tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16448349184379486202024-03-14T07:51:50.914+11:00It's Criminal... how much time I'm doing reading crime
<p align="right">my book reviews, thoughts on other books I've read,<br />and random bookish ramblings </p>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06879328957750493647noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-36743411019201347682009-07-13T00:04:00.004+10:002009-07-13T00:25:56.038+10:00The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_U42FAzJtiUA/Slnw9JarkPI/AAAAAAAAAC0/_eS1yn-z6iY/s1600-h/Redeemer_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_U42FAzJtiUA/Slnw9JarkPI/AAAAAAAAAC0/_eS1yn-z6iY/s200/Redeemer_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357578165024428274" border="0" /></a>Published: Harvill Secker, 2005 (English translation: 2009)<br />ISBN: 9781846550409<br /><br />First line: <span style="font-style: italic;">She was fourteen years old and sure that if she shut her eyes tight and concentrated she could see the stars through the roof.</span><br /><br />It's nearly Christmas and a Salvation Army band is playing in one of Oslo's busiest streets. Suddenly, there is a shot and one of them falls down dead. It's obvious from the start that it is the work of a professional hit man; but why would anyone want to have a member of the Salvation Army murdered?<br /><br />The hitman, a Croatian known as “the little redeemer”, a nickname he earned as a boy during the war against the Serbs, has his escape plans go terribly awry when bad weather delays his flight home. By the next day he has realised that he's killed the wrong man.<br /><br />The police, in the meantime, have been able to discover both the gunman's identity, and his actual intended victim. The Redeemer, now a hunted fugitive, with no money, unable to use credit cards or mobile phone, and with just six bullets left, is determined to make good on the contract. There are many twists and turns as the police close in on the increasingly desperate gunman and the person who hired him.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Redeemer</span> is another wonderfully multi layered book in the Inspector Harry Hole series. The story is told partly from 'the little redeemer's' point of view, and through his eyes, we see the impact of the Croatian War of Independence which took place in the early 1990s . The Redeemer is both a product, and a victim of this terrible time in the history of the region. As we learn more about his background, our preconceived notions of good and bad are challenged. Are people who do bad things necessarily bad people?<br /><br />Nesbo expertly juggles the various points of view, often using an intentionally confusing juxtaposition of the various characters' stories – cutting between them at similar points in the narrative. Nesbo cleverly misleads the reader again and again, but it is so well done that rather than feeling annoyed, you find yourself marvelling at how he does it.<br /><br />Harry Hole goes about the investigation in his usual lone wolf style, using a combination of dogged police work and intuition that tends to put him at odds with his superiors. As the book opens, Harry's old boss and protector, Bjarne Moller, is transferring to a less stressful job in Bergen as a prelude to retirement. His new boss, Gunnar Hagen, has a military background and a fascination with Japanese military tactics. It's obvious he's not going to be happy with Harry's usual method of working.<br /><br />Harry is one of the most intriquing characters in current crime fiction. He could be seen as just another in the long line of dour alcoholic loners who seem to populate fictional police forces worldwide, yet somehow Harry never seems like a cliché. Still struggling with his alcoholism, not always successfully, and not yet fully over the loss of a good friend and colleague in an earlier book, he is beginning to allow people into his life again. He still has warm feelings for his ex-girlfriend, and an almost fatherly attachment to her son.<br /><br />This is the sixth in the Harry Hole series, although only the fourth to be available in English (the first two books are yet to be translated). As often happens, the books have been translated out of order, but newcomers to the series can now read books 3-6 in order, starting with <span style="font-style: italic;">The Readbreast</span>. I would strongly recommend reading in order because of ongoing story elements.<br /><br />Jo Nesbo has <a href="http://www.jonesbo.com/">a very cool website</a> that is worth a visit.