2014
Recently reviewed
Mad Dogs
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 31st December 2014
The eighth book in the Cherub series hows some old character development as each of the main characters grow older and more or less wise. The setting of a gang war introduces the reader to a wider range of agents than in some of the earlier books, and gives more chance for the author's style of realistic, almost too authentic, portrayals of teenagers.
Rivers of London
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 31st December 2014
The first book of a new series and new author for me, following a young police constable, fresh out of training and on the beat as part of the Metropolitan Police where he is rapidly seconded into an unusual unit that deals with investigating the odd. It didn't strike me as a particularly new idea - the urban fantasy setting is similar to several series that I've read before, and even tying that to the idea of an investigator is familiar (e.g.Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, Christopher Fowler's Bryant & May).
An Officer and a Spy
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 29th December 2014
I think I'm becoming more comfortable with not finishing a book. I read 150 pages of this novel before giving up - it's not that it did anything to put me off, more that it didn't do anything to keep me reading. The plot felt like it had barely moved, and yet time seemed t be whizzing past.
Three to Get Deadly
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 21st December 2014
Book three - my favourite of the first three in the series - sees Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, on the trail of much-loved local personality 'Uncle Mo', who has skipped bail on a minor charge. Typically she ends up mixed up in something slightly bigger and amusingly complex.
The Collectors
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 21st December 2014
Christopher L Bennett's third story about the Department of Temporal Investigations sees investigators Dulmer and Lucsley returning with an anachronistic artefact to the DTI's base on Eris, followed by a slight accident that reunites them with an old friend.
Footprints Under the Window
Reviewed on 21st December 2014
Hardy Boys book twelve, as updated in 1965, sees the sibling detective teenagers rescue a man who has fallen overboard, and who gives them a cryptic warning about footprints before disappearing. It's a good adventure story that includes some international travel.
A Dance with Dragons (2: After the Feast)
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 21st December 2014
The second half of the fifth book of A Song of Ice and Fire really does work as it's own book. Each chapter of the whole series really comes across as its own episode and they could easily be strung together in one long story or split between almost any one. Martin splits his novels at particularly shocking places though, and this follows that trend.
While the Clock Ticked
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 10th December 2014
Hardy Boys original number eleven (as revised in 1962) sees the teen detectives take on a new investigation when their father is unavailable. A range of coincidences come together as usual to tie several different mysteries together into a closed room mystery that the boys struggle to solve, including some of their biggest peril so far in the series.
What Happened At Midnight
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 6th December 2014
So many things happened at midnight that it almost feels like this started life as a title looking for a plot (which is actually quite plausible given that my copy was of the rewritten 1967 text). The tenth book in the original (rewritten) Hardy Boys series finds the two characters given a mission by their father to break into a house and steal a new invention - this at least makes for an interesting twist as we end what are apparently considered the best of Hardy Boys fiction.
Mr Dixon Disappears
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 6th December 2014
In book two of the Mobile Library series the reader rejoins Israel Armstrong - reluctant mobile librarian in a Northern Irish town who is surprised to be arrested on suspicion of robbery and kidnapping. I paid far too much for this novel for what it was worth, having accidentally given myself permission to go on a minor book-buying spree.
Police
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 6th December 2014
The tenth book in the Harry Hole series - surprising because it doesn't feel like I've read ten books or spent that long with the characters - picks up not long after the conclusion of Phantom and takes forward some of the plot threads that were left hanging. As can be expected for this series, there's a serial killer wandering Oslo - and all the police characters from the series to date come together in a massive investigation.
Mitosis
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 2nd December 2014
This is a very short sequel to Brandon Sanderson's earlier novel Steelheart, and serves as part one and a half, leading up to the second full-length novel Firefight which is coming in 2015. It's very short. Very short. As long as you know that going in, you won't be disappointed.
