GODS BEHAVING BADLY

TITLE: GODS BEHAVING BADLY
AUTHOR: MARIE PHILLIPS
Pages: 277
Date: 20/01/2008
Grade: 5-
Library

The Greek Gods of Ancient times are not what they used to be, and a group of them are living in a dilapidated house in London, trying to keep the existence going.
When Aphrodite gets her son, Eros, to shoot one of his arrows at Apollo so that he will fall in love with a mortal, she has no idea what sort of trouble she's starting.
But Alice, the mortal cleaner Apollo falls for, is immune to his charms, which leads to her death, which in turn leads to what might well be the end of the world.
It's up to Neil, Alice's would be boyfriend to become a hero and safe not only the woman he loves but also the world.
Fun, clever and highly original, this book was a very pleasant surprise.

THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH

TITLE: THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH
AUTHOR: SIMON BECKETT
Pages: 419
Date: 19/01/2008
Grade: 5+
Details: nr. 1 David Hunter Mystery
Own

Three years ago David Hunter left London and a carreer as a forensics expert to become a G.P in a remote Norfolk village.
He is still struggling with the tragedy that brought him there when the remains of the body of a local woman are found. Hunter really doesn't want to become involved, but when the police find out about his former profession he's left with no choice.
And when a second woman undergoes the same fate, he feels he has to help.
With the village in the grip of fear and suspicion things come to a head when the woman David was starting to get involved with disappears, and danger and enemies turn up in the most unexpected places.
Great mystery with fascinating characters and great detail.
I loved the article about the National Forensic Acadamy (Tennesee USA) that ended the book.

THE SUBTLE KNIFE

TITLE: THE SUBTLE KNIFE
AUTHOR: PHILLIP PULLMAN
Pages: 341
Date: 16/01/2008
Grade: 4.5
Detail: nr. 2 His Dark Materials trilogy
Own

Will in only 12 years old when he brings his mother to safety, takes some letters written by his father who disappeared when he was one, kills a man and leaves.
In Oxford, he finds a window into a different world, a place called Cittagazze, where adults are being hunted by Spectres and turned into empty shells. It's also where he meets Lyra, and although it takes a little while and some great danger, they discover that their purposes are linked.
When Will acquires the Subtle knife that will cut through everything, they set off on a journey to find Will's father and help Lord Asriel, all the while with danger close behind them and heartbreaking loss just around the corner.
I can't wait for part three and the conclusion.

THE MORE DECEIVED

TITLE: THE MORE DECEIVED
AUTHOR: DAVID ROBERTS
Pages: 246
Date: 14/01/2008
Grade: 4+
Details: nr. 5 Lord Edward Corinth & Verity Browne Mystery
Library

It's 1937 and Lord Edward is asked to look into a civil servant who has disappeared and to find out if government documents concerning the British rearmament are being leaked to Winston Churchill.
When the missing civil servant turns up dead, Edward decides to focus his investigations there, and a second murder only makes his investigation more urgent.
Meanwhile, Verity is in Spain reporting on the civil war, where Edward joins her, convinced she's in danger. Together they manage to survive the destruction of Guernica by German bombers.
Back in England the investigation continues, nearly claiming another life.
Not a bad mystery at all, but I do feel the author is trying to squeeze too much into one book; with aristocracy versus communism, German spies, the Spanish civil war and Churchill versus the government, nothing gets quite enough attention.

DOUBLE CROSS

TITLE: DOUBLE CROSS
AUTHOR: JAMES PATTERSON
Pages: 308
Date: 13/01/2008
Grade: 4.5
Details: nr. 13 Alex Cross Mystery
Own

Alex Cross has left the police and FBI to run his private practice, but is dating Brianna, who works for the Washington PD. And he's with her when she she's called in on a new case.
A woman has been brutally murdered in front of hundreds of people for no apparent reason other then publicity.
Only a few days later, the killer strikes again, this time literally on stage. Unable to stop himself and because the killer directs a message at him, Alex asks and is allowed to be part of the investigating team.
Then Alex' arch-enemy, Kyle Craig escapes from his high security prison, and now two psychopathic killers are targeting Alex. Killers between whom there may well be a connection.
As always a fast and furious read, but it did leave me questioning Alex' expertise as a psychologist and profiler. He was being played and completely missed it.

