Dec 23, 2009 Posted by booktiger

Ritual – Mo Hayder

I like to read everything. I will sit down and read Dostoyevsky as soon as I will read James Patterson. Ritual was at the James Patterson end of the spectrum and that doesn’t mean its a bad thing. It was an easy read, with a page turning plot, characters that weren’t too complicated or deep and an ending that kept you guessing most of the time, although the false clue was a little obvious. Two... read more

Mar 25, 2009 Posted by booktiger

Beat The Reaper – Josh Bazell

A single word came to my head when I finished this book. Wow. What a ride. This was a clever combination of graphic violence, black humour, thrills and empathy and it was a story which just kept you on the edge of your seat. For a first novel, it is an explosion from an author who has a fantastic way with words, the ability to craft strong characters and a knack for painting an image which is sometimes... read more

Feb 3, 2009 Posted by booktiger

The Portrait of Mrs Charbuque – Jeffrey Ford

Combine an unusual plot with a beautifully written book, and you are sure to have a winning combination. Jeffrey Ford managed to achieve that in The Portrait of Mrs Charbuque with only a few minor flaws. This was a book exploring madness and obsession, mystery and unhappiness, all put together in a nineteenth century setting that was completely believable and completely gorgeous. This is the story of an... read more

Dec 4, 2008 Posted by booktiger

Killing Me Softly – Nicci French

Hmmm. I wanted a light read which I could easily get finished before I headed back home to Australia for Christmas next week. There is nothing worse than being halfway through a book and then agonising over whether you take it (and risk finishing it halfway across the  world, leaving you with nothing to read) or whether you wait for three weeks until your return so you can take a new book especially for... read more

Jun 19, 2008 Posted by Nancy Williams

The Righteous Men – Sam Bourne

Not long after Dan Brown skyrocketed to success with The Da Vinci Code, there arose a plethora of “Da Vinci Code clones”. You can always tell them because the reviewers comments on the front or back cover usually say something like “a rival to Dan Brown” which suggests that the book is going to involved some kind of ancient religious tradition and a page turning thriller. The... read more

Apr 23, 2008 Posted by Nancy Williams

Child 44 – Tom Rob Smith

Child 44 is Tom Rob Smith’s first novel, and it is an incredible way to launch one’s career as a suspense writer. Set in the Soviet Union in the 1950s and connected with real events, the book is intensely disturbing and totally gripping at the same time. What struck me most was how terrible the life was for every citizen of the Soviet Union under Stalin. It was like a different world and it... read more

Jan 4, 2008 Posted by Nancy Williams

The Woman In the Fifth – Douglas Kennedy

If you’ve ever seen From Dusk Till Dawn and loved it, then you are going to love this book. Of course, it will probably only have that fantastic effect of complete surprise the first time you read it, but once you have finished you will keep thinking back and smiling. And no, before you ask, it has nothing to do with vampires… Harry Ricks has fallen on some difficult times. Actually, difficult... read more