2016
Recently reviewed
Play Dead
Reviewed on 20th December 2016
Harlan Coben's first novel, which he tells you in the introduction not to read before his other books as it's old and rough, follows the life of ex-supermodel Laura as she deals with the aftermath of losing her husband.
Eagle Day
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Reviewed on 20th December 2016
The second book in the Henderson's Boys series, which is itself a spinoff from Muchamore's Cherub series, follows immediately on from the first, with a group of characters (adults and children) stranded in France during WW2 and falling into roles as British spies.
Murder in the Museum
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Reviewed on 20th December 2016
The fourth Fethering Mystery, which I've finally located my copy of after over a year of hunting, returns to the Sussex village's amateur detectives as a body is discovered at a local heritage house. It's not recent, but leads to the usual complicated scenarios that only a pair of plucky amateur sleuths can untangle.
The Jackal's Trick
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Reviewed on 20th December 2016
The second book in John Jackson Miller's Star Trek trilogy, part of the series' 50th anniversary celebration, continues the tale of a Klingon warrior who has surprisingly risen to prominence, as well as several of his compatriots - and the cast of The Next Generation who are once again stuck in a diplomatic struggle rather than out exploring.
The Victoria Vanishes
Reviewed on 20th December 2016
The sixth Bryant and May novel follows on very swiftly from the fifth, beginning at a wake. Stumbling home, Bryant has an unusual encounter that kicks off one of the most bizarre and puzzling investigations the Peculiar Crimes Unit has faced.
The Son
Reviewed on 18th November 2016
This standalone novel from Jo Nesbo introduces us to 'The Son', who has become a religious figure in his prison, relieving the other prisoners of their guilt through confession, as well as involving himself in various other goings on. Until one day he receives some surprising news, and immediately things change.
Hell's Heart
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Reviewed on 18th November 2016
This is the first book in a new trilogy - the second celebrating the 50th anniversary of Star Trek - focussing on The Next Generation crew and being a part of the continuing adventures told in the novel series. Picard and the crew are dispatched on a diplomatic mission to deliver a Klingon house to a celebration of an old battle, but as usual complications arise.
Shattered
Reviewed on 13th November 2016
Book seven in the increasingly convoluted Iron Druid sees our cast expand again to three different characters we are aligned with - bizarrely two of them speak in one tense and the third another. This adds some more fun to the tale as we can follow a number of different plots simultaneously and makes it more entertaining.
Strike Lightning
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Reviewed on 13th November 2016
The third book in Steve Cole's Young Bond series (which itself is a continuation of Charlie Higson's five-book series) sees the teenage James Bond take up a place at Fettes - a traditional Scottish public school. Idyllic school life doesn't last long though - when Bond encounters a suspicious teacher and his assistant, and one of his schoolfriends is struck by lightning.
Closed Casket
Reviewed on 8th October 2016
Sophie Hannah returns to pen her second Hercule Poirot novel in what appears to be becoming an officially sanctioned continuation series (although in the originals, there is little continuity between stories, and here we have several direct references to the previous story).
Purgatory's Key
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Reviewed on 8th October 2016
The third and final part of Star Trek's fiftieth anniversary celebratory trilogy follows Kirk and his crew, and selected special guests, as they attempt to tie up the many problems that the last two books have raised.
Dead Beat
Reviewed on 8th October 2016
Zombies are the monster of the week in this, the seventh book about Harry Dresden, Chicago's local wizard for hire. Knock-on effects of the previous books in the series lead to several uglies seeking out the secrets of necromancy, and Dresden is once again sucked in.
Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians
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Best Defense
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Reviewed on 8th October 2016
The second book in this trilogy celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Star Trek, follows, at least in part, on from the end of the first book, dealing with the aftermath of that book's final revelation and Number One's mission into the unknown.
The Ambassador's Mission
Reviewed on 8th October 2016
We return to Canavan's fantasy world for a second trilogy, set some twenty years after the first, where a slightly evolved society sees characters both old and new face new challenges. It has exactly the same feeling as the original series and it's like barely a moment has passed as the reader is dropped back into the world.
