The Boys from Brazil Classic thriller focussing on an imaginary conspiracy, where Dr Josef Mengele plots to create a new version of the Third Reich. Emerging from his hideout in South America, Mengele initiates a series of murders, assembling a band of former soldiers to set his scheme in motion. Meanwhile, Nazi hunter Yakov Lieberman…
Category: Classic
‘Doctor Zhivago’ by Boris Pasternak
Doctor Zhivago Boris Pasternak’s epic novel of love and war throws physician and poet Yuri Zhivago into the lives of two women. Epic is certainly the word, here, and knowing I’d never attempt this in book form, the audio version seemed like a good option. Although it’s basically a decent story, if somewhat improbable (all…
Amateur Sleuth, Animals, Audiobook, Book Reviews, Children's Books, Classic, Crime, detective, Indie Authors, murder, mystery, Psychological
Best Reads of 2019
Over the course of the last twelve months, I’ve read 97 books. This includes paperbacks, eBooks, hardbacks and a few audiobooks, but doesn’t include those where I gave up after the first couple of chapters. What follows is a list of some of the more memorable reads, though isn’t intended to be definitive or in…
‘The Card’ by Arnold Bennett
The Card (Audiobook) In this comic tale by Arnold Bennett, Edward Henry (Denry) Machin, gravitates from lowly clerk to the exalted position of Mayor of Bursley, via a series of surprising events. Cleverly adding his name to the guest list at an exclusive ball, Denry succeeds in being the first man to dance with the…
‘The Grapes of Wrath’ by John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath (Audiobook) John Steinbeck’s controversial novel tells the story of the migration of an Oklahoma Dust Bowl family as they journey to California in search of work. Dogged by bad luck and dashed hopes, the Joad’s are forced to accept ever-decreasing wages as they move from place to place, struggling to keep…
‘The Moving Target’ by Ross MacDonald
The Moving Target When millionaire Ralph Sampson goes missing, PI Lew Archer is called in to hunt him down before something really bad happens. The trail leads Archer all over Southern California, from sun-bleached canyons and sea-side beach houses to dodgy bars and even dodgier women. But is this case about money, sex or just…
‘The Little Sister’ by Raymond Chandler
The Little Sister Orfamay Quest lands in the office of PI Philip Marlowe with twenty dollars and a request that he finds her brother. Marlowe takes the case, but when first one then a second corpse turns up, things get complicated and the private eye’s search leads him into a circle of gangsters, Hollywood actors…
‘The Reckoning’ by John Grisham
The Reckoning (Audiobook) 1946. In Clanton, Mississippi, the townspeople are left shocked and confused when local farmer and war hero Pete Banning drives over to the Methodist Church and shoots and kills the Reverend Dexter Bell. Instructing a bystander to fetch the sheriff, Banning returns home to await his arrest. However, what baffles everyone, not…
‘Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection’ by Arthur Conan Doyle
Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection (Audiobook) From his first appearance in A Study in Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes has delighted crime and detective fans throughout the world. In this mammoth collection, read by Stephen Fry, we get all the novels and stories along with Fry’s personal introductions to each title. Running to a total of 71…
‘The Poisoned Chocolates Case’ by Anthony Berkeley
The Poisoned Chocolates Case Graham and Joan Bendix apparently have a happy marriage, but when Graham is offered a box of chocolates at his club and passes them on to his wife, she ends up dead. Chief Inspector Moresby is perplexed by the murder and with no obvious suspects he turns to Roger Sheringham and…