BURY HER DEEP

TITLE: BURY HER DEEP
AUTHOR: CATRIONA McPHERSON
Pages: 310
Date: 12/01/2008
Grade: 4.5
Details: nr. 3 Dandy Gilver Mystery
Library

Set in 1924 in Scotland, Dandy is invited by a Reverend friend of her husband, to investigate attacks that have been made on members of a local woman's club after it's monthly gatherings.
Once in Fife and investigating, Dandy is faced with a baffling confusion of women, either very superstitious, scared or denying that anything happened at all.
As well as the attacks, there is the mystery surrounding ancient bones that were found, reburied, only to be dug up again and the myths surrounding those.
Even the help of her friend Alex, disguised as an artist, doesn't seem to get Dandy anywhere.
And once she does think she has the mystery solved, the truth turns out to be stranger and more dangerous then she ever could have guessed.
I enjoyed this book, even if I had at least part of the mystery solved long before Dandy got there.
Dandy is a wonderful character, who manages to make me smile and keep me entertained, and I do hope there are more books coming in this series.

SECRET DIARY OF A DEMENTED HOUSEWIFE

TITLE: SECRET DIARY OF A DEMENTED HOUSEWIFE
AUTHOR: NIAMH GREENE
Pages: 377
Grade: 4-
Own

I'm not sure if I would have finished this book under normal circumstances. But since it was a present from Dermot, who claims to find it impossible to buy me a book these days (and who can blame him, with my TBR list I have a hard time myself keeping track), I felt I really should persevere.
This book is the diary of Susie, thirty something stay-at-home mother to a 4 year old daughter and 18 month old son, who is dissatisfied with her lot in life. Her husband is very busy in work, her best friend living a glamorous single life, her mother in law is interfering and her own parents are too busy enjoying their golden years to sympathize with her.
Enter over-the-top reactions to minor happenings in her life and an almost affair, only for everything to end up alright.
The story reminded me a bit of "I Don't Know How She Does It", although that book really annoyed me whereas this one only got a bit boring.
I did find that the author was trying a bit too hard to be funny and over the top, which for me only resulted in not feeling any connection with the story or the main character.

HIDE

TITLE: HIDE
AUTHOR: LISA GARDNER
Pages: 372
Date: 08/01/2008
Grade: 5-
Details: nr. 2 Bobby Dodge Mystery
Library

From an very early age, Annabelle Granger has lived her life on the run, moving from town to town with her parents, constantly changing names and identities. And although she never knew exactly why this was necessary, she did know it had to do with her safety.
Now, she is thirty and living in Boston, still under an assumed name, still ready to face... whatever is out there. Then she reads in the paper that her corpse has been found.
Going to the police to tell what she knows about her past is only the start of a very upsetting, confusing and dangerous time. But also a time that will at last give her the explanation she never got, and will bring her close to Bobby Dodge.
Good thriller that did keep it's secrets to the very end.

THE BOOKMAN'S PROMISE

TITLE: THE BOOKMAN'S PROMISE
AUTHOR: JOHN DUNNING
Pages: 469
Date: 05/01/2008
Grade: 4.5
Details: nr. 3 Cliff Janeway Mystery
Library

With the proceeds of his actions in the previous book, Janeway pays a small fortune for a very rare first edition of a book by Sir Richard Burton. The book is signed and inscribed to Charles Warren, who is a complete mystery.
Shortly afterwards, Janeway is visited by a very old woman who claims to be Charles Warren's granddaughter. Before she dies she tells about her grandfather and his friendship with Burton, as well as how her family was cheated out of a whole collection of books by Burton, extracting a promise from Janeway to find those books.
This sets him on a difficult and dangerous journey which almost immediately claims its first victim, and puts the lives of Janeway and his associates in grave danger.
A good mystery with a very interesting story.

THE SONNET LOVER

TITLE: THE SONNET LOVER
AUTHOR: CAROL GOODMAN
Pages: 350
Date: 02/01/2008
Grade: 5-
Library

Dr. Rose Asher, a lecturer in comparative literature, specializing in sonnets, is deeply shocked when one of her students falls to his death from a balcony. Although the police decide it was suicide, Rose can't help thinking it was murder. A murder that might well be connected to her college's residence in Florence, Italy, and sonnets that might prove a relationship between William Shakespeare and Italian poetress. Sonnets that Robin, the dead boy, may have found and hidden again.
To find prove of the murder and of the historical relationship, Rose travels to Florence and the place she left 20 years earlier when Bruno, a local academic, broke her heart.
The attraction between Rose and Bruno is still alive, but appears to again not have a chance. All the evidence Rose uncovers appears to prove that it was Bruno's son who killed Robin, and once she reveals that, how can love possibly survive?
A good story, very well researched. You almost believe the history about William Shakespeare and his Italian lover is fact rather than fiction.
The only problem for me was that I had the solution to the murder well before I was half way through the book.