Ready Player One
Reviewed on 11th September 2016
The debut novel from Ernest Cline, though the second of his that I've read, is currently being turned into a film by Steven Spielberg, and it's clear to see why. This is a fantastically rich novel, full of cult references to the early days of computer gaming and the eighties and nineties, that also tells a strong adventure story in a really compelling way.
Jennings of Course
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Reviewed on 19th August 2016
The fourteenth Jennings novels sees us join the pupils at Linbury Court as their lost property cupboard is overflowing, the school Christmas concert approaches, and the school cook has left.
Backlash
Reviewed on 19th August 2016
Somehow this is the eighth Anna Travis novel and yet it feels like much less has happened. Anna's brought in to help out on a cold case with ties to a recent murder, and deal with some emotional baggage.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Reviewed on 19th August 2016
Who would have thought there would be a sequel? Who would have thought it could be as exciting again? I was slightly dubious when I heard there would be a play, but my interest has been slowly piqued by the marketing department's drip feeding of information - but nothing could have prepared me for reading this, the rehearsal script for the play (the actual play may include tweaks to the text made during rehearsals and previews - but I haven't managed to see it yet).
Captain to Captain
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Reviewed on 19th August 2016
I'm not really into reading The Original Series novels - being that my interest in Trek began in the late 90s (the first novel I bought was from August 1998) and even then TOS seemed incredibly dated to me. That said, this is the 50th anniversary, and this book is the first in a special celebratory trilogy, and so it felt only appropriate to get and read it.
White Sand volume one
Reviewed on 19th August 2016
I must begin with a caveat - I am not a great reader of graphic novels (aka comic books). In fact, this is probably the first one I've read or bought. I purchased this volume though because it's a story by Brandon Sanderson, and is the start of one of the many threads of his stories that are set in the same universe.
The Long Cosmos
Reviewed on 18th August 2016
The final novel with Terry Pratchett's name on the cover, this is also the fifth and final story in the Long Earth series. The other author, Stephen Baxter, explains in the introduction that the pair wrote the book several years ago and so Baxter has only had to shepherd it through the publishing process by himself.
Rules of Accusation
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Reviewed on 18th August 2016
The second Deep Space Nine novella from Block and Erdmann, this story follows Quark in what would equate to one of the lighter episodes of the TV series, as he attempts to organise a party.
Breaking Cover
Reviewed on 6th July 2016
Book nine in the Liz Carlyle series. I picked it up dubiously, remembering that I'd found the previous novels to be quite weak. Clearly I was being a fool as I've just looked back at my comments on the last couple of books in the series and they are overwhelmingly positive.
The Twisted Claw
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Reviewed on 6th July 2016
The eighteenth story in the original Hardy Boys series (noting that my copy is of the 1960s re-write) surprised me by surpassing the quality of the immediately previous adventures by being an excellent story and a good mystery that I really enjoyed.
Dangerous Women part three
Reviewed on 6th July 2016
The third and final volume of this collection of short stories contains some stories by familiar names and some by authors new to me. Specifically:
Force and Motion
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Reviewed on 6th July 2016
Jeffrey Lang returns to the Star Trek Novelverse with a book that, like his previous entry, takes place away from the ongoing narrative of the series. This time we join O'Brien and Nog as they head off on a slightly weird holiday to visit a former colleague, Benjamin Maxwell (who appeared once in a TNG episode).
Third Girl
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Reviewed on 6th July 2016
I decided to do something different with this Poirot novel. Instead of just read along, get a bit confused between characters, and eventually stumble upon the right answer moments before the big reveal, I would take copious notes, in the form of triples, that would mean I could take in the entire plot, make logical connections, identify contradictions, and come to some sensible conclusions as early as possible.
Messenger's Legacy
Reviewed on 6th July 2016
A short novella from Brett's Demon Cycle series, Messenger's Legacy is the tale of a young man, the victim of a prejudiced society and a horrifying accident. It's hard to say more without spoilers.
Heads You Die
Reviewed on 6th July 2016
The second of Coles' Young Bond novels that follow on from the previous series by Charlie Higson is an immediate sequel to the first. We join the teenage Bond on a Caribbean island as he makes his way home from the last adventure, and it isn't long before he gets mixed up in another.
