Aeschylus by David Barclay

The Aeschylus by David Barclay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

We have had a few oil platform disasters over the years but this is something totally different. This offshore platform workforce disappears without trace and the Valley Oil Corporation sends an investigation team to the south Atlantic to find out more. You obviously think about the Bermuda Triangle but when they find a tentacle like fungus enveloping the platform questions need to be answered. The author slowly builds up the tension by releasing more and more details of the history that has been hidden for years. Good story with good action, excitement and twists.

View all my reviews

Tom Clancy's Oath of Office by Marc Cameron

Tom Clancy's Oath of Office by Marc Cameron
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I like Tom Clancy but this did not quite hit the same mark. Yes using Clancy characters it had great potential however the compulsive page turning was not there. A good story but the writing did not have the same pull, but if turned into a screenplay for a movie I think it would do a lot better. In the end, excitement was very limited and not throughout. As ever this is my opinion and real fans of Clancy may go for it, but only deserving three stars.

View all my reviews

Our Friends in Berlin by Anthony Quinn

Our Friends in Berlin by Anthony Quinn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

World War II spy story which I have enjoyed due to the combination of a good story and the atmospheric style of writing. Jack Hoste is a MI5 agent in a counterintelligence team working to nullify the Gestapo's efforts in the UK. The blitz is in full swing and he visits a marriage bureau trying to track down a target enemy agent. As the story unfolds, life during the war in London is illustrated very clearly through the clever use of the right words like " frightful, chummy and old boy". The story is very good with some twists but follows a well known formula which ensures a good read.

View all my reviews

Half Way Home by Hugh Howey

Half Way Home by Hugh Howey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I think you always have to be a bit of a Trekkie if you are going to appreciate a good sci fi novel. This one for me a Trekkie is great, totally new concept/idea for space colonisation. My only fault is like a lot of sci fi some things get left behind and are not updated e.g. mechanical engines, high tech seems to bypass them. Nonetheless I really enjoyed the story of how 15 year olds start an off world colony, give it a try.

View all my reviews

River Run by J.S. James

River Run by J.S. James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Great book for first novel although I was not a total fan of the style. The story line was excellent but was in my view overdone with local content related to river life, using many strange colloquialisms and slang to describe events and places. This aside plot is very good and executed with a good amount of thrilling action. You may have to be a hunter appreciate this fully as in this part of Oregon it appears to be all that matters to some. The author also clearly shows the flaws in the local policing system system in the US with little or no oversight on their operations. All in all I think this is a great book for your first attempt, if only I had that talent.

View all my reviews

The Chemical Detective by Fiona Erskine

The Chemical Detective by Fiona Erskine
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A good up to date story of organised crime at it's worst. It is fiction however I am always amazed at the risks and violence that they undertake in pursuit of an illegal living. This is made more topical by the linking to Chernobyl following the success of the recent drama on TV. The story is easy to follow and on point the whole time - no complicated bios or flashbacks to contend with which in my mind is always good. There are one or two surprises and twists but in all it is a fast moving and exciting action adventure for Jaq Silver our chemical detective.

View all my reviews

Blood in the Dust by Bill Swiggs

Blood in the Dust by Bill Swiggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The gold rush in Victoria, Australia is the backdrop for this excellent story of Toby O'Rourke whose parents have been murdered by bushrangers raiding their small homestead. Not only do we get a great story of a young man maturing in the most difficult conditions and circumstance we also get a very real look at what life must have been like for those trying to build the new colonies of Australia. No cell phones, no TV, no internet, no electricity, no nothing - just imagine how you would fair in this environment, far less carve out a more comfortable life for yourself. Great book.

View all my reviews

Cold Storage by David Koepp

Cold Storage by David Koepp
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ever scared of going to the fridge, well you might think differently after reading this and might not look at mushrooms the same way again. After investigating a suspected bio-terror incident Roberto Diaz recovers a fungus which is stored in cold storage underground for eternity, or is it. I initially thought this story was going to be an endless series of lengthy character bios but once the essentials were in place the book went into top gear to the end. The author, like with Jurassic Park plays with the "what if" this time not extracting DNA from insects trapped in amber but a fungus sample from a Sky Lab experiment that returns home. It is this linking that provides the credibility needed to make it exciting and thrilling.

View all my reviews

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I suppose you could say this book has its ups and downs, but it has a lot more. An excellent thriller, which starts out as a search for a serial murderer morphing into something very different. Located in high rise Manhattan, New York the author plays on everyone's fear of lifts, what happens when they go wrong? Full of intrigue and unexpected twists the story is jam packed full of thrills and high level terror. As if New York had not already had enough terror, now there is a whole new scenario to contemplate which makes you want to take the stairs all time. Recommended

View all my reviews

By the Feet of Men

By the Feet of Men by Grant Price
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

World leaders need to read this book and understand what climate change will do. Grant Price's vision of the world after climate change has taken hold and really done some damage, is scary. With this back drop, this story describes the journey two "runners" make in a bid to save and restore the world as we know it. It is your future story of two truckers who are not making your regular delivery to the supermarkets, but delivering the future of the world. It is a very sobering story of a potential future scenario that no one wants to imagine but is entirely possible.