Hammered
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 2nd December 2014
The third volume in the Iron Druid chronicles is a direct sequel to the second, and rounds off a number of story threads serving as an end to the opening trilogy. There are a lot of battle scenes which actually I find a bit of a turn off compared to the more talky bits, and the humour seemed to be taken a little too far in places.
Shoot to Kill
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 2nd December 2014
A new Young Bond novel that I didn't even find out about until the day after publication - not sure if that's a black mark for the marketing department (not sure I'm target audience) or Amazon's recommendations (which should definitely know I'm a Bond fan).
Long Lost
Reviewed on 2nd December 2014
The ninth Myron Bolitar adventure is the most serious and surprisingly dark of the series that I've read. Bolitar is summoned to Paris by an old flame and becomes embroiled in an investigation that spirals completely out of control.
The Great Airport Mystery
Reviewed on 19th November 2014
The ninth Hardy Boys adventure is the most violent so far in my re-read of the series, and this the updated 1965 edition that's meant to have removed less desirable content. As is typical, the boys are called in by their father to help out on a case, going undercover at a local factory to investigate platinum thefts, but things soon spiral into something much larger.
The Novice
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 17th November 2014
The second book in the Black Magician trilogy continues the story of Sonea, a girl from the slums who has managed to break centuries of tradition by being accepted into the magical university. It's now effectively her first year of school, and I was worried that it might become derivative of other stories set in education establishments for the magically inclined - but it's not.
Lock In
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 16th November 2014
John Scalzi is rapidly becoming one of my favourite science fiction authors. In this new novel he depicts a world after a massive flu epidemic, which leaves thousands of people with a type of locked-in syndrome. Industry quickly catches up, with mind-controlled robots becoming available for the locked-in to use to interact with the world. This is the story of a locked in FBI officer in his first week on the job.
The Mystery of Cabin Island
Reviewed on 15th November 2014
The eighth book in the original Hardy Boys series (in my case the 1966 revised edition) sees the teenage investigators having a winter holiday as a reward following one of their earlier cases in an uncommon reference back to an earlier story (The Shore Road Mystery). As is emerging as a frequent occurrence as I re-read, there are two separate mysteries to challenge the boys.
Perfect People
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 8th November 2014
This is the first book by Peter James I've read outside of his Roy Grace series of detective novels, and I wasn't sure what to expect. It's the tale of a couple who find they are both carriers of a genetic disease, and their attempt to have a child that doesn't inherit those genes. It's an exploration of the concept of designer babies, and looks at some of the possible things that would arise.
The Secret of the Caves
Reviewed on 8th November 2014
The seventh book in the original Hardy Boys series (actually, my copy is the Anglicised version of the 1964 rewrite) depicts the brother detectives helping their dad in another case and going hunting for treasure with their friend's new metal detector.
Disavowed
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 8th November 2014
Although labelled as a Section 31 novel, this isn't really part of the series of that name from some ten years ago, but rather a sequel to the recent 'The Fall' crossover series of novels, and follows Dr Bashir as he attempts to infiltrate the shadowy organisation that has been trying to recruit him since DS9's sixth season.
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 2nd November 2014
This book has been tempting me for a good few years - I remember the mass poster campaigns across Britain's railway stations in its early days that always made me wonder whether it would be something for me - and yet it took a personal recommendation from a friend for me to actually pick it up. It's the story of Britain's only two magicians in the era of the Napoleonic war as they rediscover lost magical arts from the country's history.
On the Last Day of Christmas
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy ebook #ad:
Reviewed on 1st November 2014
Jack Parlabane, famed investigative journalist with unorthodox methodoly and star of many of Brookmyre's earlier novels returns after several years' absence in this short novella with unclear title (the ebook's title begins with the word 'On', but this word is absent on the cover image). In this tale we find the character down on his luck, working the news factory for a daily paper in London, when coincidence lands a promisingly juicy story in his lap.
Gray Mountain
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 1st November 2014
Gray Mountain is the first John Grisham book that I've read on publication, having caught up after some five years of reading through his back catalogue in publication order. I was wary going in because the title used 'Gray' in the UK edition rather than being translated into 'Grey', but it turns out it's a proper noun, so okay.
