Notes of Life

… and I’m currently inbetween books.

Tonight I’ll be starting The Chemistry of Death by Simon Beckett. It’s the third book I’ll be reading for The Great Transworld Crime Caper. The Chemistry of Death is the first book in Simon Beckett’s David Hunter series and I’m really looking forward to it. The funny thing is, I’ve also got the 4th and latest book in the David Hunter series, The Calling of the Grave, waiting for me to read and review. So look out for both reviews soon!

The last book I read was Strangers on the 16.02 by Priya Basil. It’s a Quick Reads book and I read it in one go last night at bedtime. My review of the book and a little information about Quick Reads should be up here tomorrow.

As its the end of the month, I thought I’d share with you the books I’ve reviewed this month (click on the appropriate title to read the review):

4th February – Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
9th February – Birdman by Mo Hayder
19th February – Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
21st February – The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
27th February – Hanging Hill by Mo Hayder

4 out of 5 of the books are crime novels and, looking at the books I’m planning to read, that theme will be continuing in March.

In other news… I’ve got the day off work on Friday and I’m planning a day trip to Hay-on-Wye. Despite it being here in Mid Wales, I’ve never been before. The town is a world-famous for its bookshops… apparently there’s around 30 of them in and around the town! I’m definitely going to be in my element. Come Friday afternoon I may also be penniless! Hay-on-Wye is also home to the Hay Festival (in May/June), which I keep meaning to go to. I just hope it’s dry on Friday!

Posted for It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? Why not join in?!

P.S. - I’ve just added Google Friend Connect to the sidebar (at the bottom), so feel free to add yourself!

Author: Mo Hayder
Publisher: Transworld Publishers
ISBN: 9780593063835

Sisters Zoe and Sally find themselves in situations worse than they could ever have imagined…

A teenage girl has gone missing and her dead body is found on a canal tow path in disturbing circumstances. It’s up to Zoe (a detective inspector) and her team to find the murderer. However, Zoe’s past hides a crippling secret which the case threatens to expose. Can Zoe solve the case without it destroying her?

Sally is divorced, in financial difficulties and bringing up a teenage daughter who isn’t helping matters. Desperate, Sally ends up working for a dangerous criminal involved in the world of extreme pornography and she finds herself doing things she never thought possible. Can Sally keep her daughter safe and stop her own life from spiraling out of control?

In Hanging Hill, Mo Hayder weaves together several strands into one terrifying story. Sally and Zoe haven’t had much to do with each other since an incident in their childhood and the story jumps between the two sisters’ lives as they are gradually drawn together by the murder case.

Hanging Hill builds momentum as it goes along. Something happens mid-way through the book and the story becomes even more gripping. I read most of that half in one go. There’s plenty of twists and turns and suspense, as well as a few gruesome scenes. This is typical Mo Hayder territory and she does it very well.

I wouldn’t say the ending was a cliffhanger, but it certainly leaves you thinking “What?! Noo!”. (Actually, I think I may have said it out loud!). Without going into detail… just when you think something is all wrapped up, it isn’t. I didn’t see it the ending coming and what happens right at the end is left up to the reader’s imagination.

Having now read three Mo Hayder books and enjoyed them all, I’m most definitely a fan. I’d definitely recommend Hanging Hill.

This is one hell of a book!

Hanging Hill by Mo Hayder is released on 14th April 2011.

Pre-order your copy now at the Book Depository.

Mo Hayder is a British author of crime & thriller novels.

This book is the 5th I’ve read for the British Books Challenge 2011.

—————————-

Please note: I received this book free from Transworld Publishers. However, this in no way influenced my opinion of the book.

Author: Tess Gerritsen
Publisher: Transworld Publishers
ISBN: 978-0-553-82455-1

Catherine Cordell has rebuilt her life in Boston after having been subjected to a horrifying rape and then shooting her attacker two years previously. But her life is about to be turned upside-down again when the Boston homicide detectives discover a killer who seems to emulate the attacker she shot. With a killer on the loose who targets lone women and subjects them to torture before finally killing them, no woman is safe… especially Catherine Cordell.

The Surgeon is the first book in the Tess Gerritsen’s Rizzoli and Isles series, although Rizzoli is only a secondary character in this book (which I’m sure would annoy the character as she’s trying to stand proud in a man’s world!) and Isles doesn’t feature at all. In fact, Rizzoli’s colleague Thomas Moore and Catherine Cordell are the main characters in this book, though we do get to know Rizzoli too. We also get an bit of insight into the killer’s mind, with snippets here and there, without giving too much away.

What with women being tortured and murdered, as well as some detailed trauma room scenes, this isn’t for the squeamish or faint-hearted. However, the gruesome scenes do come across as authentic and well researched, and they are fairly detailed. I should note that Tess Gerritsen doesn’t go overboard – the scenes aren’t gratuitous, they are there to tell the story.

