John Harvey

now’s the time

still water

Two books I read “now’s the time” first, I wouldn’t have read it if I noticed it was a collection of short stories. But once I got into it I enjoyed it and most of the stories were connected, more like chapters in a book, I suppose that was because the all revolved round DI Charlie Resnick.

The second book “still water” had many connections to the short stories in the first book so I suggest you should read them both, in order, to get the most from them. They delivered what I suspect we all want from our detectives, a main character that we can emphasise with, or more importantly like, one that has their own idiosyncrasies in Charlie’s case, his love of Jazz. The connection to the Polish community I suppose to some degree plays on our stereotyping but it adds to rather than detracts from the book. There are also collections of villains that give us some to like and some to hate and the “squad” with the usual nowadays, the black gay detective.

In all I will look out for more Resnick novels, I have added John Harvey to my “to read list”.  

Kate Atkinson Started Early, Took My Dog

KATE ATKINSON
Started Early, Took My Dog

After page four I realised I had read this before, but that didn’t in the least distract from the enjoyment. Enjoyment on many different levels; the plot has many twists and turns though I didn’t spot them all, when they were unexpected they made sense, they were not like Agatha’s “here’s one I made earlier” moments (what puts me off reading Agatha, despite enjoying film and TV renditions). There was also the enjoyment you get from recognising the places she is talking about, obviously not a pleasure available to those not acquainted with God’s Own County. Though I suppose the greatest pleasure for me was in recognising the associations and chain of thought of the characters. I knew, before looking it up, that she must have been somewhere near my age (not quite as old). I oft muse, is pedantry a gift of age, or are we born with it.

It would be a disservice to describe this book as a detective novel; it is much more than that. Not in a putting off way, but there is a hint of social comment a modern Dickensian touch.

I am not particularly fond of “flashbacks” in either literature or film, but in this case it does not distract and as the main protagonists are participants of the “flashbacks”, it does fit in and serves the purpose. I reluctantly admit I am not put off by the fact the story leaves some questions unanswered, unless I missed them that is, doing that always leaves you the option to imagine the fate you think characters deserve.

All in all a very enjoyable read.

DENNIS SKINNER - Sailing Close to the Wind

DENNIS SKINNER

Sailing Close to the Wind

Thanks Diane for giving me this book I can fully understand what attracted Albert to it.

I don’t usually read non-fiction and defiantly not “celebrity”   biographies but Dennis is an exception and thankfully I broke my habit. There can be few people in the UK who have any interest in politics who don’t know “The Beast of Bolsover” but how many appreciate his deeply held views and his principles?

I can’t really say it changed my opinion of Dennis; it would be difficult to hold him in higher regard. It did explain his position on the EU (though written before the referendum) views that with most things with Dennis are consistent.  It would be great to encourage people to read this book, to remind them, or in some cases reveal to them, what socialism means. To remind people that “class” is still with us, that the gap between Rich and Poor is probably greater than it has ever been, and still matters.

Dennis was forged in the mining community he grew up in, in local government and Trade Union politics (trade union politics in fighting to improve the lot of the working class) an “accidental” parliamentarian, not a “career” politician and all the better for it. I was never bored by the book; it is not a name dropping or self-promoting book, it does as is to be expected promotes and encourages the continuance of the battle to improve the lot of the working class from a unique prospective from a unique man.     

Ann Cleeves

BLUE LIGHTNING

I unusually for Ann Cleeves want to start with a criticism, no it is not that I didn’t enjoy the book as usual I always wanted to read a few more pages even when I should be abed. No the criticism is trivial, it is this; was it a good idea to try to take a young girls mind off the fact that she was a suspect in the stabbing to death of her step mother in the study, by playing Cluedo? I can understand the Scrabble, was Cluedo a deliberate joke by Ann?

At the risk of repeating myself (no not risk, I am actually repeating myself) Douglas Henshall portrays Perez accurately to the book, in every aspect but one, his hair is not dark enough, he doesn’t look Spanish. But the portrayal of the character is spot on in my view, and again, as I have said previously, I have no way of knowing if the portrayal of Shetland is accurate, but it is convincing.

I thought the Times Literary Supplement’s comment “A fully satisfying novel” a bit mean, it was better than that. The Independent comment “Cleeves is excellent not just on mystery, but on the atmosphere of Fair Isle, and the effect of its strange character on the human population” goes someway further, but even that leaves out the way she describes the characters in her books she does not portray many neutrals, you do either associate, sympathise or despise nearly everyone she introduces.