The Scandal
Reviewed on 26th May 2016
The sixth Theodore Boone novel from John Grisham sees his middle school hero taking standardized tests that will affect his further education, and needless to say things descend into the courtroom.
Taken
Reviewed on 26th May 2016
I was surprised when I finally purchased this entry in the Alex Verus series to discover that it's only the third book, thinking that I had read more than just the two novels before it.
The Secret Warning
Reviewed on 26th May 2016
The seventeenth book in the original Hardy Boys series, in its revised form, tells the tale of the brothers on the trail of an island inhabiting ghost, and a golden relic of ancient Egypt being imported too the United States for some sort of illegal sale (probably).
Hot Six
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Reviewed on 26th May 2016
Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, sees her sixth adventure in the ongoing soap opera of her life with only the slightest twist in the formula. This time her friend Ranger is her target as he's vanished following a mysterious death.
The Falls
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Reviewed on 26th May 2016
Book twelve, and somehow Rankin manages to keep Tennis feeling fresh, moving on his personal storyline while providing new and intriguing mysteries that keep getting better and better.
Broken Homes
Reviewed on 26th May 2016
The fourth book in the Rivers of London series is another thrilling and mysterious adventure for Peter Grant and his colleagues at The Folly, headquarters of the Metropolitan Police's only wizard division.
The Escape
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Reviewed on 20th May 2016
I was slightly nervous about reading this book. I’ve really enjoyed reading Muchamore’s original Cherub series (to which this serves as a prequel), and have reached the point in the publication order where this book was published - and was not sure whether I would like this novel, set during the 1940s, as much.
The Reindeer People
Reviewed on 19th May 2016
The first in a short duology, and also the first full length novel I've read by the author under this pen name (i've read a lot of her sprites published as Robin Hobb), this tells the story of a healer and her slightly unusual child in a hunter-gatherer era with a touch of fantastical magic thrown into the mix.
Seconds Away
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Reviewed on 22nd April 2016
The second young-adult story about Mickey Bollitar, teenage nephew of the author's long-running thriller character Myron, follows on immediately from the end of the previous story and makes a lot of references back to the events depicted therein.
Live By The Code
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Reviewed on 20th April 2016
Christopher L Bennett's fourth book in the Rise of the Federation series, telling the missing history between the end of Enterprise and the start of The Original Series, follows the various crews off the fledgling Starfleet as they discover the need (again?) for some kind of non-interference directive.
Not Dead Yet
Reviewed on 19th April 2016
Book eight in the Roy Grace series (a series which I strongly recommend be read in strict chronological order) sees the now Detective Superintendent called in when a body is found without arms, legs or head in the waste product produced by a chicken shed. Simultaneously, his bosses challenge him to manage security arrangements for a major Hollywood star making her new movie on his patch.
White Corridor
Reviewed on 19th April 2016
I find the timeline of the Bryant and May novels somewhat baffling given that they aren't in chronological order, but this one has mobile telephones so I'm fairly convinced that it's set in the modern day. It's an interesting if slightly bizarre story that follows the main police officers as they head to Plymouth for a spiritualist convention, their team as they investigate a death that's a little close to home, and a mother and son running away.
Power Hungry
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Reviewed on 19th April 2016
A fairly run of the mill Next Generation novel set during the second season, in which Picard and his crew find themselves in a tricky prime directive situation when escorting aid to a planet suffering from extreme climate change.
Time and Time Again
Reviewed on 25th March 2016
It's years since I read a Ben Elton novel, and although I was recommended this by a friend and bought a copy quite a long time ago I've only just got around to picking it up to read. This is a story of a military man from 2024, recruited by a secret organisation to head back in time and make a single change to save the world. And it's great.
Headhunters
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Reviewed on 25th March 2016
I've put off reading his standalone Jo Nesbo novel for some time. However having finished the Harry Hole series and being up to date on his latest releases it came to picking this up. I really enjoyed it.
Hunted
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Reviewed on 25th March 2016
The sixth Iron Druid novel continues directly on from the fifth story, and so is kind of the second story of the second arc within the series. The characters are on the run from a group of vengeful gods, racing across Europe in an attempt to find somewhere safe to hide or mount a defence, and I just didn't really engage.