View all my reviews

Single Source by Peter Hanington

A Single Source by Peter Hanington
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Arab Spring was a media dream, the only story, you had to be there. William Carver however finds out some disturbing truths and starts to track them despite the protests of his editor. Yes there is always money to be made where there is unrest. The story centres on two schemes both common, illegal and international. Corruption and people trafficking. The most harrowing is the story of two brothers making the trip from Eritrea to Europe and describes in some details the horrors the thousands pay large sums of money to undertake. The book is using real life events and opening up the details of events going on from day to day in the real world.

View all my reviews

Goodbye Paris by Mike Bond

Goodbye Paris by Mike Bond
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a great book with normal special forces action and thrills, but what makes it great is the integration of Islamic terrorism. The author cleverly avoids tagging every Muslim a terrorist but shows them as terrorist who have hijacked a religion. Paris could be doomed with report that Mustapha has arrived or is about arrive and could only mean trouble. Not only does it provides exciting action, it also raises some important questions for European societies on how the surge in Islamic migrants are integrated into local cultures or prevented from entry. The terrorists have been able to hide easily without restriction and this is multiplying the danger, sobering.

View all my reviews

Tokyo Firewall by Elizabeth Wilkerson

Tokyo Firewall: a novel of international suspense by Elizabeth Wilkerson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sadly this could have been a five star book but the author made the character appear to be a bit thick and naive for the hot shot lawyer she was meant to be. The plot was fine but it became apparent very early on that Allison was not the one in trouble and all the suspense was dissipated. The book however was entertaining enough to give three stars. I did like the trawl through old tech of dial up computing, bringing back memories of myself travelling and using the old tech. Perhaps if the author had concentrated more on the suspense it would have been worthy of better praise.

View all my reviews

One way by S. J. Morden

One Way by S.J. Morden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great combination for me, greedy corporations and Sci Fi. The story has an unusual setting - Mars but the motives and competing agendas are fairly regular. Convicts are recruited to swap there life sentences for life on Mars building the first base there. The story follows Frank Kittridge and his interaction with the other convicts and the only company man Brack. It moves along at a quick pace even although the storyline spans years but retains adventure, mystery and twists all the way. Interestingly the author also paints a realistic picture of what life on Mars may be like for the first residents. Recommended

View all my reviews

The Island by Ragnar Jonasson

The Island by Ragnar Jónasson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is perfect example of Nordic Noir. Set in Iceland Hulda is a police detective who picks up an unusual case of a suspicious death on a uninhabited island. It has to be one four friends as no one else was on the island or was there. The writing is very smooth and easy to follow building the tension as it goes without giving any major clues. Yes it is just a glorified "who done it" but it combines it with the problems of life in Iceland, long days or nights and the struggle with mental health. Unfortunately I expected more thrills hence only three stars but it was entertaining nonetheless.

View all my reviews

Out of the Dark by Gregg Hurwitz

Out of the Dark by Gregg Hurwitz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My type of book, dark dealings by the executive. With fake news getting a very high profile it makes you wonder what are they hiding. This book explores one of those dark programmes that no one has responsibility for but this one was the baby of the current Potus when he was at the DOD. Orphans taken from their foster homes and turned into killing machines. Orphan X decides that he is under threat if he himself does not remove the controller - the president. This is a well written story of evil turned to good or at least that what we hope. Thrilling throughout with some great action. Recommended .

View all my reviews

Secret Service by Tom Bradby

Secret Service by Tom Bradby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kate an agent on the Russia desk in MI6 is convinced there is a mole in her office but who is it. Good spy thriller with action and surprising twists. The author makes it a very easy read, no complications or complex plots. The book explores the delicate relationships between Russia and other states showing how these relationships are shrouded in total mistrust. Not your George Smilely novel but for me a better alternative and more entertaining.

View all my reviews

Sound of a Furious Sky by H.N. Wake

Sound of a Furious Sky by H.N. Wake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a new series from HN Wake, with a great new character in Domini Walker a FBI agent. Just returning to work from a break following completion of a high profile case she is given a missing person case to ease her back into things. What appeared to be an easy case soon escalates into something much bigger and more complex. The author has not lost his skill in providing a great storyline in a very easy to read style. Like other HN Wake novels this is exciting with thrills and plot twists. If you have not read this author before this would be a great place to start. Recommended

View all my reviews

Gone by Midnight by Candice Fox

Gone by Midnight by Candice Fox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Crimson Lake series just gets better and better. The odd partnership between Ted Conkaffey and Amanda Pharrell works well adding new dimensions to the regular detective stories. This time the pair are investigating the disappearance of a young boy from his hotel bedroom whilst Ted gets to grips with the first stay over visit form his daughter Lillian. You will be gripped from the start by this thriller wondering what will happen next and to whom. Candice Fox has a very easy writing style and develops the plot in such a way it is difficult to put down until complete. Don't think you have it all worked out because this book is action and thrills the whole way. Excellent.

View all my reviews

The Chesnut Man by Søren Sveistrup

The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I don't know if it is the translation or the original writing, but I just could not get used to the writing style. It forced me on a few occasions to reread certain sections, as I was struggling to make sense of it. In the end it was a good story albeit very gruesome with a few twists and turns. I did come close to giving up due to its disjointed nature, but glad I stuck it out to the end. In summary it came nowhere near my expectations for the author of the "Killing" series.

View all my reviews