If you read one of her Shetland books and don’t immediately want to read another, you have no taste.     

Peter May - Cast Iron

PETER MAY - CAST IRON

Enzo Macleod, the scot in France, I made a mistake in reading this, yes I enjoyed it, Peter May has yet to disappoint, but this is the end of a series and I have two previous ones yet to read.

Not only does he describe the characters well he describes the setting well, I don't know if he describes the setting accurately as I have not been to most of the scenes but it is convincing. But on the top of that you add a good mystery and a good thriller.

I always feel I enjoy a book more if I identify which protagonists I like and which I dislike, May does not have many neutral characters in his books. The only slight criticism I have of this book is that he doesn't have much in about the downfall of the villains, he doesn't gloat enough in their comeuppance. This must be to do with me being a fan of Monti Cristo, the ultimate "revenge" story.

However so far I have enjoyed every one of his books I have read, the Lewis trilogy, the foray into Canada and the "Chinese" detective, in China that is not a Foo Man Choo pastiche. Though I have not read anything else about modern day China I did feel convinced.

Bernard Cornwell - The Last Kingdom Series

THE LAST KINGDOM

I have just re-read Warriors in the Storm, just to jog my memory before reading The Flame Bearer. Like the Sharpe series the descriptions of life and particularly fighting are very believable, with Sharpe there are sources to describe what it was like as a starting point, but Uhtred has had to be imagined without the same sources. However he has constructed the world that is very believable , much more so that the rather silly TV Viking series, his description of fighting in a shield wall conveys how frightening it must have been.
The notes at the end where he tells us what he has made up puts the "History" into perspective, but I feel however he has conjured up the descriptions, they bring what is already a great story even more interest. I particularly like the arguments between the Pagan and Christian ways, and the ghosts of Rome that permeate the landscape.
A series just as enjoyable as Sharpe, and if my memory serves me well, Hornblower. I do like these sagas that use History as a backdrop to a "cracking yarn".

Peter Robinson - Abattoir Blues

Peter Robinson
Abattoir Blues

The fact that I realised I had already read it in the first five pages and it must have been in the last two years, and the fact that I read it again and enjoyed it, tells how much I like this author.

This is despite the fact that I hate the TV rendition of DCI Banks. This is a case when I had already formed my own image of Banks before the TV series, I liked the book version of Banks, but hate the TV version, which may have something to do with the fact that I think the actor always looks like he's about to start crying, whatever role he is in.

The book though has believable characters, a captivating plot along with the added interest of trying to decide which part of the countryside is real and which is invented, especially as it is a part of the world we ride in regularly. I can't judge accuracy of Police Procedures but I do question the transportation of a £100,000 tractor in the back of a furniture van, along with a motorbike, and if he drove the van to the murder site, how did his motorbike get there?

As I said though a good read, ignore the TV.

Stephen Booth - Secrets of Death

STEPHEN BOOTH

SECRETS OF DEATH

 

I had to ponder over this one, I read it quickly because it was drawing me on, I didn't have to ponder because I didn't know if I enjoyed it, I did. What sent me into a pensive mood was; how much enjoyment I got through the development of the characters through the whole series (which I have read and enjoyed), how much I got through familiarity with Derbyshire (as a visitor), or from the development of the plot.

 

All I can say is I advise the reading of the series in order, I think this is the sixteenth. All have been enjoyable. As I said earlier the series breeds familiarity with the central characters, I always do wonder though, not just with Stephen Booth but with many other crime novels, are all superior Police Officers as bad as portrayed? 

Ann Cleeves - Red Bones

ANN CLEEVES

RED BONES

Ann Cleeves has so far not disappointed me, and this is not an exception. She paints the characters so well that you can't help either wanting them to get their come-upance  or rooting for it to turn out well for them. I don't know how accurate her picture is of Shetland life, but it is convincing.

Fortunately this book is not spoiled by the TV series, Douglas Henshall is a convincing "Perez", (though his hair should have been darker). The story line has the usual dead ends and twists, but I think for me the attraction is the bigger picture of peoples lives and the Islands History.

Not a blood and gore crime story, or not even a locked room mystery, I either didn't spot, or it wasn't there, the moment of Agathenian insight that told Perez the answer, but I don't feel cheated, I enjoyed this book.