The Children of Men by P.D. James is a dystopian novel set in recent times, in a world in which human fertility has failed and no more children have been born for 25 years. The spirit of the people has been broken and as the population decreases, a universal malaise sets in. Democracy fails and a dictator (Warden) rules, supported by State Police. Criminals … Continue reading →
The Survivors is a mystery novel written in 2020 by Jane Harper. It takes place in Evelyn Bay, a small town in Tasmania. The lead character Kieran, with his partner Mia and their infant daughter return to support his parents. Everyone knows everyone else, so they soon meet their childhood friends, Ash, Olivia, and others. There had been a tragedy more than … Continue reading →
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is the first book of ten in the Flavia de Luce mystery series by Alan Bradley. This was the author’s first book, going on to win the Debut Golden Dagger Award. He wrote the first chapter and a summary and from his proposal, he managed to get a contract to publish the book. The story is … Continue reading →
P.D. James has been called “the Queen of Crime” a title celebrating a life writing top-notch crime/mystery/police procedural novels (30 in total). Her books feature well-developed characters and carefully plotted mysteries. Her most famous series – Inspector Dalgleish – follows his career solving crimes from his start as a detective to his time as Superintendent, 14 books, and also a TV series. I have … Continue reading →
Small Mercies is set in a particular place (Southie, a poorer neighborhood in Boston) and at a certain time (1974, a time of desegregation), with a blend of genres – crime, thriller, mystery, historical fiction, and social commentary. The story centers on Mary-Pat Fennessy, an Irish American heritage white mother living in the Projects. She loses her children to drugs and murder and she … Continue reading →
A World of Curiosities in the 18th book in the Inspector Gamache series by Canadian author Louise Penny. It is a police procedural crime novel, but there are many layers and intriguing developments throughout the story, completed by a thriller ending. The tale begins with several back-stories. The main story is an early Gamache case in which a prostitute is killed and her two kids are … Continue reading →
Three recently read books are given short reviews here, at the end of April. Rumpole and the Primrose Path by John Mortimer All of the Rumpole books are excellent. They follow “an old Bailey hack” as he navigates defending clients accused of a variety of crimes. He staunchly believes in the adhering to the principle of everyone is innocent until proved guilty by a … Continue reading →
Gallows View is the first book in the Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson. There are 28 mystery books and they have won a number of awards in the period from 1987 to 2023. All of the stories take place in Eastvale, a fictional city in the Yorkshire Dales. Banks moved there from London for a quieter life, but with the number of murders … Continue reading →
There are times when I struggle with trying to finish a book. My general rule is to read the first third then decide whether to continue or not. there are a number of reasons to abandon a book. It can be uninteresting (to me). It can have poor writing. It can move interminably slowly. It may use literary gimmicks. It may be a … Continue reading →
Sidetracked is a novel in the Wallander series by Henning Mankell, translated from Swedish. The Ystad police force investigates a series of murders, seemingly unrelated. The author injects chapters seen from the killer’s perspective, limited in detail to keep the reader interested. Wallander and his team go down a number of avenues, all “sidetracks” without narrowing down a suspect. At the same time, Wallander is … Continue reading →