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06879328957750493647noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-37240156533678116282009-04-29T23:59:00.005+10:002009-04-30T00:08:18.849+10:00THE COLOUR OF BLOOD by Declan Hughes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_U42FAzJtiUA/SfhebCs9i0I/AAAAAAAAACs/ydxal8F-3Eg/s1600-h/ColourOfBlood_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_U42FAzJtiUA/SfhebCs9i0I/AAAAAAAAACs/ydxal8F-3Eg/s200/ColourOfBlood_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330113977667914562" border="0" /></a>Published: John Murray, 2007<br />ISBN: 978 0 7195 6841 1<br /><br />First line: <span style="font-style: italic;">The last case I worked, I found a sixteen-year-old girl for her father; when she told me what he had done to her, I let her stay lost.</span><br /><br />After receiving some compromising photos of his missing teenage daughter, Emily, along with a ransom demand, wealthy Shane Howard employs Dublin private investigator Ed Loy to find her. This task is no difficulty for someone with Ed's knowledge of Dublin's darker side. However, disentangling himself from the Howard family proves more difficult.<br /><br />When Emily's ex-boyfriend is found murdered in his flat things start to get very messy. Ed finds himself enmeshed in a complicated web of pornography, blackmail, gangsters and murder; not to mention a family with some deeply buried secrets that they would very much like to stay buried. The key to the current events lies long in the past, and as Ed starts making the connections that draw all the threads together, the story moves along at a rapid pace until the final dramatic scenes.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Colour of Blood</span> has an extremely complex plot, and it's a sign of Hughes' skill that he was not only able to keep track of all the various threads, but to untangle them so neatly by the end. The story revolves around the Howards – and a more dysfunctional family you'd never want to meet. On the surface they appear to have everything – money, success and social position, but underneath they're sinking in a veritable cesspool of deceit and secrecy. Ed's involvement in the case is further complicated by his attraction to Shane's sister, the beautiful and sexy Sandra Howard.<br /><br />Ed is tough and resilient in the noir PI tradition. He has a strong moral core that compels him to search out the truth, even if that truth is sometimes an uncomfortable one. His past, particularly the death of his daughter, and his subsequent broken marriage, continue to haunt him.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Colour of Blood</span> is a worthy sequel to <span style="font-style: italic;">The Wrong Kind of Blood</span>, the first in the Ed Loy series, and I look forward to reading the next book, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Dying Breed</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">The Price of Blood</span> in the USA). The fourth in the series, <span style="font-style: italic;">All the Dead Voices</span> has just been released in Britain and Australia.<br /><br />For more information go to <a href="http://www.declanhughesbooks.com/">Declan Hughes' website</a>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06879328957750493647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-59807352466484863092009-04-13T18:06:00.007+10:002009-04-13T18:35:30.594+10:00BLACKOUT by Gianluca Morozzi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_U42FAzJtiUA/SeL0su4HrVI/AAAAAAAAABo/21CouC_BmgA/s1600-h/Blackout.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_U42FAzJtiUA/SeL0su4HrVI/AAAAAAAAABo/21CouC_BmgA/s200/Blackout.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324086758840184146" border="0" /></a>Published: Bitter Lemon, 2004 (English translation: 2008)<br />ISBN: 978 1 904738 32<br /><br />First line: <span style="font-style: italic;">Ferro washes the knife under the tap, whistling 'Don't Be Cruel', and the blood drains away, a pale, washed-out red.</span><br /><br />Bologna on a holiday weekend in August is deserted. It seems as if everyone has headed to the beach to escape the oppressive heat of the city. Three people who haven't been able to escape, arrive in the foyer of their apartment building at the same time and wait for the one working elevator. Claudia, student and part-time waitress, sixteen year old Tomas, and Ferro, nightclub owner, Elvis lookalike ... and serial killer.<br /><br />As the elevator rises, all three are lost in their own thoughts, each with a pressing need to reach their apartment. Claudia is desperate to get out of the skimpy uniform she hates, have a cold drink and a long shower. Tomas is thinking about his girlfriend and their plans to run away to Amsterdam that night. Ferro is anxious to collect some things from his old bachelor apartment and get back to his latest victim.