The Devil and the Dark Water - Stuart Turton

Bit of a strange one this, after the first few chapters everything is awash.  The period in which it is set is just as hard to nail down. But it has to be somewhere between the 1500 - 1800.

You get what you expect from that era. Wooden boats, demons, lashes, pomp, circumstance and everything between. There's even a dwarf for good measure.

The book reads well, despite being stuck in a single area for most of it. It could have been so much worse, so kudos where its required.

The characters are strong, intertwined as is inevitable. Through their development the plot builds and holds as much gusto as a sea storm.

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this, slightly out of my comfort zone. It took longer to read than other books. But it held my interest, and kept me picking it up.

 

Status: Completed

Rating: 4.2 / 5.0
 

Night Boat to Tangier - Kevin Barry

 Audiobook

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OK, so its not very often that I do one of these, but I had a fairly long drive, and thought as I change  to music, Audiobook.

Written and read by the author. Whose, Irish accent rolled over vowels in the way in which only the Irish can.

The book starts and ends in a ferry port in Spain. Two older gentlemen (using the term lightly),  there on the off chance that they may spot someone.

Said gentlemen both had a colourful past, being drug barons, moving coke, hash, crack and heroin. Using them all as well.

There's the usual sidelines of property and bars around for laundering.

Keep an eye out for the occultist dealer, she brings a light all of her own to the book.

Status: Completed

Rating:4.6/5.0

The PVRITAN - Birgitte Margen

Two stories, several hundred years apart. The setting and the setting. Religion ties everything together. Death and penance. Boston, priests and detectives.

A bible some 700 years old, scriptures found. Bodies staged.

 This was an off chance read, and it was well worth it. It was easy reading and flowed well. The historical parts were short, but gave insight to the main body of the story.

If your stuck for something to read, this should find its way onto your reading list.

 

Status: Completed

Rating: 4.7/5.0
 

Red / Black - Rachel Atherton-Charvat

A triple whammy, AA, GA and NA and that's just the doctors wife.

This could oh so easily fallen of the rails. Addiction, is at best a minefield to write about. Every person is different, as is each addiction. It does well to incorporate the drugs and alcohol along side the gambling. Yes people have multiple addictions.

Back to the story. For a debut novel, this is excellent. The characters and the plot are very strong. The casino's are well represented but  only due to the narrative of what's going through the characters mind for bet placements.

Army, a move to Germany, infidelity and a marriage breakdown.

I could give you more, but this is one story you are going to have to read for yourself.

Just remind yourself this one thing, "...the house always wins..."

Status: Completed

Rating: 4.4/5.0

One of Those Days - Andrés Leiva

This is a first for me in quite some time.

I have to admit, that I couldn't bring myself to finish this. It's not through lack of trying. It's not written badly, the artwork is good. I just  that I couldn't bring myself to pick it back up.

Sorry.

Status: Abandoned

Rating: 2.4/5.0

Trio - William Boyd

 

A collection of three's. Three parts to the book, three main characters. I know there's more, but I can't recall.

    1960's Brighton, Young Actress, wanna be pop star and a ladder to the moon. Backdrop using the area in and around the afore mentioned location. Filming is a constant, and rewriting the script is unavoidable.

    Full of the sixties favourites, sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. Although not much of the latter.

    It is set at a modest pace, with a plot that throws a few twists in it.

Status: Completed

Rating: 4.0/5.0