Shadows of Death by Jeanne M. Dams

Shadows of Death by Jeanne M. Dams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This my first Dorothy Martin mystery and may well be my last. I have stretched the rating to 3 stars, but to be very honest I struggled to stay the course. Written in the first person it is an unusual read, styled like a Miss Marple type mystery, and very slow pace with minimal excitment. Dorothy and her husband retired policeman Alan Nesbit travel to the Orkneys on holiday and get involved in a mysterious death. The whole story is set against the background of the islands neolithic history. The story is okay but lacks any real punch, dwelling too much on their dog Watson. The dog has no relevance that merits the attention given, although it does seek out two clues during the investigation. In summary I have been generous with 3 stars, but believe it will suit some readers looking for a mystery without thrills - not my choice.

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Paths of Courage by Mike Woodhams

Paths of Courage by Mike Woodhams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Looking for good fashioned espionage based action thriller, look no further. This story starts with action and does not stop until the conclusion, my type of book - pure entertainment. Omega team, an elite British black operations unit led by Frank Ryder, is given the task of tracking a deadly virus and retrieving a vaccine. To do this he has help from Grace Seymour a scientist from Porton Down. Whilst Omega are tracking the virus, the latest British hunter killer submarine is looking for a rogue Russian Delta sub. Are the two linked?

Mike Woodhams has to be congratulated for a superb book, like a 007 movie in type.

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The Defections by Hannah Michell

The Defections by Hannah Michell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not normally my genre, but attracted by the subject matter I decided to curb my need for thrills. As the title suggests the story is about defections, north Koreans going south, but primarily it describes the relationship of Mia, a British embassy translator obsessed with an attractive married diplomat named Thomas. To set up and layout the background of this story takes so long, that only a third remains when you start to get some real action. In this build up we are given an insight into the lives of not only Koreans affected by the division of the country, but also of the diplomats stationed there. With a lot of questions from her childhood unanswered it has left her as an outsider in her own family. Mia tries to overcome this by becoming totally absorbed in her ambition to better herself. Will she succeed in getting the answers she wants?

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