2017
Recently reviewed
Zoe's Tale
Reviewed on 18th November 2017
The fourth book in the Old Man's War series is one of the strangest novels I've read. Not because of anything in the novel itself - it's the tale of a young girl on a new colony, settling in and learning about herself and the world she's arrived in. Instead because of how it fits into the series. This is the same story as told in the previous book, The Last Colony, just from a different point of view.
The Mystery of the Flying Express
Reviewed on 18th November 2017
Book 20 in the original Hardy Boys series (albeit rewritten in 1970) sees the brothers investigating for the owner of a new commuter hydrofoil who is scared that his competition are out to scupper his plans.
The Knot
Reviewed on 13th November 2017
A relatively light tale about a wedding photographer, telling the story of his life, loves and family. I say relatively light as I’d just escaped from a novel set in hell and as such this was vastly happier reading and I devoured it in the course of a single Saturday.
Happy Hour in Hell
Reviewed on 13th November 2017
Wow this book is grim. It’s some years since I read the first book in the trilogy, The Dirty Streets of Heaven, and I’d forgotten exactly how I’d felt after finishing it. In this, book two, Bobby Dollar, angel, heads to Hell to try to rescue his girlfriend.
Carry on Jeeves
Reviewed on 13th November 2017
A collection of short stories, mainly covering Bertie Wooster's time living in New York, including his first encounter with Jeeves, helping out a number of chums in matters of love and money, and in the final story seeing one experience from Jeeves' own point of view.
Original Sin
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Reviewed on 22nd October 2017
David R. George III has become the main author of the ongoing Deep Space Nine adventures, and this is the next step in his juggling of the number of storylines needed for such a wide ranging series. This novel focusses on the Sisko family, as Captain Sisko's ship, the USS Robinson, heads off to explore further into the Gamma Quadrant.
Parsnips, Buttered
Reviewed on 22nd October 2017
This is a comedic book of advice, based on examples from the author's own life, of how to be silly about things. It reads very much in his voice, as when tells similar stories during his stand-up routines, and the sense of humour is very clear.
The Gunslinger
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Reviewed on 14th October 2017
The first novel in Stephen King's Dark Tower epic introduces us to Roland, a gunslinger on a quest to pursue a dark wizard. It's been on my shelf for some time, and after enjoying the recent film based on his novel It, I thought it time to give it a go.
Desperate Hours
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Reviewed on 14th October 2017
David Mack has the honour and challenge of being the first tie-in author to dip his feet into the world of Star Trek: Discovery - the seventh TV series in the franchise. As a novel released the day after the first episode is broadcast, it's hard not to take anything it says with a pinch of salt (remember Data's backstory from the novelisation of Encounter at Farpoint - later completely changed by the TV series), but it seems Mack has had full access to the writers and scripts from the TV production team and the series is being written as one whole rather than discrete episodes, so maybe this will stand the test of time.
A Legacy of Spies
Reviewed on 10th October 2017
A surprise return to the world of Smiley and colleagues, some 27 years after the last novel and 56 since the series began. It's many years later, and one of the Circus’s operations has come under scrutiny from the modern-day powers-that-be. Specifically that depicted in the 1963 novel The Spy Who Came In From The Cold - and in some ways this serves as both prequel and sequel.
Patterns of Interference
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Reviewed on 9th October 2017
Another Enterprise novel continuing the adventures of the crew, who have long since gone their separate ways. It’s a bit of a strange standalone novel that really does need he background knowledge from reading earlier stories to follow.
The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye
Reviewed on 23rd September 2017
This second alternative author sequel to the Millennium trilogy follows one which I begrudgingly read and then was surprised to enjoy. On that basis, I was happy to buy this. But it doesn't live up to the reputation of the series and has put me off wanting to continue.
The Mystery of the Laughing Shadow
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Reviewed on 23rd September 2017
The twelfth adventure of the Three Investigators, and the second by William Arden, finds the trip well into their stride and tells a tale in what I remember as the classic style of the series. When two of the boys accidentally hear a call for help and intercept a coded message, they're drawn into a complex and fascinating investigation.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Reviewed on 7th September 2017
This collection features the three novellas also known as the 'Tales of Dunc and Egg' - 'The Hedge Knight', 'The Sworn Sword' and 'The Mystery Knight', all previously published in various anthologies, but in this edition illustrated throughout.