I did find that there were one or two words (medical terms and crime terms) that I didn’t know, but then I find that common in crime books and TV series. While I didn’t know what the odd word meant, I usually found that I could work it out and it didn’t detract from the well-paced story.

This is the first Tess Gerritsen book that I’ve read and it certainly won’t be the last. I found The Surgeon so gripping that I read it in a day. I just had to keep turning those pages to find out what happened next. I couldn’t put it down! This looks to be the beginning of a great series. I only wish I’d picked up her latest book when she was doing a signing at Waterstones in Shrewsbury..

Want a gripping crime thriller that you can’t put down? Get The Surgeon!

Buy The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen at the Book Depository.

—————————-

Please note: I received this book free from Transworld Publishers as part of The Great Transworld Crime Caper. However, this in no way influenced my opinion of the book.

Author: Ben Aaronovitch
Publisher: Gollancz
ISBN: 978-0575097568
ASIN: B004K1EC1S

Rivers of London follows Peter Grant, a probationary police constable working for the Metropolitan Police Service in London. His career makes an unexpected change of course when, in pursuance of a murder investigation, he tries taking a witness statement from a ghost! Peter then comes to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England, and is turned Detective Constable and trainee wizard (not something he’d ever imagined he’d become!). Peter’s job has just become even more complicated, with a vengeful, murderous spirit and ghosts, vampires and gods & goddesses to contend with, London has just got chaotic.

I spotted this book on the Orion website a while back and, having read the synopsis, I just knew I had to read it. I like crime novels and urban fantasy and this is both mixed together so I thought it would be right up my street.

So, having judged a book by its synopsis, did I pick a “good’un”? Yes, I did!

The main character of Peter Grant is a likeable, jack-the-lad-type, someone you’d call a typical bloke. The story is told from his perspective and so we get a few comments about wanting to bed his female colleague Leslie and such. You certainly get to know him well.

The author is very knowledgeable about London and this comes across well in the book. I know the centre of London fairly well and so I was able to picture some of the places in the story. Although, my favourite part was when the story starts going back through time and we see (well, “imagine” as we read) London change as it goes back in time.

Rivers of London is pretty much “all go” from the start. It had me wanting to read on and on, even to the point of finding myself having to put it down because my eyes were involuntarily going to sleep!

I found the story to be a nice mix of urban fantasy and crime. I’d say it’s more of a crime book, but it’s the crime that is urban fantasy! If you like your folklore, then this book has some of that for you too (the title of the book may give you a hint as to what kind of folklore). This isn’t a novel that takes itself too seriously either, it certainly made me chuckle a few times.

I have heard of one or two comparisons with The Dresden Files and I can see why. The Dresden Files are set mainly in a city (Chicago), its main character is a wizard, he works with the police and fancies his colleague, and is witty. Rivers of London is set mainly in a city (you’ve guessed it, London), its main character is a trainee wizard, he’s a policeman and fancies his colleague and it witty. However, Rivers of London is not The Dresden Files and it stands proud by itself as its own story. I think what I’m trying to say is that fans of The Dresden Files will more than likely find that Rivers of London is a great read too.

I loved reading Rivers of London and was glad to find out that there’s a second book out in April featuring its main character Peter Grant, called Moon Over Soho.

Just a quick note for my US friends: Rivers of London is called Mightnight Riot in the US.

Still need convincing that this book is for you? Read an extract of Rivers of London on the publisher’s website.

Buy Rivers of London (UK) or Midnight Riot (US) at the Book Depository.

Ben Aaronovitch is a British author, TV script writer and bookseller.

This book is the 4th I’ve read for the British Book Challenge 2011.

… and I’m currently reading Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch on my Kindle.

Rivers of London is published as Midnight Riot in the US (Not sure why!). The covers couldn’t get much different… The UK one (on the left) is kind of quirky, while the US one (on the right) gives a more action/magic feel to it.

Rivers of London is an urban fantasy/crime novel and I was attracted to it having read the synopsis on the Orion website.

The synopsis:

I’m about one-third of the way through at the moment and I’m enjoying it so far. You can read an extract for the book (in other words – the first chapter) at the Orion Publishing Group’s website and see if you’re also tempted to read Rivers of London (or Midnight Riot – depending on where you’re buying the book!).

What will I read next?

Well, Tess Gerritsen‘s The Surgeon arrived today. It’s my second book for The Great Transworld Crime Caper, so I think it’ll be the next book that I read. I had to choose this book as one of my three for the challenge – Last year Tess had been signing books in my nearest Waterstones, but I didn’t get one as I hadn’t read any of her books at that point and I’ve regretted it ever since.

I seem to be on quite a crime-kick bookwise at the moment. Rivers of London is my 4th crime novel in 6 weeks and I’ve already got a few others lined up to read in the next few weeks!

Posted for It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? Why not join in?!