The Quiet Death of Thomas Quaid by Craig Russell

The Quiet Death of Thomas Quaid by Craig Russell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Set in 1950’s Glasgow this is a very atmospheric and funny novel with a great detective story. Tommy Quaid dies whilst undertaking a task for his friend Lennox, who as a private detective was already suspicious of the client, certain his death is not the tragic accident that the police think. Digging further into “Quiet Tommy’s” death he starts to uncover connections that leads him into trouble and using his network in the police and the criminal underworld he is determined to track down the killer. One of the attractive elements of Craig Russell’s writing style is his unique way he builds a very vivid picture of fifties Glasgow. Not only is it entertaining it is also educational with details of immigration and accents that created Glasgow’s special culture. Add all this to the excellent storyline and the exciting action involved in tracking the killer and you get an superb novel.

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Black Hills by Jennifer Schneider & Franklin Schneider

Black Hills by Jennifer Schneider
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Normally you find the detective in detective stories are generally “good” people and often ex-public servants police or military. Alice Riley bucks the trend, a drug user, a liar and cheat she is not the norm but does have a morality streak for good. Originally a journalist Alice is asked by a friend to investigate the arrest of her husband geologist working in the oil and gas fracking fields around Whitehurst in South Dakota. Very quickly Alice finds this place totally unlike home in New York, with prostitution and drug and alcohol use the norm for almost all who live there. This novel is packed with violence, sex, greed and corruption that always makes a good crime story. The style is very easy to read and does not contain that annoying extra text used to pad out some books. All in all, this is a very entertaining and fast moving read and would recommend it without hesitation.

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Serpents in the City by HN Wake

Serpents in the City by H.N. Wake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

CIA agent Mac Ambrose is back in the U.S. and is asked by her friend to investigate a sex scandal video blackmail on a sitting Senator. Still trying to normalise into life back home Mac starts to uncover that things are not what they seem. On the surface a large media organisation appears to be involved in the blackmail. As Mac is operating without authority she draws attention from her bosses who want to know more, complicating her investigation. She teams up with her old tech support and his girlfriend adding a humorous element to a very dangerous task. This book feeds off the politics that runs the US government, full of conspiracy, double dealing and cross agency mistrust. The author has written another very good story in this series, full of intrigue and complex scenarios. Not planned by the author, but the whole story could sit nicely unnoticed into the current Presidential campaign – scary.

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A Red Dotted Line by Simon Gervais

A Red Dotted Line by Simon Gervais
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

IMSI is a counterterrorism unit privately sponsored and only answerable to the President, as you would expect it is staffed by ex-government or military hired for their expertise, to protect American financial interests overseas. An event at Grand Central Station in New York brings the team into action and they start to chase terrorists around the world. The Sheik is the terrorist mastermind who could be responsible. Known to the team, their aim is to take him down having escaped justice last time. The task is complicated by the intelligence that the old Russian biological warfare department from the cold war has resurfaced. The plot is following on from a previous novel but stands well on its own, a quick pace and thrilling action makes it a very easy read. Simon Gervais is a new author to me and I am very impressed with his style and know I will reading his work again.


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Bullet in the Blue Sky by Bill Larkin

Bullet in the Blue Sky by Bill Larkin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Terrorism is a very big issue currently along with global warming and other environmental problems, this novel expertly ties it all together in a fast paced thriller with all the usual elements of corruption, greed, revenge and so on. A massive earthquake hits Los Angeles and small team of police detectives are tasked to find another detective Gavin Shaw. This seems straight forward however the team have to ignore their instincts and not stop on the way to help others caught in the devastation. The author paints a realistic but scary picture of pain and suffering which is only superseded by the violence of the gangs trying to exercise their authority. The story continues to reveal some very interesting twists and surprises ending with a very exciting conclusion. This is an extremely easy read and entertaining from start to finish. I read this on holiday on a sunbed, I thoroughly recommend it.

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Underground Airlines by Ben H Winters

Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

When I read the synopsis of this book I was excited by what to me was a totally new idea, however sometimes ideas are not executed too well. Admittedly slavery is a very difficult subject unless you are dealing with historical facts, but writing on slavery in an alternate future is not so easy. It is obviously very difficult to imagine slavery still legal in the the U.S. surviving all the changes over the years since the civil war. Putting all that aside the story is more akin to escaping POWs during World War 11. The central character in the story reflecting the determination of Steve McQueens role in the Great Escape. Doing everything necessary and not giving up. Victor takes this approach in his pursuit of escaped slaves “runners” for the US Marshall service but only to further his own freedom. Finally he gets the chance to be really free and not bound in any way, but at what cost?

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The Rare Earth Exchange by Bernard Besson

The Rare Earth Exchange by Bernard Besson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have always enjoyed the publications of Le French Book and this is no exception. Following a terrorist cyber-attack on an aircraft at Orly airport in Paris and the subsequent death of a former French president, the private investigation / intelligence company Fermatown is hired by the French Government to find out who is responsible. This is the second novel for the Fermatown team, it revolves around the very lucrative market trading of rare earth elements used in high tech industries, and the corruption which has spawned from it. Obviously knowing what I like to read, the author has developed a very good detective story, cleverly combining it with a plausible political conspiracy. Although the plot is complex, the style is easy to follow and captivating. Another very good story and translation from Le French Book.

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