On the Loose
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Reviewed on 7th September 2017
The seventh novel about the Peculiar Crimes Unit opens with the interesting twist of the unit being disbanded and its staff sent on their merry way. This is of course followed by the discovery of a peculiar crime, and the investigation is off.
The Skull Throne
Reviewed on 7th September 2017
The fourth novel in the Demon Cycle sees us rejoin the characters of the first three stories (and indeed the novellas) as they deal with the events that concluded the third novel, and the absence of two of their number.
No Middle Name
Reviewed on 7th September 2017
Twelve novellas or short stories from the world of Jack Reacher - only one is completely new, and many of them I’ve read previously in ebook form. That said, I still feel this was a good purchase, and I enjoyed reading through the short adventures either again or for the first time. My thoughts on the 12 stories can be summarised as:
Enigma Tales
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Reviewed on 26th July 2017
Una McCormack, probably my favourite of the current crop of Star Trek authors, returns to Cardassia for this excellent and deliciously Cardassian tale.
Nomad
Reviewed on 26th July 2017
I've read several of James Swallow's tie-in books for Star Trek and Doctor Who before this, and have enjoyed all of them. This is the first stand-alone novel of his that I've read, and again I enjoyed it very much.
Hearts and Minds
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Reviewed on 19th July 2017
A new entry in the Next Generation continuation series, this follows a long line of novels taking the story of the Enterprise and her crew forward several years from the last time we saw them on screen. Despite that, this does serve as a pretty stand-alone story in the classic style.
The Way of Kings (part one)
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Reviewed on 19th July 2017
After many years of waiting on my bookcase, I have finally picked up this first book in the Stormlight Archive series, by one of my favourite authors. I’ve only been putting it off while I read through pretty much the entire rest of his output, as this series is one that is ongoing and I didn’t want to feel I would have too long to wait for additional entries.
Camino Island
Reviewed on 16th July 2017
Another of Grisham’s novels that fall outside the legal genre, and while not quite literary, fall much closer to it. This one tells the story of an audacious heist, and a woman who finds herself thrown into the investigation quite unexpectedly.
The Thirst
Reviewed on 16th July 2017
Jo Nesbo returns to his regular character, former detective Harry Hole, in this eleventh adventure. When a new and shocking series of murders hits Oslo, Harry struggles not to be drawn back into his old life.
Red Nemesis
Reviewed on 18th June 2017
The fourth (and apparently final) novel in Steve Cole's set of Young Bond novels follows the teenager as he learns more about the accident which killed his parents. A chance discovery leads to him joining forces with an MI6 agent to attempt to uncover a Soviet plot.
Dark Sun
Reviewed on 17th June 2017
A novella in the Cherub series, with two small, simple plots following two of the secondary characters from the main series. Rat is on a mission, and Lauren back at headquarters getting in trouble.
Bond on Bond
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Reviewed on 17th June 2017
This book is a fascinating insight into the Bond movies from someone on the inside - Roger Moore, the third actor to play tha main character in the Eon Productions series of films. I was given the book as a present a few years ago, and inspired to read it by the recent death of the author.
World War Moo
Reviewed on 17th June 2017
A sequel to the enjoyable and satisfying 'Apocalypse Cow', this book follows some of the same characters as they come to terms with a new life, as well as new characters learning to live in new ways. When Geldof Peters gets some surprising news though, he sets off on a slightly bizarre mission.
The Disappearing Floor
Reviewed on 28th May 2017
The nineteenth original Hardy Boys book (or at least my UK edition of the 1964 re-write) sees the brothers investigating a series of jewellery thefts, as well as a strange house which appears to be haunted, and not just one but several instances of floors that disappear.
Assassin's Fate
Reviewed on 28th May 2017
The third and final entry in the Fitz and the Fool trilogy serves not just as a conclusion to this three book arc, but also is a continuation of the ongoing storylines that cross the nine Fitz novels as well as the seven Liveships/Rain Wilds novels that exist in the same fictional universe. As such, I'd strongly recommend reading the whole of the rest of the series before tackling this novel, as it serves as a satisfactory sequel to everything that's gone before, and some aspect are massive spoilers for the earlier stories, and/or won't make sense to readers not familiar with them.
