My Review (4 stars out of 5) Theatre director Felix loves working at the Makeshiweg Theatre Festival. Planning a ground-breaking production of The Tempest, he suddenly finds himself booted out by the treacherous Tony. Relegated to living in a wooden shack, Felix is provoked by thoughts of vengeance, and haunted by memories of his dead…
‘Killing Plato’ by Jake Needham
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Putting his past behind him, former lawyer Jack Shepherd spends his working life teaching at a Thailand college. But an apparently chance encounter in a Phuket bar brings him face to face with an infamous criminal who seeks Jack’s legal expertise. Indicted for murder, Plato Karsarkis needs someone…
‘Cause of Death’ by Patricia Cornwell
My Review (4 stars out of 5) Kay Scarpetta finds herself quite literally in deep water when the body of an investigative reporter is found in the Elizabeth River. Digging into the reasons for the man’s death, Scarpetta is already suspicious about the odd phone call reporting the death before the police were notified. Along…
‘The Edge’ by Jim McGhee
My Review (4 stars out of 5) This is the fifth book in the DI Barney Mains series and the first I’ve read by this author. Following on from the previous book, DI Mains is haunted by his belief that the assassin known as The Ghost is still alive. The theory is strengthened when a…
‘The Strange Girl’ by Keith Dixon
My Review (4 stars out of 5) The daughter of an ex-con hires private investigator Sam Dyke to find her father, after the man disappears following his release from prison. But Sam discovers the missing man might have been in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. The investigation uncovers differing opinions on the ex-con’s…
How to Be a Crap Writer (Part 3)
In my previous posts on the topic of being a crap writer, I’ve looked at identifying those among us who are not literary greats, as well as the kinds of silly writing mistakes many authors make. This time around, I’d like to share my thoughts on more subjects that irritate me, and spoil books that…
‘Lost Solace’ by Karl Drinkwater
My Review (4 stars out of 5) In search of a lost ship, Opal Imbiana hopes to recover a secret in a lonely nebula far from colonised space. But all alone with only an experimental spacesuit and the ship’s computer to aid her quest, she must enter a dangerous and unpredictable environment. This is the…
‘Impostor’ by LJ Ross
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Forensic psychiatrist, Doctor Alexander Gregory, explores the darkest minds to expose the secrets underneath – skills which place his name at the top of the list when a murder investigation team seek help tracking down a killer. Journeying to County Mayo, Ireland, Gregory finds a quiet community torn…
‘Broadsword Calling Danny Boy’ by Geoff Dyer
My Review (5 stars out of 5) Writer and critic Geoff Dyer serves up a scene-by-scene analysis of the classic war movie, ‘Where Eagles Dare’ highlighting his favourite scenes as well as commenting on some of the actors’ proclivities – such as Richard Burton’s drinking, and Clint Eastwood’s stock-in-trade expressions. ‘Where Eagles Dare’ is one…
‘The Spy Across the Water’ by James Naughtie
My Review (4 stars out of 5) The Spy Across the Water is book three in a series of spy stories, and the first I’ve read by this author. The book opens with a funeral, and we soon learn that the dead man is Ambassador Will Flemyng’s brother. Flemyng’s usual working life in the Washington…
Colin Garrow 