Fated
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 1st November 2014
The first book in the Alex Verus series, this book introduces the character and his world well through a first-person tale which finds the mage stuck between two magical factions who both want to get their hands on a recently discovered artefact.
The Shore Road Mystery
Reviewed on 1st November 2014
The sixth book in the Hardy Boys series, in my case the revised edition from 1964, sees the Hardys investigating a spate of car thefts from along the Shore Road in their hometown. It's the first time I've felt that the pair have really tackled a crime in a methodical manner suited to real detectives.
Acts of Contrition
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 18th October 2014
The latest novel in the Voyager continuation series follows immediately on from the previous story, 'Protectors'. The 'Full Circle' fleet, including Voyager, are continuing diplomatic relations with a new culture, but far more interesting are the side plots about the characters we know from the TV show.
Not a Drill
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy ebook #ad:
Reviewed on 18th October 2014
This year's Jack Reacher short story sees the character heading to the Canadian border and meeting up with some hikers, who encounter a mystery.
Q Are Cordialy Uninvited
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy ebook #ad:
Reviewed on 18th October 2014
Another excellent novella in the Star Trek ebook-only line, this time giving the story behind one of the events that occurred between earlier novels - Captain Picard's wedding.
Hunting for Hidden Gold
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 18th October 2014
Book five of the original Hardy Boys series of adventure novels for children (originally teens) sees the pair of brothers head out into the wilds of America to help out their injured father on a case he's investigating. My copy is the UK 'translation' of the 1963 revised text.
More Fool Me
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 18th October 2014
The third volume of Stephen Fry's memoir covers the period of his younger adult life, as he progressed into the famous TV actor and comedian that made him famous. It could easily be titled "Stephen Fry: The Cocaine Years".
The Missing Chums
Reviewed on 4th October 2014
I was surprised when I looked through the list of Hardy Boys books I'd not read to find one with what seemed such a ridiculous title. Further research showed that the original UK edition had even had the title 'translated' into British English as The Missing Friends. Despite this, the fourth book of the original series is better than the three that precede it.
The Secret of the Old Mill
Reviewed on 28th September 2014
My copy of this, the third book in the original Hardy Boys series, is the updated (1962) and Britishified edition. The first two books I re-read recently both have a feeling of being the start of the series, but for the most part this one seems like it's written to be just a regular episode - although later on there are some new recurring elements introduced.
The House on the Cliff
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 23rd September 2014
The second book of the original Hardy Boys series feels much more of an adventure than the first. Called in to help out on a case by their father, the two teen detectives set out to investigate a local smuggler.
The Tower Treasure
Reviewed on 21st September 2014
I recently discovered that the UK publisher's order numbering on the Hardy Boys novels that I read voraciously as a child was completely fictional compared to the order they were originally published in. The Tower Treasure had been labelled '31', but is in fact the first book in the series, and reading it again today (some twenty years later), it definitely comes across as being an introduction to the characters, their world, and indeed being their first adventure.
The Painted Man
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 21st September 2014
Peter V Brett's first Demon Cycle book sets up the world impressively, introducing the demons that emerge from the ground at night, and a variety of characters whose lives we follow.
The Monogram Murders
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 21st September 2014
Sophie Hannah has been given the privilege and the responsibility of bringing back Hercule Poirot in his first 'official' continuation novel. A mystery triple death at a London hotel lands on Poirot's doorstep as he's living with our narrator, conveniently a local police detective.
The Water Room
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 21st September 2014
It's been almost two years since I read the first Bryant and May novel, and it was with some trepidation that I picked up book two, with the first having mostly slipped from my memory and not being recalled as one I'd absolutely loved. The second book follows the peculiar crime sunlit in the modern day as it investigates some unusual deaths and a man who won't tell his wife what he's up to.
Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found)
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy ebook #ad:
Reviewed on 8th September 2014
This first foray into fiction by two of Trek's fantastic non-fiction authors makes for a brilliant short read. The story follows Quark as he goes on a little business adventure, and the short format has the exact same feel as one of the Ferengi-focused episodes of the TV series.
Personal
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 8th September 2014
Jack Reacher is back in London, which proves awkward reading for someone familiar with the UK as the author (through his character’s first-person narration) goes out of the way to explain local idiom to the American audience.
Sycamore Row
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 8th September 2014
Marketed as the sequel to Grisham's first novel 'A Time to Kill', Sycamore Row joins the same lawyer from the earlier book three years later. Beyond the reappearance of the same characters and some themes though the plot is entirely distinct and could easily have been told about another young lawyer in a southern town in the late 1980s.
It's Only a Movie
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 8th September 2014
I’ve been listening to Mark Kermode’s podcast for several years, and had three of his books sitting on my shelf for some time, but this is the first time I’ve picked one up to read. It’s a really engaging look at a few highlights of the life of the UK’s most famous film critic, told in a way that it honestly admits to being ‘based on real events’.
Fool's Assassin
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 1st September 2014
Fitz is back for his seventh book, and overall the fourteenth full length fantasy novel set in Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings. It’s a fantastic start to a new series within the series, following Fitz some years after the end of his last adventure as he lives the perfect life he’s always wanted.
A Delicate Truth
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 25th August 2014
It’s taken me a while to get round to reading A Delicate Truth - I’m still slightly intimidated by John le Carré, having the idea that as he’s such a well known author that his books will be too literary and hard to get into. This is of course not at all the case, and as with his previous novel I was hooked straight away.
Gardens of the Moon
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 24th August 2014
The first book in what looks to be a vast series of novels by two authors, Gardens of the Moon’s introduction suggests that it’s not a book for everyone, and that many people drop out at the start. The author’s position is that he has thrown the reader straight in without introduction, and that in doing so some readers are alienated. If you get to page 250, he says, you’ll be hooked forever.
XO
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 10th August 2014
This is the fourth Jeffrey Deaver novel I've read, and is the third in his Kathryn Dance series, about a California Bureau of Investigation agent with a speciality in reading body language. I was quite dubious going in, and held off buying the book for a long time after publication, as I wasn't a particular fan of the earlier novels in the series.
How to Build a Girl
Reviewed on 10th August 2014
Over the past few years I've seen a lot of references to Caitlin Moran on the social media feeds of some friends, and when I saw she had a novel out I was intrigued. Would this be a feminist manifesto that would improve my understanding of how my friends see the world? Well no - it's not a manifesto, but it's certainly an interesting look at the life of a teenage girl that does nothing to gloss over reality.
Promise Me
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 10th August 2014
In Promise Me, Harlan Coben returns to his recurring character Myron Bollitar for an eighth adventure. A considerable number of years have passed since the last novel, and it's interesting to see how Coben has changed the universe to make this clear. The narrative is also different - this is far more similar to some of Coben's more serious works than the light-hearted 'grown-up Hardy Boys' of the early Bollitar novels.
Deadly Intent
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 10th August 2014
Anna Travis returns for a fourth adventure, in which a surprisingly high body count emerges following a shooting at a drug squat. The case is incredibly complex, and after so many different theories that the characters go over throughout the novel I’m left baffled about what actually happened, and indeed who did it.
Terra's World
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 10th August 2014
Terra, the delightful title-character of Mitch Benn's first novel, which I absolutely adored, returns for a second outing in this novel, where someone is out to get her. While the narrative retains a lot of the humour, food for thought, and science fiction of the first story, it didn't quite manage to grip me in the same way.
Elantris
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 20th July 2014
Elantis is the first published novel by Brandon Sanderson, who later became famous for being invited to finish the Wheel of Time series, and also for his own later works, including the Mistborn trilogy. I've been reading his works out of publication order, so to me Elantris felt very reminiscent of Mistborn - they share a pattern of female lead character, stratified society, revolution and change.
