Clik here to view.
The Facts of Life and Death by Belinda Bauer
An All Round Dazzling Thriller – 5 Stars I feel a bit like I have hit the jackpot. I was first introduced to Belinda Bauer earlier this year in her delightfully odd novel, Rubbernecker . She followed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Blacklands by Belinda Bauer
A Chilling Story of Innocence vs. Evil – 3.5 Stars This marks the third book I have read by Belinda Bauer. A few things have become abundantly clear. She is very skilled at writing young and innocent...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hidden by Benedict Jacka (Alex Verus #5)
This One is for the Fans – 4 Stars If you haven’t started this series, I would not suggest that you start with this installment. Had I not already become a big fan of Alex Verus and crew, I would have...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King (Mary Russell and Sherlock...
A Sweeping and Enchanting Tale – 4.5 Stars In the past couple of years I have firmly decided that I love a great character driven novel. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice fits that bill. It takes a tried and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Beggar King by Oliver Pötzsch (The Hangman’s Daughter #3)
Not Up to Par with the Rest – 3 Stars The third installment of the popular Hangman’s Daughter series, is, in my opinion, the weakest offering to date. The novel lacked some of the clever storytelling...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Mayan Secrets by Clive Cussler and Thomas Perry (Fargo Adventures #5)
A Fun Romp Through the Jungle – 3 Stars If you have read any of the other books in this series written by Clive Cussler/Thomas Perry (previously Grant Blackwood) than you are pretty much assured that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Girl Next Door by Brad Parks (Carter Ross #3)
A Blue Collar vs. White Collar Mystery – 3.5 Stars The fact is that I am writing this as I am finishing up the 5th book in the series. Given what was written after this, I can say that I feel that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Leviathan by David Lynn Golemon (Event Group Adventures #4)
The Series is Solidly Back on Track – 5 Stars This is one of the best Action Adventure books I have read in quite some time. Maybe it isn’t really a 5 star read to you, but for me there was so much to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Good Cop by Brad Parks (Carter Ross #4)
The Best Brad Parks Yet! – 5 Stars I have enjoyed all of the books in this series by Brad Parks. At the time of writing this review, there are 5 books in the series and I have each of them. I think...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Field of Blood by Denise Mina (Paddy Meehan #1)
An Excellent Character novel with Format Issues 3.5 Stars This novel is an exercise is what could have been. It is a great story with an incredibly engaging protagonist. Unfortunately, questionable...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fade to Blonde by Max Phillips (Hard Case Crime #2)
A Poor Effort – 2 Stars This is the second in the Hard Case Crime series. Each installment is a throwback to pulp crime fiction and feature bad behavior, cigarettes and at least one woman with loose...
View ArticleClik here to view.
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Top Notch Light Sci-Fi – 4.5 Stars After many years of promising myself I would do it, I finally took the plunge and read a book by Stephen King. I have avoided King, as horror is not my preferred...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch (Peter Grant #5)
Aaronovitch Shakes it Up! – 5 Stars Aaronovitch does the right thing for this series. He takes the main character out of the city, puts some of the ongoing and unanswered questions on the shelf and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Ghost by Robert Harris
It’s All about the Finish – 3.5 Stars This book had the misfortune of being read after Robert Harris’ far superior An Officer and A Spy . Regardless, The Ghost is a great novel in its own right. While...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Warrior by Ty Patterson (The Warriors #1)
A Pleasant Surprise – 3.5 Stars I rarely read a self-published/indie author. My experiences have been bad and the books were worse. I had read many positive reviews of Ty Patterson’s The Warrior and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
This Little Piggy by Bea Davenport
Could be a Great Series – 4 I don’t know if the author plans to make this a series but I would happily follow the adventures of the young journalist, Clare Jackson. On the whole, the book was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King (Mary Russell and Sherlock...
A Thinker’s Mystery – 4.5 Stars I was not disappointed with the second novel in this (so far) intelligent series by Laurie R. King. In this novel, the author does an absolutely superb job of using the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tower Lord by Anthony Ryan (Raven’s Shadow #2)
Much Better Than the First – 4.5 Stars With all of the fanfare surrounding the first novel, I found the first instalment to be disappointing. The first focused solely on Vaelin and attempting to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bottom of the 33rd: Hope, Redemption, and Baseball’s Longest Game by Dan Barry
Best Baseball Book I Have Ever Read – 5 Stars I am writing this review about 9 months after having read this. I have been putting off writing this review as I have been finding it difficult to express...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly
A Big, Bad and Bloody Good Time – 4 Stars Most every Matthew Reilly novel has several things in common. Firstly, there are many characters but few are developed. Secondly, most of those characters...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Genghis: Bones of the Hills by Conn Iggulden (Conqueror #3)
Good but not Great – 3 Stars This third book which wraps up the Genghis Khan Trilogy/Story Arc, left me feeling a bit disappointed. Having been wowed by the first two books in the series, I went into...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bruno, Chief Of Police by Martin Walker (Bruno, Chief of Police #1)
A Wonderful Surprise – 5 Stars When I was looking for a book to read, I picked a number and randomly chose this one. I have no idea how it came to my attention or how it ended up on my list. Judging...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Shut Eye by Belinda Bauer
Belinda Bauer Solidifies Herself as the Queen of the Mildly Strange – 4 Stars I am an unabashed fan of Belinda Bauer. Since I first read Rubbernecker (my personal favourite) I have been captivated by...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Children of War by Martin Walker (Bruno, Chief of Police #7)
Bruno at his Best – 5 Stars At the time of writing this review, Children of War is the most recent book in the series. If you note the short time between my review of this book and the first in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Fraud by Brad Parks (Carter Ross #6)
