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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Kill Zone by Harry Ledowsky

Kill Zone by Harry Ledowsky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From dealing with fallout from the Cold War in his first book Harry Ledowsky has moved onto the fallout from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a nuclear nation Pakistan scientists have developed a nuclear bomb in a small briefcase and is now in the hands of terrorists. This exciting thriller follows Major Ryan Nash as he works with the CIA to track down and recover the bomb before it is used. The author describes very clearly the problem with the secret services, there is too many secrets, lots of corruption and who can you really trust. This story got its hooks in from page one kept me captivated until the end. It has special services combat, black ops, double cross and treason, it has all the ingredients you need for a good thriller and Harry Ledowsky's recipe is first class. I like that for his second book characters are not repeated from his first. I look forward to the third book.

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Chasm by James Bruno

CHASM by James Bruno
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

As a West Wing fan I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book. It started slowly and this is the reason I have only rated it at 3 stars, so don't give up it gets much better. The storyline is very good with political wrong doing at the centre. The main characters are Mike Gallatin, an insurance investigator and Lisa Valko, a White House publicist, they meet each other as Mike investigates his daughter's close escape from serious injury. Chasm is a hidden operation to resettle war criminals in the US, as an easy way to remove a problem, and provide a peace dividend in the world's trouble spots. This novel makes you wonder what is actually hidden from sight in the US government, and how close this is to reality. James Bruno considers the age old problem of power corrupts and corrupts at the highest level. The corruption can also be very violent as the gains are taken at almost any cost. Even if this is only partially true, it is very scary

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Dark Side by Margaret Duffy

Dark Side: A Gillard and Langley British Police Procedural by Margaret Duffy
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

My status for this book is a lie, I have not read it, well not all of it, only three quarters and I reached my limit of frustration. A short format book was unfortunately not short enough. The writing style of Margaret Duffy I found, as another reviewer also suggested was challenging. The story was very difficult to follow and there was a total absence of hooks to keep your interest. This book would be a contender for a high score on the Hawking Index, for books that readers are most likely not to finish reading. The crime mystery is one in a series of featuring the Gillard and Langley partnership where one of their colleagues is the target of a drive by shooting in London. After the first chapter it becomes increasingly difficult to follow and understand who is who and where you are. It may be me and my expectations are set to high, but I don't think so.

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