Close Call
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 9th July 2014
I'm surprised to find this is the eighth Liz Carlyle novel by real life MI5 head Stella Rimington, who lends a strong sense of reality to proceedings that other authors miss in an attempt to write a thrilling story. I thought this was a really good book that tells a strong, authentic tale, and is probably the best in the series.
The Light Fantastic
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 8th July 2014
Jeffrey Lang returns to Trek to follow up on the events of the Cold Equations trilogy, which in turn followed from Lang's own Immortal Coil. I've not read Immortal Coil, so I can't really say how much is referenced back to that book, but one thing this book does do is refer back to almost every android that's ever appeared in Star Trek.
The Mystery of the Silver Spider
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 4th July 2014
The Silver Spider is the eighth adventure for the Three Investigators, and sees the teenage detectives called to a small European country to visit the local prince, who has a case for them.
The Long Mars
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 4th July 2014
The third entry in Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter's 'Long' series is pretty similar to the first two - the narrative is split into quite distinct chapters leaping around between a group of main characters each on an unrelated adventure.
The Silkworm
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 28th June 2014
The second book in the Cormoran Strike series follows the private detective as he investigates a case that bears more than a passing resemblance to that covered in the previous novel. He’s hired to find a woman’s missing husband, and author who’s just delivered a surprisingly inflammatory novel.
The Wilful Princess and the Piebald Prince
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 27th June 2014
This novella is a prequel to Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings series, an epic fantasy made up of four trilogies (although one had four books), though this is most reminiscent of the first of these. The story has two main characters, mentioned in the title, and tells the story of their lives from the point of view of a common member of the court. It’s a really interesting way to tell the story that makes a lot of in-universe sense and really draws the reader in to the range of characters presented.
Ghost Ship
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 22nd June 2014
Ghost Ship is the unoriginal title for the latest in the Kurt Austin / Numa Files series from the Clive Cussler canon, and the fourth penned by Graham Brown. Brown returns the series to the level of his first two, reinvigorating the franchise a little by making the plot more personal, and less contrived-feeling that some of the entries in the set.
A Dance with Dragons (1: Dreams and Dust)
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 22nd June 2014
I’m reading the paperback editions of the A Song of Ice and Fire series, and so book five is split into two parts - as with the third book, I’ve decided to read each half separately to spread the load.
Dead Man's Folly
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 14th June 2014
A special invite from a recurring character pulls Poirot to another country mansion to help perpetrate a murder (murder mystery party, that is). The reader will never guess what happens next (hint: Poirot).
The Children of Hamlin
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 9th June 2014
The third numbered book in the Star Trek: The Next Generation novel series sees the crew on a pair of missions - transporting a group of agricultural colonists to a new home and answering a distress call from another Federation vessel.
The Mystery of the Invisible Thief
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 29th May 2014
The halfway point in the Five Find-Outers and dog series - apparently aimed at a younger audience than Enid Blyton's other numbered mystery series, but to me still the best.
Phantom
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 29th May 2014
The ninth Harry Hole mystery is the first one I've managed to read in the right order - I finally have the full backstory of the previous eight books, and felt that it was definitely a useful background for this plot.
Apocalypse Cow
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 29th May 2014
I’d been meaning to read this for a few years since it was announced as co-winner of the inaugural Terry Pratchett award, and I’ve finally got round to it. I was in no way disappointed by this book.
The Fall
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 29th May 2014
Cherub book seven is an interesting departure from the formulaic nature of some of the previous books in the series. While teenager siblings James and Lauren remain secret agents working undercover for the British government, the story sees them spend a lot of time at their base and deals with their wider lives rather than focusing on a specific mission.
