Blood of a Stone by Jeanne Lyet Gassman

Blood of a Stone by Jeanne Lyet Gassman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Demetrios the lead character, a young man violently abused by his father, is sold into slavery in Palestine during the time of Jesus and his movement. Initiated by a horrific assault by his Roman master, Demetrois escapes slavery with his friend and companion Elazar to start a new life as a trader and caravan driver. It is during this time that he struggles with his past life and is tormented by nightmares and visions. This journey is main theme of the book and is more of a moral lesson than a thriller/ mystery. It is not really my type of book and purely coincidental that I read it just before Easter. I would like to award it half marks at two and half stars but unfortunately that is not possible. It covers quite a range of moral issues from the slavery to religion but in the end there are no miracles only an okay book.

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The Dead Key by DM Pulley

The Dead Key by D.M. Pulley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Newly qualified engineer Iris Latch is assigned a job working in an old disused tower block, the old home of a now defunct bank. Intrigued by the abandoned items in the bank, Iris begins to discover interesting and compelling history of the bank. This history is detailed in alternating storylines past and present, and introduces the main character from the past, Beatrice. The deeper Iris digs the deeper she falls into trouble as does Beatrice in the past. It is an interesting story of greed power and corruption which ends in a fairly predictable outcome, but this does not spoil your enjoyment as you read on to confirm your predictions. It is not a big thriller but does provide most of the element of a good mystery story, not bad.

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Follow the Leader by Mel Sherratt

Follow The Leader by Mel Sherratt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is not a murder mystery but a police procedural story following the solving of the murders you have already been witness to. Patrick Morgan is the murderer, who as a young child was beaten and abused by his father, but also always the target of school bullying. Tasked as part of the team investigating the murders DS Allie Shenton was at the same school as Patrick but a few years younger, her sister Karen though was in that year but cannot help Allie, as she was left invalided after a viscious rape attack. If you think you are a good amateur sleuth then and you like guessing who dunnit, I would steer away from this story as there are no mysteries. The story is is purely the police investigation however it is a interesting read but not thrilling.

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The Demeter Code by Russell Brooks

The Demeter Code by Russell Brooks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a farming spook story, it may sound unappealing as a regular spy story, but add in the all the normal elements you expect like car chases, gun fights, big business corruption and national emergencies then it takes on a whole new look. CIA Agent Doctor Nita Parris working with Ridley Fox to run down an arms smuggling operation, uncover a plot with the potential to exceed 9/11 destruction by a factor of ten. It is a race against time and internal politics to save the nation from disaster. As with all 007 style adventures there is tech - in the shape of analyst Dewan Douglas who appears to have access to any system worldwide in an instant, all relayed to the agents in real time through their tiny ear buds. It sounds a little stretched, but like 007 it is entertaining and keeps the pace going. A good read but a little slow to get underway.

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