Brad Parks Delivers his Best Yet – 5 I have been following Brad Parks since his first multi-award winning book, Faces of the Gone. I was immediately drawn to the funny and somewhat irreverent Carter...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
A Dazzling Debut – 5 Stars This is easily amongst the best debut novels I have ever read. The story was taunt, the characters deep and developed and the mystery and suspense had me guessing from start...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Night Film by Marisha Pessl
Disappointing, Self Important and Self Indulgent- 2 Stars After finish this book, I read through all of the reviews in my goodreads friends list. Time and time again there were 5 stars reviews. I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Before I go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
Zzzzzzzzzzz – 2 Stars Before I Go to Sleep consistently threatened to put me in a coma. This book was like groundhog day – without the humour and without Bill Murray. The book received 2 stars based...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Absolutely Brilliant – 5 Stars This story had me hooked right from the beginning and refused to let me go. I realize that I am late to the game here as many have already read and reviewed this one. I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Blade of the Destroyer by Andy Peloquin (The Last Bucelarii #1)
A Promising Start – 3.5 Stars This series is by “new to me” author Andy Peloquin. Having followed the author’s blog for some time and reading about his experiences and thoughts on writing, I was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton
Bolton at Her Best – 5 Stars Since Gone Girl , there seems to be a rash of books that tell the same story from multiple perspectives and through the eyes of broken characters. While this book may not...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Business of Dying by Simon Kernick (Dennis Milne #1)
A Unique Police Procedural – 4 Stars This is my first experience with the writing of Simon Kernick. Overall I enjoyed his writing style and method of storytelling. In this, his first installment in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Book of You by Claire Kendal
A Thriller with an Important Message – 5 Stars I can’t honestly say that I enjoyed this book. It was difficult to read. Both the content and style of writing contributed. Firstly, much of the story...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
Twists, Turns and a Compelling Thriller – 4 Stars During the last several years, the best thrillers have been stories with multiple perspectives, blatantly withheld information with a final big twist....
View Article2016 Gavel Awards and Top 10 Reads of 2015
Another year has come and gone. Another year worth of books, stories and reviews. I want to give a big thank you to those of you out there reading my reviews. 2015 was a difficult year. Because of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Written in Fire by Marcus Sakey (Brilliance Saga #3)
A Decent Finish ? – 3.5 Written in Fire marks the conclusion of the Brilliance Trilogy. Overall, the series was creative and an excellent spin on the “superheroes among us” genre. When I read the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Try Not to Breathe by Holly Seddon
Pretention vs. Enjoyment – 4 vs. 5 Stars 4 Stars or 5 Stars. 4 Stars or 5 Stars. 4 Stars or 5 Stars. Choosing my rating tends to be an easy choice. The pretentious reviewer in me thought I should go...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #1)
Cover image from The Shadow of the Wind A Magical Journey – 5 Stars It has been a few years since a story has captivated me so completely. Several days after finishing this novel, I struggle to find to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Scourge of Vipers by Bruce DeSilva (Liam Mulligan #4)
Liam Mulligan Puts the Competition on Notice – 5 Stars There is something refreshing about a mystery based around a journalist. The authors, often former journalists, realize that there is excitement,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton
A Beautiful Place. A Ridiculous Plot. – 3 Stars Part of me feels that I may be a tad generous with a three star review. I had some issues with this book but on the other hand, there were elements that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo (Kate Burkholder #1)
A Chilling Tale in a Beautiful Place – 4.5 Stars I am going to start this review with a confession. For reasons now lost to the ravages of time, I long had a prejudice against female authors. My...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Never-Open Desert Diner by James Anderson
Striking Setting, Confused Plotting The Never-Open Desert Diner is billed as a literary crime mystery. If slow and plodding is all it takes to be considered “literary” then it hits the mark. It had...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Black Fridays by Michael Sears (Jason Stafford #1)
Not Your Regular Crime Fiction – 4.5 Stars I’m not sure how I ended up with this book, but suffice to say, I enjoyed it immensely. If you read a lot of crime fiction, you may eventually get bored with...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In Defence of the World’s Greatest Cheese a.k.a. Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty...
It has recently come to my attention that certain, uninitiated members of the community believe that goat cheese is both disgusting and unpalatable. Some have gone so far as to say the taste is akin...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Orenda by Joseph Boyden
A Compelling and Violent Experience – 4 Stars This is a difficult book to review and the emotional experience is difficult to express. It is not often that I read a Canadian author or a book centered...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lament of the Fallen by Andy Peloquin (The Last Bucelarri #2)
Another Strong Offering – 3.5 Stars Andy Peloquin once again shows that he has the chops to be a successful fantasy writer. Its time a bigger publisher see his work and distribute it to a larger...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (The Stormlight Archives #1)
Where Have You Been All My Life – 4 Stars This is my first foray into the world of Brandon Sanderson. For years, friends have lauded his work but I have never attempted to read his novels. After...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fellside by M.R. Carey
A Book that Refuses to be Defined – 4 Stars If anything, Fellside is a unique experience. It is equal parts literary fiction, fantasy, horror and mystery. The refusal to conform is both an upside and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Daisy in Chains by Sharon Bolton
A Steady Plot with plenty of Twists – 4 Stars Having stepped away from the Lacey Flint series for her past two novels, Sharon Bolton continues to show that she is not defined by a single character....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Black Chamber (Tales from the Black Chamber #1) by S.M. Stirling
A Great Example of Indulgent Writing – 2 Stars My first experience with S.M. Stirling may very well be my last. If you are looking for a novel in which you get to experience the author’s fantasies and...
View Article
