Book Reviews

Other pages about books Autobiography/Biography True Crime Aikido Books by Carl Stratmann General Reviews	A Free Man of Colour by Barbara Hambly The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis. The Shadow Man by John Katzenbach The Chimney Sweeper's Boy by Barbara Vine The Brimstone Wedding by Barbara Vine
BUY the BOOK (UK)	A Free Man of Colour by Barbara Hambly Set in New Orleans in 1833, this is a murder mystery whose hero, Benjamin January is a Creole, once a physician abroad, now a music teacher. In the midst of the Mardi Gras ball, a notorious courtesan is strangled, and January finds himself under suspicion. As in her earlier books, Hambly paints a detailed picture of a fascinating environment, so complex that at first it took me longer than usual to "get into" the book, as it was necessary to understand the rules of the society in order to appreciate how people behaved. It also, at first, required some concentration to keep track of the many characters. One who stood out was the policeman, Abishag Shaw, a man of honour if not if hygiene. However, the book does repay perseverance, and there are some superbly written scenes, surprises and a well thought-out conclusion. A sequel, Fever Season, is on its way. (Linda)
BUY the BOOK!	Back to top The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis. If you like stylishly written murder mystery with a historical twist, look no further. This is the first book in a series of whodunnits set in ancient Rome. There is a Raymond Chandler-like quality to the series - the down-at-heel private eye walking the mean streets, the glamorous senator's daughter, the shady characters - and yet it has its own humorous-cynical style. These are not books to skim through quickly just to understand the plot, these are books with lines to savour and enjoy. Highly recommended. (Linda)
BUY the BOOK!	Back to top The Shadow Man by John Katzenbach In war-torn Berlin he hunted Jews and handed them over to the Nazis. Few ever saw his face and lived. Now, 50 years later, in Florida, survivors of the Holocaust live in terror. No-one will believe them, but they know they have seen the Shadow Man, and one by one, they are dying. More than a thriller, much much more than a "cop" novel, this book is lifted out of the ordinary by its chilling story and quality writing. *(Linda)*
BUY THE BOOK!	The Chimney Sweeper's Boy by Ruth Rendell writing as Barbara Vine Ruth Rendell is probably best known for her Inspector Wexford mysteries, a thoroughly entertaining and satisfying series of traditional-style detective fiction. She chooses to write as Barbara Vine for an entirely different genre, the psychological mystery. Crime is still involved, but these books are more like voyages of discovery. The Chimney Sweeper's Boy is written from the point of view of two women, Sarah Candless, the elder daughter of a highly acclaimed writer, Gerald, and her mother Ursula. When Gerald dies of a heart attack Sarah is asked to write a memoir, and soon discovers to her great dismay that most of the accepted facts about his early life are untrue - worse, he was not Gerald Candless at all. Sarah's search for her father's true identity and the reason why he re-invented himself, form the core of the book, interleaved with Ursula's memories of her husband which she dare not tell Sarah and which provide further clues. Details of his semi-autobiographical novels provide more tantalising glimpses. As with all of Barbara Vine's books, I found myself totally involved in the mystery, and read on compulsively in the certain knowledge that she never leaves a loose thread. Every hint, every clue, is carefully seeded, and there for all to see, and in the end, every knot is neatly tied.
Buy the Book!	The Brimstone Wedding by Ruth Rendell, writing as Barbara Vine. Stella, dying in a proud faded elegance, has a dark secret. Jenny, her young care assistant, is drawn into a sympathetic relationship during which Stella gradually reveals the past. Jenny has her secrets, too, the emptiness of her marriage, and the overwhelmingly loving and fulfilling affair with Ned. Jenny uses Stella's long abandoned house to meet her lover, and here she discovers tantalising clues - for Stella had a lover too, Alan, whom she brought to the house. But what became of Gilda, Alan's wife, a failed and ageing actress who unaccountably disappeared? Past and present are woven together like a carefully crafted tapestry where the picture is gradually revealed, but as with all Ruth Rendell's books, you know there will be no holes, and there are surprises right up to the last page.

NEW	Black Notice by Patricia Cornwell
	Ode to a Banker by Lindsey Davis
Recently re-issued - the book of the film The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. Order from the UK Order from the USA
Road Rage by Ruth Rendell