crime novels
A Good Hanging
and other stories
Ian Rankin
Orion
[Second hand paperback]
Not the best of Rankin's books, however quite enjoyable. The book is a collection of short stories, featuring Rebus as he used to be; book loving, jazz listening and slightly religious.
I will give this one an under-rated 2/5
Ian Rankin
Orion
[Second hand paperback]
Not the best of Rankin's books, however quite enjoyable. The book is a collection of short stories, featuring Rebus as he used to be; book loving, jazz listening and slightly religious.
I will give this one an under-rated 2/5
A Question of Blood
(Inspector Rebus #14)
Ian Rankin
McArthur
[Secondhand paperback]
I enjoyed this read more than many of his others. It was a compelling story and just squeaks in at four stars.
4/5
Ian Rankin
McArthur
[Secondhand paperback]
I enjoyed this read more than many of his others. It was a compelling story and just squeaks in at four stars.
4/5
Beggars Banquet
Ian Rankin
Orion
[Second hand paperback]
This collection of short stories felt like classic Ian Rankin. Some where Rebus stories others were not. The treat of the book for me was seeing Rebus when he still liked jazz.
3/5
Orion
[Second hand paperback]
This collection of short stories felt like classic Ian Rankin. Some where Rebus stories others were not. The treat of the book for me was seeing Rebus when he still liked jazz.
3/5
Blood Hunt
(Jack Harvey #3)
Ian Rankin
Orion
[Second Hand Paperback]
I have read better Ian Rankin books. This was a good quick read, well suited for the airports that I read it in.
2/5
Ian Rankin
Orion
[Second Hand Paperback]
I have read better Ian Rankin books. This was a good quick read, well suited for the airports that I read it in.
2/5
Chasing Mona Lisa
Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey
[kindle ebook]
An excellent story set in Paris in the twilight of WW2. A clearly written page turner, neither predictable nor out-for-lunch. I argued with a couple of possible inconsistencies, but really it was a great book with wonderful characters.
4/5
[kindle ebook]
An excellent story set in Paris in the twilight of WW2. A clearly written page turner, neither predictable nor out-for-lunch. I argued with a couple of possible inconsistencies, but really it was a great book with wonderful characters.
4/5
Dead Reckoning
Ronnie Kendig
Abingdon Press
[Free Kindle eBook]
Gripping frantic page turning airport read.
This spy adventure is terribly stereotypically American. The good guys, the Americans defend the world from nuclear war. Countless bad guys, mostly Muslims loose their lives.The heroes are the good ole troubled American Christian boy and a very homey and gorgeous representative of 'the weaker sex' who seems to need quite a lot of hand holding. While killing all the bad guys they quickly fall helplessly in love and moments before the conclusion of the book they enjoy their perfect wedding.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it and read it very quickly. If another book from the same author falls into my hands, I will probably read it as well.
2/5
Abingdon Press
[Free Kindle eBook]
Gripping frantic page turning airport read.
This spy adventure is terribly stereotypically American. The good guys, the Americans defend the world from nuclear war. Countless bad guys, mostly Muslims loose their lives.The heroes are the good ole troubled American Christian boy and a very homey and gorgeous representative of 'the weaker sex' who seems to need quite a lot of hand holding. While killing all the bad guys they quickly fall helplessly in love and moments before the conclusion of the book they enjoy their perfect wedding.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it and read it very quickly. If another book from the same author falls into my hands, I will probably read it as well.
2/5
Detective
by Arthur Hailey
Berkley Books
[gifted discarded donated library book]
It is easy to see why nobody wanted this book. It is quite long, it has multiple plots and bunny trails. It never really gets to the point. However, when it does it is great, but only lasts for a couple of chapters before winding down for a totally weak happily-ever-after ending.
As the title suggests, it is a detective story, bad guys get caught and good stuff happens to bad cops. Read no more.
2/5
Berkley Books
[gifted discarded donated library book]
It is easy to see why nobody wanted this book. It is quite long, it has multiple plots and bunny trails. It never really gets to the point. However, when it does it is great, but only lasts for a couple of chapters before winding down for a totally weak happily-ever-after ending.
As the title suggests, it is a detective story, bad guys get caught and good stuff happens to bad cops. Read no more.
2/5
Doors Open
Ian Rankin
Orion
[Gifted Hardback]
I enjoyed this book, it was quite a different take for a Rankin book. It was a tiny bit predictable. All in all a good read.
3/4
Orion
[Gifted Hardback]
I enjoyed this book, it was quite a different take for a Rankin book. It was a tiny bit predictable. All in all a good read.
3/4
Exit Music
(Inspector Rebus #17)
Ian Rankin
Orion
[Secondhand paperback]
Yeah a good read, but not the exciting finale cliffhanger that I was expecting. All my favourite characters were there doing a the usual stuff. Worth the read, but not the best of Rankin
3/5
Ian Rankin
Orion
[Secondhand paperback]
Yeah a good read, but not the exciting finale cliffhanger that I was expecting. All my favourite characters were there doing a the usual stuff. Worth the read, but not the best of Rankin
3/5
Hide and Seek
Ian Rankin
[kindle ebook]
I am a big Ian Rankin fan and won't catch a plane without him. I love reading about the seedier side of Edinburgh. However I am finding his first two books a little more difficult, they seem to be an attempt at literary journals rather than airport novels. The characters in Ian's books, over the years, have become my friends and through reading 'Hide and Seek' I enjoyed finding out how many of them met each other.