Old Man's War
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 29th May 2014
This is the second book by John Scalzi I've read, after Redshirts (a space opera parody), and the first in his series. It's the first 'hard' science fiction novel that I can safely say I've really enjoyed reading - those I've read recently have either read like pulp paperbacks from several decades ago or were impenetrably dense and lacking in plot or character.
The Case of the Missing Books
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 17th May 2014
This is the first book in the Mobile Library series, in which Israel Armstrong moves to Northern Ireland to become a librarian, and finds his library closed and all the books missing. I picked up the book in a library sale because it sounded interesting from the cover.
Hexed
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 14th May 2014
Book two of the Iron Druid Chronicles picks up pretty much right where the first book left off, following up on some of the hanging threads and rushing into new plots. A group of evil witches is coming to town, and they aren't the only threats that the last Druid will need to deal with.
Black and Blue
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 14th May 2014
The eighth Inspector Rebus novel sees the detective investigating rather a mix of crimes, some of which aren't really assigned to him. One of the biggest is based on the true story of murderer Bible John, when similar murders begins to occur again across Scotland.
Grave Peril
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 3rd May 2014
I was quite confused when I started reading this, the third novel in the Dresden Files series, as it reads like its a sequel to a book you haven't read. Set some 12 months after the previous book, there are a lot of references back to an adventure that Chicago wizard Harry Dresden went on in the interim, and a character, who it feels like we should know, who went on this adventure too.
The Racketeer
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 3rd May 2014
I feel ambivalent about this Grisham novel - I enjoyed reading it, and tore through it with a rapidity that surprised me (aided by a long train journey admittedly), and yet felt that it was quite a mechanical plot, lacking character and texture.
Don't Touch Anything
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 3rd May 2014
I don't remember what prompted me to get this book - it's been hanging around on my shelf for quite a while but I'd dug far enough down my reading list to get to it and found it quite entertaining. It seems targeted at a male audience of around 12 years, and tells the tale of Jules - a fairly ordinary schoolboy living in an ordinary town that could easily be interpreted as anywhere - who suddenly meets Theodore, a time traveller from several centuries in the future.
Tower of Babel
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 3rd May 2014
The second book in Christopher L Bennett's ongoing Star Trek Enterprise follow-up series is much more of a standalone than the first, which contained a lot of setup of where the characters had got to following the previous novels in the series. Having said that, there's a lot in this book that recurs from the previous and I felt it would probably have been useful had I re-read A Choice of Futures before reading Towel of Babel.
The Mystery of the Fiery Eye
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 15th April 2014
This is one of the Three Investigators mysteries that I remember in most detail from when I originally read it (possibly many times) as a child. Re-reading it now I found many aspects familiar, but some things didn't quite go how I expected.
The Eye of Zoltar
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 15th April 2014
The third and now penultimate book in The Last Dragonslayer series sees the return of Shandar - the greatest wizard that ever lived - which triggers Jenny and a ragtag collection of companions to head off on what is definitely not a quest if anyone's asking.
Dead Tomorrow
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 14th April 2014
Fifth in the series and absolutely huge in hardback, I couldn't put it down. The balance of Roy Grace's home and work life is perfect as he investigates a body dredged up from the channel as well as entering a new phase in his life.
The Dirty Streets of Heaven
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 14th April 2014
Tad Williams' latest series kicks off with this story about an angelic lawyer on earth, arguing against hell's representative to get souls into the right afterlife. It feels much grittier than his longer fantasy and science fiction that've read before: it's contemporary, urban and feels like a private detective's mystery with some fantasy elements.
The Activist
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 31st March 2014
I've finally got around to reading the fourth Theodore Boone story, and many of my criticisms of the earlier books still stand, though Grisham has clearly made some effort to address them. This time Boone gets tied up in a political disagreement between those for and opposing a new bypass. This alone sounds enough to put off most teenagers, and so the back cover blurb ignores it almost entirely and picks up on one tiny plot point.
The Bootlegger
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 31st March 2014
Back to Isaac Bell's 'present' of 1930s prohibition-era America, as the private detective is drawn into investigating some smugglers which turn tangentially into a barely explained and somewhat difficult to follow plot to take over the world.
