July Book Reviews

The Case of the Missing Boyfriend by Nick Alexander

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book is nothing like my usual reading material, but it was cheap on Amazon and had good reviews, so I thought I'd give it a try. And I'm really glad I did. CC is in advertising, but she'd prefer to be in a smallholding in the country - she just thinks it'd be lonely on her own. Some scenes are laugh-out-loud funny (the gallery, for instance) and others are poignant and sad. Our main character is likeable if slightly hopeless, she struggles without seeming pathetic, and I was hoping she'd find her 'missing boyfriend' or realise she could change her life without him. I won't give the ending away, though!

Haunting Refrain by Ellis Vidler

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I found the beginning of this novel a little abrupt (if a beginning can be abrupt!) as it starts from the very first scene with Kate's discovery of her psychic ability. This makes it rather harder to fill in a clear picture of what Kate was like before her life changes - a pity, as that's what she wants to get back to, and what we want for her. Once it gets going, though, it improves a lot. It's a tense read with a sweet romantic subplot that develops very smoothly. The paranormal element, while central to the plot, is incidental to the character development; if there are to be more books in this series, I'd love to see further development of how Kate's 'gift' affects her personal relationships, since it must be very strange to have sudden insights into, for instance, a partner or friend.

The Meaning of Isolated Objects by Billie Hinton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Do you have authors whose work you ration, forcing yourself to find breathing space in other books between times, lest you read their entire bibliography back-to-back in only a few days? I do, which is the only reason I haven't yet read everything Billie Hinton has written.

The drama in this novel comes from the interplay of complex and highly flawed characters as much as from the plot. Scott struggles to overcome his past as his daughter takes her own route to come to terms with her childhood, and what she knows and what she imagines about her father.

The Gordian knot of human relationships is made into an even more inseperable tangle by the influence of remote viewing. In Hinton's imagining of the technique, viewing and interacting aren't entirely distinct, leading to a number of strange consequences (I won't spoil the plot by saying any more).

I found this book both gripping and charming; I didn't want to put it down. It had dark moments, but the overall tone was hopeful, shining a light on love as well as on pain and dysfunction.

Remix by Lexi Revellian

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was a quick read, and thoroughly enjoyable. The characters were lively if not always likeable, and the heroine Caz is sympathetic as she negotiates the strange twists her life is suddenly taking. I've already read Replica so I'll be waiting to see what's next from this author.

1222 by Anne Holt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The main character (and narrator) in this book is, at least in the beginning, almost entirely unsympathetic and unlikeable. She even admits as much. Get past that, however, and it's a classic Agatha Christie style mystery set in a Norwegian hotel, which is a winning combination. Stick with it past the first couple of "getting to know you" chapters and the pace really picks up, too.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I'd heard lots of good things about this book, but I was resisting: I don't enjoy waiting for the next book in a series, so I decided I'd wait until it was complete. And then I had a sudden longing for high fantasy, and my willpower collapsed. Now I foresee myself racing through the series, and waiting with everyone else for the next installment.

The world-building is complex in its politics and history, and fairly typical medieval-esque fare in other respects. Even down to the jousting knights, the social system is plucked from the pages of history. Which is fine; if every Martin had to develop every aspect afresh in the same level of detail, he'd never get a word written.

All 800+ pages of this novel (goodness, I was glad for my Kindle!) are really setting up the characters and situations for later books. If I have one minor gripe it's that the ending wasn't really an ending: stopping here simply isn't an option. But it's masterfully done, with sympathetic figures on all sides (and a few less sympathetic ones to add colour). I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

Last Train from Liguria by Christine Dwyer Hickey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I saw this reviewed on a friend's blog, so when it popped up on my Kindle with a sale price, the name rang a bell and I bought it. I wasn't sure what to expect, really, but I did enjoy the book. It was less plot-driven than my usual reading matter; the titular train journey doesn't even get going until the last quarter of the book. I found the style a little choppy, but I loved all the evocative descriptions of Italy, and the slowly developing tension of the pre-war society. Definitely worth a read.

Blueberry Muffin Murder by Joanne Fluke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I'm still really enjoying this series. The Lake Eden winter routine is familiar now, and its residents are starting to feel like old friends. But there are also plenty of new faces in this installment, as a celebrity chef comes to town with her retinue. The basic formula is the same as the earlier books but it works for me, there are always enough twists and turns along the way to keep me guessing. And I do like the way that Hannah's mother despairs every time her daughter finds another body!

Lemon Meringue Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Although this was a fun, fast read in the style of the series, I was a little disappointed. There has always been a balance between the murder mystery plot and Hannah's personal sub-plots, but in this book I felt that only a small part of the story actually dealt with the investigation. Everyone mills around with no ideas to pursue for quite a while, and when Hannah eventually finds a clue, it feels more like luck than anything. Meanwhile, Hannah is fretting about her two competing boyfriends, while her mother is just trying to hurry along a wedding to either bloke. Diverting but could have been better.

View all my reviews