The Skeleton Road by Val McDermid

The Skeleton Road by Val McDermid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Scottish murder mystery with Balkan roots. DCI Karen Pirie as the Historical Crimes Unit are sent to investigate a skeleton found in an old Edinburgh building. Short of immediate clues they call on forensics to aid with identification and start an investigation that takes them to Oxford and beyond. They quickly establish the victim from Croatia but with no apparent connections to the house in Edinburgh but an important General in the Balkan wars of the 1990's. The story is good however it good have been improved by omitting some of the background flashbacks which were overdone. It is also easy to see the author is Scottish and with the impending referendum appears to be insecure, as all things Scottish are also unnecessarliy overdone.


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Paying the Ferryman by Jane A. Adams

Paying the Ferryman: A Naomi Blake British Mystery by Jane A. Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Firstly before saying how entertaining the book was Jane Adams has tackled the thorny issue of domestic abuse / violence. She has painted a horrifying picture of the circle of violence a couple can get into and importantly how it affects their children physically and mentally. If this mirrors reality and I have no reason to doubt it then the message is clear, something has to change.

This is a Naomi Blake mystery but she is only in the background as a consultant. The main character is Inspector Ryan Steel who is charged with investigating the murder of a local family for what appears no apparent reason. As they assemble all the available evidence it is clear there is a link to organised crime families, but is this fallout between the families or some other reason. Excellent and gripping story if not very sad in places. I would recommend this to my friends.


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Rain Girl by Gabi Kreslehner

Rain Girl by Gabi Kreslehner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What seemed like a standard fatality on the autobahn turns into a difficult murder investigation for detectives Franza Oberwieser and partner Felix Herz. The crime scene is not only awash with rain but they have no witnesses. Piecing together scraps of information they establish the young girls indentity, this is the start of a long search for the truth about their victim who has a very complex past. The author adds to the mystery intertwining with Franza's own complex life and her daily struggle to understand herself. To release more information as the book progresses Gabi Kreslehner replays incidents as they happen but careful not to give away to much. It is fair to say this a pretty standard murder/mystery which could have done with a little more excitement but not bad.

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The Dark Meadow by Andrea Maria Schenkel

The Dark Meadow by Andrea Maria Schenkel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Zauner family is one of those families when it goes wrong it goes wrong, deserved or not deserved it happens. Afra the daughter is single and pregnant when she returns home, to the shame of her god fearing father. The story of disaster befalling the family is told using various accounts of witnesses and police involved, it is a lot to cram into this little novella. Translated from the original in German, the book is easy reading and apart from the locations and names you would never guess its origin. If I could have influenced the author I would have asked for a more exciting / thrilling conclusion as the ending is a little flat. Overall I liked the book and would select a full length novel by the author.

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Fall From Grace by Tim Weaver

Fall From Grace by Tim Weaver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is number five in the David Raker series by Tim Weaver, so I was a little hesitant about reading and understanding the characters and places. I should not have been worried, although part of a series it can stand alone as a novel in its own right. Adding lots of little details Tim Weaver greatly enhances the atmosphere of the story, drawing you into the investigation. Yes David Raker is an investigator of missing persons hired by Melanie Craw to find her father Leonard Franks. Franks a newly retried metropolitan policeman had settled in the moors of Devon with his wife Ellie, when suddenly he disappears into thin air. Puzzling from the start, as he went missing whilst getting logs for the fire, where could he go with no neighbours around for miles? David Raker has to unravel this mystery and find Franks.

The story is very well constructed, giving you very few clues as to what happened with the author carefully dictating your pace. Although full of little details it is very absorbing and is not short of surprises. The pace is gradually increased until you work out what has happened, and then you realise you have still an hour or more worth of reading left? Thoroughly good book and highly reccommended. I will be looking out for the earlier books in the series.

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Defector in Our Midst by Tom Fitzgerald

Defector in Our Midst by Tom Fitzgerald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The jihadists are at it again plotting destruction of the infidel, so don't be mislead by the title this is more like a "saboteur or spy in our midst". Myk McGrath a top rated CIA operative is assigned to case to track down terrorists planning the downfall of the US. They have kidnapped a Chinese scientist to work on a new weapon, can Chen Wu be found before the weapon can reek havoc. Myk is motivated by the appearance of Saji a terrorist he knows was responsible for his wife's death in the Madrid train attacks. The investigation however is slowed dramatically by realisation that the terrorists appear to have inside information. During his investigation Myk uncovers some of his own family history of which he knows very little, having never met or ever really known anything about his aunt Rachel and her relationship with his mother, this encourages further digging. The author Tom Fitzgerald has woven two stories ( family / work ) together to produce an outstanding action thriller that I found hard to put down.

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Lethal Code by Thomas Waite

Lethal Code by Thomas Waite
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This novel is for all those people who think there is no such thing as a computer virus, unleashing all the internet scaremongering in one go. Yes this might be fiction but if you have suffered a minor virus attack, ID theft or even web fraud, then this will hit home with devastating reality. Lana Elkins is the foremost expert in cyber security, and when they come under attack from an unknown group bent on the destruction of the USA, Lana is quickly drafted in to work with the security services, to locate and neutralise the attackers before they destroy America. The author Thomas Waite has crafted a storyline worthy of the best Hollywood blockbuster thrillers, including plenty of action and twist and turns of the plot to keep you riveted to the book. The pace is fast except for a section in the middle, my only reason for not awarding full marks. One of the hallmarks of a good thriller is when afterwards your mind is full of what ifs, what would I do if, what would the government do if. Would I be able to perform like some of the unlikely heroes of the book? . Excellent.

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