The Magicians' Guild
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 31st March 2014
Although the commonly accepted wisdom is that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, the design and imagery certainly play a role in advertising a book, and the works of Trudy Canavan have been screaming at me from the bookshop shelves for a few years. I finally gave in to them and bought this, her first novel and the first part of a trilogy.
Only Superhuman
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 31st March 2014
I've read a number of Christopher L Bennett's Star Trek tie-in novels, and have been reading online for a long time about this book, an original work looking at the 22nd Century life of a group of genetically-engineered superheroes.
The Black Echo
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 23rd March 2014
I picked up the first book in the Harry Bosch series following a recommendation that his writing was similar to that of John Grisham. Having finally got around to reading it, I've concluded that this recommendation was nonsense (in fact, having just done some research, I find this recommendation referred to a later spin-off series). Connelly's style is more verbose, the reader's relationship with the character much more personal, and the characters themselves much more varied and multi-layered.
Crocodile Tears
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 16th March 2014
Alex Rider manages to fit in another adventure before reaching the age of fifteen, and as usual it resembles a James Bond film in many aspects. This story sees Rider caught up in an adventure by accident, but the coincidence rate in this series is starting to get suspicious.
Win, Lose or Die
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 16th March 2014
Gardner's eighth Bond novel feels a bit like the point where he's taken things too far. Despite this, the plot is fairly strong and develops from a well formed foundation, however there's a lot that combines to spoil it.
The Truth
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 16th March 2014
I've seen a lot of Palin's TV and film work, and read one volume of his autobiography, but this is the first time I've read his fiction. I was surprised to find it a serious novel and not a comedy, as it follows a journalist commissioned to write a biography of a recluse.
Tell No One
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 16th March 2014
I found reading this book quite interesting, as it's one of the few times I've seen the film first. As such, when I started reading, I found I could visualise the action much more clearly than usual.
Absent Enemies
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy ebook #ad:
Reviewed on 9th March 2014
I'm sad to say that this Star Trek Titan novella was something of a disappointment. Unlike other recent novellas from the Trek line, it's not a character-focused story but is heavily plot and action driven (like a weaker TNG episode) and doesn't really add anything to the overall Trek universe.
The Inheritance
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 2nd March 2014
This is the first time I've read anything by the author's Megan Lindholm persona, and I've found the shorts here varied and interesting. Brief comments on each follow.
No Time Like The Past
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 27th February 2014
I'm not normally a reader of novels from The Original Series line, but seeing as this is a crossover with Voyager I made an exception, and wasn't disappointed. The story sees Seven of Nine thrown back in time where she meets up with Captain Kirk, and together they have to save the timeline from damage.
Hickory Dickory Dock
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 26th February 2014
Hickory Dickory Dock is a fairly average Poirot novel, in which the famous detective, bored, goes to investigate a small mystery bewitching his secretary's sister, which soon escalates into murder.
Protectors
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 26th February 2014
It's book four of Kirsten Beyer's re-relaunch of Star Trek Voyager following the events of the series finale, the first relaunch and the complicated inter-twined novels around the Destiny trilogy. Although the authors say that each book can be read alone, there are a lot of references here to previous novels and I think they would be frustrating and baffling to a reader who hadn't been keeping up.
Clean Cut
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 26th February 2014
The third Anna Travis book has an interesting structure, with the main central crime story bookended by two soap opera sections - more character-driven emotional parts of the story. The plot itself is quite complex and ties together a number of threads in a way that seems rather implausible.
Man vs Beast
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 26th February 2014
Young secret agents James and Lauren Adams are thrust once again into an undercover mission, this time to infiltrate animal rights protesters in order to be close to a terrorist group.
The Emperor's Soul
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 25th February 2014
I was slightly dubious going into this Brandon Sanderson short story. I'm not entirely sure why as I've never been disappointed by anything he's written, but often it's the epics and series that really hook me, and perhaps I was afraid that I'd get too invested and be disappointed by something that was so short.
