too,
beginning with Born in a Burial Gown (Avison Fluke, I think?).
Cecila Peartree, Careless Death: How did I miss this one? I’ve read the
following one! Anyway. One always feels for at least some of the characters in
the Pitkirtly series – Christopher, mostly – but this time our sympathies focus
on Mollie the librarian, trying to cope with a trying mother, and then accused
of trying to murder her. It’s still funny, but Mollie’s problems are real and
very sad. But our valiant cast saves the day as always: the
world needs Pitkirtly just now!
Jodi Taylor, Roman Holiday, When a Child is Born and A Trail Through Time:
two novellas and the next episode in this hilarious series – hilarious,
thrilling, exciting, and very well researched. Max and Leon head a cast of
complete misfits, some good, some bad, in plots that gallops through history
but always return to mad St. Mary’s to find some new way to blow the place up.
Really good fun.
Tony Forder, Bad to the Bone: An appealing police procedural, with interesting, if often dim, characters and a decent plot, though the setting (Peterborough) is almost deliberately dull. Bliss did not seem to care much about his dogs, but that happens. There were some fumbly bits of dialogue and description and though I liked the main characters I didn’t think they were very bright, but generally it was a very enjoyable read that I came back to each evening with pleasure. I don’t like the phrase ‘park up’, though – what’s wrong with just parking?
Ross Greenwood, The Snow Killer: I had to stop reading this at first as it was set in Peterborough as was another one I was reading (the Tony Forder). I don’t usually like to hear the perspective of the killer but this was rather different and very compelling, if upsetting. When we moved on to the police procedural
bit it was again well done (though I hope Nav has not just retired completely
out of the series), with real people and proper issues convincingly presented.
Again we have people parking up (up what?) – perhaps it’s some weird
Peterborough thing? But it’s an exciting conclusion and very enjoyable.
OAmbrose Parry, The Art of Dying: Life has moved on a little for Sarah
and Raven, but it doesn’t take long until they are once more embroiled in
mystery. The medical descriptions are great, the balance between the characters
is appealing, and the plot is pleasantly busy. It would be quite nice if Raven
were right about something for a change and Sarah were wrong, but the ending
was beautifully ambiguous and I’m of course looking forward to the next one.
Well, after all that if anyone's still here I can say that I'm a bit over two-thirds of the way through Dragon in the Snow, the third Orkneyinga Murders book. The plan is that it will be out in late summer / early autumn ... I also now have a website! The content is a little basic just now but things will be added - feel free to drop in and see what you think (and let us know if anything doesn't work!). It's at www.lexieconyngham.co.uk - come and visit!
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