As a Times recommendation, I had high hopes for this debut novel. Alas, it is a run of the mill crime thriller. The plot outline according to Goodreads: Detective Inspector Meg Dalton has recently returned to her Peak District roots when a man’s body is found near The Devil’s Dice – a vast network of…
Category: Reviews
In Senior Gap Years, you have the time to catch up on all the books you missed. These are independent reviews of books that I am enjoying in retirement (yes, I used the “R” word!). Please free to comment on the reviews.
Once Upon a River (by Diane Setterfield)
Lovely atmospheric story dripping in melancholy. Everyone is a storyteller and the plot meanders just like the Thames. Characters weave into the book with their own back story. Beautifully written and observed. An enchanting story – perhaps the ending is a little disappointing but do not be put off. The writing is magic.
The Last of the Stanfields (by Marc Levy)
This is a fabulous read! Marc Levy is the most read contemporary French author in the world and I can see why. Story outline: “When London journalist Eleanor-Rigby Donovan receives an anonymous letter alluding to a crime committed by her deceased mother, her life is turned upside down. It points her to a bar on…
Anatomy of a Scandal (by Sarah Vaughan)
This book came with many recommendations and headlines: “Full of Twists and Turns”“Sensational”“Engrossing pysch-thriller-cum-courtroom-drama” It was also recommended by the Richard and Judy book club. So with all this hype, I was looking to a good read! But how disappointing. The story-line is fine: Hi-jinks by the PM and best friend, James at University lead…
Forget my Name (by J.S. Monroe)
The premise of this book is intriguing, and the first few chapters draw you in but then …. the plot becomes rather disappointingly improbable. Shame as the idea of a visitor turning up your house with knowledge of your house, but is suffering from amnesia and does not know who she is, sounds like an…
The Good Liar (by Nicholas Searle)
There is nothing like a good con story. You might even feel on the conman’s side if the con is clever and intricate. However, what happens when two domestic partners might be conning each other?
Origin (by Dan Brown)
[star rating=”5″ max=”5″] Origin by Dan Brown is a super read. He is a Master of the Genre. Intrigue, technology, monarchy and religious factions all contribute to yet another page turner!
A Treachery of Spies (by Manda Scott)
[star rating=”4″ max=”5″] This novel has tremendous potential. The premise is indeed interesting; there are two threads: one set in the last months of World War II in the Jura area, and the other in 2018 following murders in Orleans and investigated by Captain Picaut. But I have reservations …
The Girl from Venice (by Martin Cruz Smith)
[star rating=”5″ max=”5″] This would be a great holiday read if you were vacationing in Northern Italy. The story is primarily located the lagoon in Venice and Lake Garda to the west. The plot deals with the period towards the end of the war in 1945.
Missing Pieces (by Laura Pearson)
[star rating=”5″ max=”5″] What a superb debut from Laura Pearson – she is going to be an author to look out for. Her tragic story about a family who try to cope with two deaths is sad but poignant and uplifting.