Cockroaches
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 25th February 2014
The second Harry Hole mystery has finally been published in the UK which means that the whole series can now be read in English translation. I can see why the first two books were left until last to translate, as they're set outside Norway and don't fall into the trilogy that follows. I said in my review of Redbreast (book three) that it felt something was missing without the context that the first two books would provide, but now having read them I found that they don't provide that background material that was needed.
The Peacekeepers
Reviewed on 9th February 2014
The second regular novel based on Star Trek: The Next Generation has surprised me, reading it 25+ years after publication, by being really good. I started re-reading the series in order, with the feeling that I was going to be disappointed by everything in the early numbered stories, but both book one and this are really good.
The Mystery of the Pantomime Cat
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 5th February 2014
By the seventh mystery for the Five Find-Outers and Dog, Fatty has come to centre stage and Blyton uses him as the point-of-view character for almost the entire narrative. Approaching halfway through the series, it's finally reached the point where all the key elements are in place - clues, disguises, alibis - and it almost feels like the author has been building elements of the mystery story up one by one in the earlier books, taking the reader on a journey into the world of crime novels.
The Simpsons and their Mathematical Secrets
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 5th February 2014
Simon Singh's book on Fermat's Last Theorem was one of the triggers when I was a teenager that led me to studying mathematics at university. With this book he returns to the world of maths, explaining various principles, ideas and theorems using events from episodes of TV series The Simpsons as launching points.
Let it Bleed
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 5th February 2014
The seventh Rebus mystery sees the Edinburgh detective investigating several suicides that seem disconnected, but which he has a hunch aren't as coincidental as his colleagues think. It unravels from there into a wide ranging and complex plot that feels a little too reminiscent of earlier books in the series.
Hounded
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 5th February 2014
The first book in Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles was recommended to me on the basis of similarities to Jim Butcher's Dresden Files novels which I've recently started reading. I would argue that it's not only similar but better.
Mirage
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 1st February 2014
I was pleasantly surprised by this Oregon Files novel, which opens with a thrilling rescue that leads on to a series of following adventures. Over recent years I've become less satisfied with the Cussler 'brand' but this, some three years since the last book in this series, was really enjoyable to read.
Fool Moon
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 29th January 2014
The second book in the Dresden Files follows Chicago's only wizard detective as he investigates some suspicious wolf-like attacks. Like the first book, the narrative is quite informal first-person, which I find takes a while to get used to compared to the more formal tone taken by most novels.
The Girl in Blue
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 27th January 2014
A classic Wodehouse work following the brief adventures of Jerry West and various family members, who suffer the typical problems in the arenas of money and love.
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 27th January 2014
Chris Hadfield's biography - despite the title, that's how the book reads - tells the story of the astronaut's life from childhood up to returning to Earth after his stint commanding the International Space Station. It's a fascinating look into a profession that most of us can only dream about, and Hadfield manages to tell his story in an incredibly humble way.
Peaceable Kingdoms
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 18th January 2014
The final book of The Fall - the 'event' mini-series that's rounded off the 2013 catalogue of Star Trek continuation novels - wraps up everything that's been building over the past few novels. The book follows two of the regulars in particular: Doctor Crusher as she's sent undercover to meet a Cardassian under mysterious circumstances, and Captain Picard as he's left on the Enterprise.
A Feast for Crows
Warning: Use of undefined constant amp - assumed 'amp' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /var/www/html/books/archiveamp.php on line 214
Buy book #ad:
Reviewed on 18th January 2014
The fourth book of A Song of Ice and Fire is set almost entirely in the south of Westeros, with the promise that the fifth book will cover simultaneous events in the rest of the series' world. This meant that it's focus is mainly on characters that were far from my favourites from the first three novels, and certainly at first and into the middle of the book I found this detracted from my enjoyment.