Calamity
Reviewed on 25th March 2016
The third (ish) and final story in the Reckoners series continues the adventures of David, now leading the team opposing the Epics, a group of evil super humans who control the world using their various powers.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
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Reviewed on 25th March 2016
The time has come in my latest Harry Potter re-read to revisit my favourite of the series (and I know that's an unpopular opinion). I started this read through trying to be in sync with Pottermore releasing bonus material for each book, but since I read Goblet of Fire last the format of the website has completely changed and so I just took the opportunity to read the story again and prepare myself mentally for the appearance of a new story (in script and stage form) this summer.
A Pocket Full of Lies
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Reviewed on 25th March 2016
Kirsten Beyer, holder of the Voyager torch for the last few years, provides us with another trip to the delta quadrant to see the crew again. This time it's a stand alone novel that revisits a couple of the alien races met during the TV series. This makes for a nice change after the last few novels which have been a continuing arc.
Secret History
Reviewed on 25th March 2016
The seventh story in the Mistborn series is a fascinating diversion from what's gone before, revealing a secret second storyline which occurred simultaneously with the original trilogy. Because of this, it should definitely be read after those three books at least, if not after all six others.
Blood Rites
Reviewed on 25th March 2016
Harry Dresden book six, in which the modern day street wizard faces a complex curse placed on a local adult film production company. It's a strong entry in the series that really seems to move the overall plotline forward in interesting ways - definitely not one to miss if you're following the ongoing story.
Black Widow
Reviewed on 25th March 2016
Brookmyre's original hero, now-disgraced journalist Jack Parlabane, returns in the next of the author's serious crime novels, when he's asked to look into the apparently accidental death of a hospital IT worker. As usual there's a lot going on and a fantastically dark set of characters to keep the reader guessing where things are going.
Ascendance
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Reviewed on 11th February 2016
The latest Deep Space Nine story is a direct sequel to 2015's Sacraments of Fire but the same author and continues the two threaded story which serves to fill in some of the blanks left in the continuity by an earlier massive jump forward in time between books.
The Bands of Mourning
Reviewed on 11th February 2016
The sixth Mistborn novel is by far the best of the second 'trilogy' and is a smashing adventure for Wax, Wayne and their compatriots as they head out of the city with a variety of motivations.
The Magician's Apprentice
Reviewed on 3rd February 2016
Effectively the fourth book in the series, this prequel is set several hundred years before the original trilogy and provides an interestingly different view on the same world through a dirty provisionally similar plot.
Blood Line
Reviewed on 3rd February 2016
Anna Travis returns for her seventh outing, but her first since promotion to Detective Chief Inspector - and it's her first chance to lead her own investigation and prove to her superiors that she's really up to it. At first it seems like just a straightforward missing persons case that Anna looks into as a favour, but gradually more and more things don't add up.
The Mystery of the Talking Skull
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Reviewed on 2nd February 2016
The eleventh Three Investigators story begins with the youngsters attending an auction of left luggage, where they obtain an old magicians case rumoured to contain his star trick - a skull which speaks.
The Clocks
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Reviewed on 2nd February 2016
Agatha Christie's The Clocks continues the theme of Poirot novels without really featuring the character for most of the narrative, as if the author head by this point become horrifically bored of her star detective but has to keep him in for the marketing value of his name on the cover.
The Last Colony
Reviewed on 12th January 2016
The third story in the 'Old Man's War' series by John Scalzi continues the tale of the life of John Perry, an elderly man who left Earth to join humanity's colonial defence force and regain his youth. Now retired, he finds himself offered an opportunity he can't refuse - to start a completely new colony.
The Great Bazaar
Reviewed on 6th January 2016
The second short story from The Demon Cycle depicts another moment in the life of Arlen, one of the main characters from the novel series, taking part in one of the moments that feel between chapters in (i think) the first novel, The Painted/Warded Man.
A Figure in Hiding
Reviewed on 6th January 2016
The sixteenth novel in the original Hardy Boys series (in the 1965 rewrite edition) sees the brothers up against a mysterious glass eye which they discover when one of their acquaintances' boat goes for a test run. It features a number of the tropes of the stories that I've recognised over the course of my re-read so far, including experimental modes of transport, car chases, car crashes, gangs, mystery faces at windows, Chet having a weird new hobby, and so on.