November Book Reviews

The Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I'd heard a little about this series, and almost the whole lot were suddenly on sale for Kindle, so I picked this up for 99p with the idea of working out (before the end of the sale) whether I want to read the rest. Turns out, I don't. I found it really hard to get interested in the plot, the characters were shallow stereotypes who I didn't much care for, and I ended up skimming to get to the end.

66 Degrees North by Michael Ridpath

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was a fairly good read, but the story skipped around a lot in time and place. I read (and enjoyed) Where the Shadows Lie earlier in the year, so I was familiar with a number of the characters, but I felt that the balance was really off between the 'main' murder mystery plot of this novel and the ongoing sub-plot of Magnus' father's death. Too much time was spent on episodes from Magnus' family history, considering that this sub-plot hasn't been resolved yet; I would have prefered to read more detail on the current case, instead.

Shereen Travels Cheap by Shereen Rayle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book is a mixture of general principles and useful websites. The principles will remain useful, but I worry about the longevity of the web information. I also found that several useful websites were listed under multiple chapters (for example, a booking site which handles flights and hotels); this wasn't inaccurate but started to feel a little repetitive. Another minor niggle, as I was reading in ebook form, was that I rather wished the sites had been hyperlinked.

That said, there's a lot of good stuff in here. I'm fairly obsessive about getting good travel deals, but I still hadn't heard of all these sites. I found the chapter on cruise savings particularly interesting, as we have been considering booking our first cruise - but only if we can get a good enough deal. And Shereen is good at focusing on 'value' and not just headline costs.

Of course, if you really wanted to save your pennies, you could find all these ideas online - but this is a handy compendium and would be a great starting point for a beginning traveller. This is probably a really great gift for someone who's always saying that they would like to travel but can't afford a holiday.

The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was recommended to me, with the caveat that I should "ignore the homeopathy". That did sort of make me wonder what I was letting myself in for, but once I started reading, I realised that the homeopathy in this novel is just a type of fantasy magic - leading to some interesting discussion with the friend who suggested the book to me.

The novel focuses on Ariel, a PhD student studying thought experiments (in an English department). But her supervisor is missing, the university is falling down, and things only get weirder after that. Somehow everything is connected to an obscure book called The End of Mr Y, which Ariel finds in a second-hand bookshop. This is a really quick read with plenty of action, but along the way it manages to sneak in some interesting ideas about the nature of thought, language, and the universe. Definitely a bit different to standard fantasy fare, even while remaining basically a story of magical journeys to other worlds.

The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a fun mystery which I struggled to put down. The cast of characters with the complex relationships of the narrator and her family made for a classic 'country house' scenario - even though the first murder seemed to have nothing to do with Sophie. The ending was rather chaotic, but most of the loose ends were eventually tied up.

Shadow by Karin Alvtegen

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This book takes a very dim view of human nature. The story is intriguing but ultimately just depressing, with its focus on anguished writers, and subtext that art can only come from the unhappy and tortured soul. There are very few smpathetic chatacters -and those who appear,do so only briefly. Also, the Kindle version is entirely in italics, making it very hard to read.

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Anyone who has already invested hours of their life in the first two Song of Ice and Fire novels will almost certainly want to read this one, and anyone who hasn't would be lost within a few pages, so I'm not sure who I'm writing this review for. This is a good continuation of the series, although it loses focus for a while as everyone wanders around looking lost. But intricate schemes continue to evolve in all quarters, and we're left in an interesting position ready for the next one. (I still feel this is more like one very long book than a series with individual story arcs.)

The Secret Mandarin by Sara Sheridan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is a gentle historical adventure written, so far as I can tell, for people who don't like adventures. The setting is beautifully drawn and I very much enjoyed the rich Chinese backdrop, but most of the potential dangers stayed very much potential (in the head of the narrator-heroine) and those which materialised were then averted with ease. A pleasant read, but it could have been much more dramatic.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is another classic, the plot of which I've always known, but which I'd somehow failed to actually read until now. Wilde's prose is easy to read, and it's packed full of oft-quoted phrases, but sadly this wasn't really a gripping read. The beginning and end are enjoyable, but in the middle it wanders off into extensive descriprion of Dorian's obsessions with gems and embroidery, which lost my interest completely. I'm glad I've read it now, but I doubt I'll need to read it again.

Plague & Poison by Steven J. Pemberton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is the second novel in Steven Pemberton's "Barefoot Healer" series, and continues with the theme of magical mysteries. Our heroine Adramal has barely recovered from her adventures in the first book when things start to get "interesting" for her again, and a new sequence of adventures takes her to new places and new friends. This time her aptitude for trouble gets her to a plague-ridden village where her healing magic is seriously tested. I really enjoy this series, and can't wait for the next one to come out.

Chili Con Corpses by J.B. Stanley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I don't usually start a series in the middle, but this was a Kindle freebie, so I thought I'd give it a try. Apparently the 'Flab Five' have some experience of solving murders, but that didn't seem to help them much, and the whole thing rather stumbled towards its conclusion. The characters were quite engaging and the Mexican recipes made my mouth water, but I'd need to be convince the mystery would be better before I'd buy another.

Lye in Wait by Cricket McRae

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was a cute and enjoyable mystery that I picked up when it was free for Kindle. I liked the characters, and the precise unfolding of events kept me guessing to the end, though I was a little disappointed by the way it was resolved. I would read more in the series if they were less pricey (the sequel is currently £8!)