2.5/5
[kindle ebook]
I am a big Ian Rankin fan and won't catch a plane without him. I love reading about the seedier side of Edinburgh. However I am finding his first two books a little more difficult, they seem to be an attempt at literary journals rather than airport novels. The characters in Ian's books, over the years, have become my friends and through reading 'Hide and Seek' I enjoyed finding out how many of them met each other.
2.5/5
Resurrection Men
Ian Rankin
[Kindle ebook]
Perhaps the best 'DI Rebus' book that I have read. I love journeying through the darker sides of Edinburgh and following some of my favourite characters. I could not predict this finish and was kept glued all the way to the final page.
3/5
[Kindle ebook]
Perhaps the best 'DI Rebus' book that I have read. I love journeying through the darker sides of Edinburgh and following some of my favourite characters. I could not predict this finish and was kept glued all the way to the final page.
3/5
Set In Darkness
Ian Rankin
Orion
[Loaned second-hand paperback]
A good 'Inspect Rebus' read, but not one of his best books. Though the ending was good I found it quite slow going at the start. I never seem to tire from reading Rankin's murky tales from Edinburgh's back alleys.
2/5
Orion
[Loaned second-hand paperback]
A good 'Inspect Rebus' read, but not one of his best books. Though the ending was good I found it quite slow going at the start. I never seem to tire from reading Rankin's murky tales from Edinburgh's back alleys.
2/5
Strip Jack
(Inspector Rebus series Book 4)
Ian Rankin
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
[kindle eBook]
Yeah good read. It was definitely one of Rankin's better books. However I did manage pick the villain in the early chapters.
3.5/5
Ian Rankin
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
[kindle eBook]
Yeah good read. It was definitely one of Rankin's better books. However I did manage pick the villain in the early chapters.
3.5/5
The Betrayal
(Precinct 11)
Jerry B. Jenkins
[Free Kindle eBook]
Hmm, am not sure about this one. It was good and especially at the end I was glued, but largely I was bored with this crime novel. Most of the story moved too slow for me and often I was jilted by bizarre references to christianity. This is not an author that I will be searching out again.
2/5
Jerry B. Jenkins
[Free Kindle eBook]
Hmm, am not sure about this one. It was good and especially at the end I was glued, but largely I was bored with this crime novel. Most of the story moved too slow for me and often I was jilted by bizarre references to christianity. This is not an author that I will be searching out again.
2/5
The Black Book
Ian Rankin
Orion
[Second-hand paperback]
One of Rankin's better books, I enjoyed this one a lot and it was lovely to meet Big Ger and Siobhan Clarke. Good story as well.
4/5
Orion
[Second-hand paperback]
One of Rankin's better books, I enjoyed this one a lot and it was lovely to meet Big Ger and Siobhan Clarke. Good story as well.
4/5
The Broker
John Grisham
Arrow Books
[Gifted paperback]
A delightfully quick little romp around Italy and Washington DC. I recommend this book for airport reading. Especially for those who do not want to labour in thought Grisham is a good storyteller.
3.5/5
Arrow Books
[Gifted paperback]
A delightfully quick little romp around Italy and Washington DC. I recommend this book for airport reading. Especially for those who do not want to labour in thought Grisham is a good storyteller.
3.5/5
The Complaints (Malcolm Fox #1)
Ian Rankin
Orion Books
[Gifted paperback]
Excellent book, one of Ian Rankin's best. It was a little hard for me not having any of my familiar and favourite characters. It seems to me that more Rankin writes the fresher, sharper and better he gets.
This was a well spun yarn.
Orion Books
[Gifted paperback]
Excellent book, one of Ian Rankin's best. It was a little hard for me not having any of my familiar and favourite characters. It seems to me that more Rankin writes the fresher, sharper and better he gets.
This was a well spun yarn.
The Innocent Man
Murder and Injustice in a Small Town
John Grisham
Dell Nonfiction
[Discarded Library Book]
Excellent and gripping true story about a death-row prisoner and his fight for freedom. Even though I knew how the book was going to finish, I kept turning those pages. Grisham is wonderful writer.
4/5
John Grisham
Dell Nonfiction
[Discarded Library Book]
Excellent and gripping true story about a death-row prisoner and his fight for freedom. Even though I knew how the book was going to finish, I kept turning those pages. Grisham is wonderful writer.
4/5
Tooth and Nail
Ian Rankin
St Martin's Press
[kindle ebook]
It has been a month or so since I read this mostly London-based Rebus novel. I read it while travelling and it kept me glued enough to happily waste away the hours. This book was definitely up to Rankin's usual standard.
3/5
St Martin's Press
[kindle ebook]
It has been a month or so since I read this mostly London-based Rebus novel. I read it while travelling and it kept me glued enough to happily waste away the hours. This book was definitely up to Rankin's usual standard.
3/5
Triumph Of The Spider Monkey
Joyce Carol Oates
Black Sparrow Press
[Gifted Book]
This book was both a bleak and beautiful jaunt through the deranged mind of a psychopathic serial killer. I didn't enjoy it.
The story is beautifully crafted and well worth the read.
I recommend this to anyone who is not afraid to read a good book.
3.5/5
Black Sparrow Press
[Gifted Book]
This book was both a bleak and beautiful jaunt through the deranged mind of a psychopathic serial killer. I didn't enjoy it.
The story is beautifully crafted and well worth the read.
I recommend this to anyone who is not afraid to read a good book.
3.5/5
