The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly

The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A lot of readers seem to miss the point of this book, it is one hundred percent entertainment. If you ponder to much on whether or not it could be true you are wasting energy, it is fiction. The author has written a fantastic story all senses of the word but it is fast moving, lots of action and a credible plot. We all know the Chinese want to proud of their nation and will go to extremes to demonstrate it. It is a bit like the Great Wall of China, we know it is real but your mind struggles to get around how they built it. This story is a bit like this, they have kept a secret for forty years, how could no one know? Matthew Reilly cleverly exploits all the advancement in technology and wealth that China has made in recent years to turn out one of the most enjoyable books I have read recently.

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The Hangman's Song by James Oswald

The Hangman's Song by James Oswald
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Mysterious hangings capture Tony McLean's attention in James Oswald' third offering in this series. Unfortunately for Tony his colleagues are looking for the easy life and dismiss them as regular suicides. At this point you are brought up to date with history relevant to this story obviously from the first two novels, it is done well with the author only providing the minimum information required to make sense. James Oswald paints a very graphic picture of the crime scenes and you almost feel as if you are there. Death and injury seems to personally follow Tony McLean and this book is no different, his life is continually being shattered by unfortunate happenings. Overall this is not a bad murder / detective mystery, I would have preferred however a different approach to the ending.

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Dead Simple by Shirley Wells

Dead Simple by Shirley Wells
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

We have all read crime novels featuring a retired or disgraced policeman turned private investigator, well here is another one. Dylan Scott however was a disgraced policeman taking the blame for someone else. A informant / friend from his police days is found dead, murdered in his own flat, as Simple Stevie had no enemies, Dylan was determined to give some payback and find out who killed Stevie. Although slow to start the novel starts to pick up with Dylan compiling his list of suspects, little did he know his investigations would lead him into the world of football and politics in the same case. The story develops further with twists and turns but the clues are there. A very good murder mystery which could easily be turned into a good TV series.

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Captured by Neil Cross

Captured by Neil Cross
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kenny Drummond finds out he only has a few weeks to live due an aggressive brain tumor. With this information Kenny relives his life and writes a list of the the people he has not thanked for helping him in the past. His childhood love is on the list as she was the only person ever to be nice to him in junior school, however Callie Barton proves to be difficult to track down. Enlisting some help Kenny is determined to find out where Callie is but finds out more than expected. Kenny's condition allows the author to consider more extreme reactions to the obstacles placed in front of his quest. If you look at the front cover you will get some clues as to how extreme this dying quest is. This is a good murder mystery novel and compelling reading.

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Hades by Candice Fox

Hades by Candice Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As brother and sister relationships go this is a strange one, Eric and Eden Archer are police detectives in Sydney. When Eden lost her partner he is replaced by Frank Bennett the main character. They are called to an incident of attempted murder at the harbour and a grisly murder scene is discovered. It turns out that there must be a serial murdering surgeon on the loose. As Frank and Eden investigate the case, Frank becomes curious about Eric and Eden's background, and starts his own little investigation unearthing some strange things. The author fills in the gaps about the siblings to keep pace with Franks own questions. It all builds to a great climax and is delivered in an way to read style although the fill in parts could have been identified better. Good crime thriller.

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Death by Blue Water by Kait Carson

Death by Blue Water. A Hayden Kent Mystery by Kait Carson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Florida Keys, white sandy beaches, crystal clear blue water, sounds like paradise, ideal for scuba diving, but is it? Hayden Kent a paralegal is diving when she swims into a dead body at her favourite dive. Okay all she has to do is report it and the police will take it from there. No, nothing is that simple, she is implicated and it becomes even more difficult when she cannot remember what she was doing when the victim was killed. Yes murder, greed, and corruption can happen in paradise. How can Hayden get herself out of this? The author Kait Carson builds a very good plot giving only small clues as to the final outcome, leaving plenty of room for you to develop your own ideas. This is not the most riveting read, but it is easy reading and good entertainment.

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Intrusion by Reece Hirsch

Intrusion by Reece Hirsch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We all Google something everyday and hear or read about the size and power of Google, now you can read a thriller based on theft from a fictional Google caller Zapper. Chris Bruen a security and privacy lawyer at a law firm, is called in to investigate a hack into Zapper. Being a very hands on investigator Chris and his colleague Zoey have narrowed down the culprits and he decides to make a visit. Be warned this is not just a cybercrime investigation, Reece Hirsch has given us the whole shooting match - killings, greed, power, deadly pursuits and story twists all go to making an excellent thriller. The author has drawn on his professional background in writing this book and it shows, it is well written and gives you the impression that it is not all fiction and could be very real. This is one of my favourites of the year so far and could feature in my top 5 selection.

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