Want You Gone
Reviewed on 25th May 2017
After a few quite hard crime novels, it feels like Chris Brookmyre has relaxed a little back towards his earlier more comedic style with this book. While it's still a solid crime type novel, it is slightly lighter in tone and focussed on a less horrific type of crime.
Control
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Reviewed on 6th May 2017
Control is possibly the darkest Star Trek novel I've ever read, and I've read quite a lot of them. It continues Doctor Bashir's quest to destroy Section Thirty-One, and also lays out a lot of new information about the organisation, its origins, and the mysterious 'Control', who runs it.
Dead Man's Time
Reviewed on 4th May 2017
The most disturbing opening chapters to a book I've read for a long time. Everything seems to be going wrong and the world feels a pretty grim place, especially as we see into the minds of villains setting out crazy schemes. Part of it is that there are so many plot threads, and all of them are dark ones.
Chosen
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Reviewed on 4th May 2017
The fourth book in the Alex Verus series feels like a turning point from the first three books, which established the characters and their world, and what I suspect might become the major arc of the following novels.
Hallowe'en Party
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Reviewed on 4th May 2017
I've lost count of what number this is in Agatha Christie's epic series of Poirot stories, but it's certainly one of the later ones, and yet retains the charm, comedy and mastery of mystery that she wrote throughout.
The Long Mirage
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Reviewed on 4th May 2017
Another episode in the ongoing continuation of Deep Space Nine, my favourite of the Star Trek television series, The Long Mirage tells three parallel stories focussing on some of the most interesting characters. Kira Nerys, returning after an interesting trip, and discovering her religion in schism. Ro Laren, exploring relationships and joining the hunt for a missing person. And Nog, trapped in a holosuite (but not quite in the usual cliched way).
Licence to Kill
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Reviewed on 4th May 2017
By far the worst of the Bond novels I've read. This is John Gardner's attempt to novelise the film Licence to Kill, and, for some reason, to reconcile its events with those from early books from which the film takes some of its elements. This does not work as a novel.
The Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage
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Reviewed on 4th May 2017
The eleventh mystery about the Five Find-Outers is probably one of the best and most representative of the series.
Foxglove Summer
Reviewed on 4th May 2017
The fifth Peter Grant novel continues the adventures of a twenty-first century trainee wizard police officer. For the first time, he's left the south-east, London area, and ventured slightly northward into the countryside to take a quick look-in on a missing persons case that might have a tiny suspicion of magical involvement.
Headlong Flight
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Reviewed on 18th March 2017
After the second half of 2016 focussed on blockbuster trilogies to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, it was nice to get back to a simple, stand-alone adventure for the crew of the Enterprise. Or not that simple in-fact, because in this novel (as the cover strongly implies) there are two Enterprises.
Resurrection Men
Reviewed on 18th March 2017
Ian Rankin's thirteenth Rebus novel sees the maverick Inspector sent back to the police training college after taking one step of rebellion too far with a conveniently located cup of tea. He ends up in a class of similarly reprobate police officers from around Scotland, set a cold case to investigate.
Wolf's Brother
Reviewed on 18th March 2017
The second half of this duology continues the story of Tillu, a healer who has recently joined with a tribe of reindeer-herders in their migration across the plains. It's a deep world with only a light touch of fantasy and mysticism, that tells a fascinating story of romance, parenthood, recovery and redemption.
The Whistler
Reviewed on 18th March 2017
The latest John Grisham legal thriller focuses on some lawyers who are acting as investigators, looking into allegations against corrupt judges in California. Unsurprisingly, the story opens with an allegation that a judge is corrupt, but so corrupt that the allegations are wrapped up in a complex web of secrecy that much of the narrative deals with unpicking.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Reviewed on 18th March 2017
This is the screenplay (i.e. the script) to the 2016 film of the same name - written by J K Rowling and taking place some 60 years before the first Harry Potter novel.
Night School
Reviewed on 18th March 2017
In this latest Jack Reacher adventure, we revisit the character's earlier years as a military police officer. Off the back of a successful mission, Reacher is sent to a secret 'training establishment' to liaise with other agencies and, in a surprise escalation of the series, save the world.
The Hall of Heroes
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Reviewed on 28th February 2017
The third and final book in this trilogy celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Star Trek wraps up the Next Generation era of a complex war inspired by a radical Klingon business administrator come politician.