<br /><br />Then the elevator stops between the 11th and 12th floors. The lights go out, the alarm system doesn't work, mobile signals are strangely unavailable, and no one responds to their shouts. The trapped passengers are like “three wasps in an upturned glass”. As time goes on and there is no rescue, tempers fray and tension mounts to an unbearable level.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Blackout </span>opens with one of the most chilling first chapters I've ever read and is definitely not for the faint-hearted. As we see Ferro with the young man he is holding captive it becomes clear he is a sadistic killer who likes to torture his victims, physically and psychologically – and he's very very good at it.<br /><br />Most of the book takes place in the broken down elevator. As the focus shifts amongst the three trapped people, we see the same events from each character's point of view. The tension comes from our knowledge of Ferro. To the others he is annoying, selfish, and full of himself, but only the reader knows what he is capable of and what he is thinking. Will he be able to control his urges? As the thin veneer of normality he presents to the world begins to crack, our fears for the others heightens.<br /><br />Morozzi brilliantly creates an oppressive claustrophobic atmosphere, where the heat, the sweat, the lack of air, the despair, and the fear are palpable. There are a couple of twists along the way, but the completely unexpected ending is ultimately a disturbing indictment of today's society. <span style="font-style: italic;"> Blackout </span>is a tautly written and chilling psychological thriller and I found it impossible to put down.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06879328957750493647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-44380061410216934122009-04-05T18:32:00.003+10:002009-04-05T18:51:30.537+10:00Fat, Fifty & F***ed by Geoffrey McGeachin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_U42FAzJtiUA/SdhulfE-tKI/AAAAAAAAABg/N5M5kulfbXo/s1600-h/fatfifty.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_U42FAzJtiUA/SdhulfE-tKI/AAAAAAAAABg/N5M5kulfbXo/s200/fatfifty.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321124550014842018" border="0" /></a>Published: Penguin, 2004<br />ISBN: 978 0 14 300257 0<br /><br />First line: <span style="font-style: italic;">A three-quarter moon sat low in the night sky, its pale glow illuminating the lumpy puddles of vomit dotting the deserted forecourt of Burrinjuruk's two-star Truck-On-Inn hotel/motel.</span><br /><br />Martin Carter, manager of the only bank in the small country town of Burrinjuruk, is not having a very good day. His marriage is a farce, his stepchildren are indifferent to him, the bank is closing and he's been retrenched. To top it off, it was his 50th birthday yesterday and no one remembered. Yes, he's fat, fifty and his life's, well and truly f***ed.<br /><br />On his last day at the bank, a million dollar payroll proves too tempting, and after locking up the bank staff (along with a good supply of banana cake and cheap sparkling wine), and tying up the local policeman, he goes on the run in the police 4WD.<br /><br />His day starts to look up when he saves a gorgeous woman from a nasty bikie. With Faith riding a vintage motorbike and Martin tucked up in the sidecar with the bags of money, they set out on a road trip to find an old school friend of Martin's. Known as the Mad Major he lives in a fortress-like compound in far North Queensland. Along the way they encounter a bikie gang with a difference - who are "somewhere between the Hell's Angels and the Double Bay Mid-Life Crisis Motorcycle Club"; a most unusual retirement home; and a powerful and very wealthy businessman.<br /><br />But unbeknownst to him, Martin has come to the attention of a mysterious and dangerous man who works for a shadowy government department. Too late, he and Faith realise they are caught up in the middle of something much bigger than armed robbery.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Fat, Fifty and F***ed</span> has a large cast of quirky characters, all seemingly trying to 'out-quirk' each other, but there is a depth and genuineness to the main characters that makes you care about them.<br /><br />Faith is my new favourite fictional librarian . What a role model! And how could I not love a character who holds my exact views, almost word for word, on coffee (has McGeachin been eavesdropping?!). McGeachin won over this librarian with lines like “'<span style="font-style: italic;">How do you know all that stuff?' ... 'it's my job.' ... 'I'm a librarian</span>'”, and “<span style="font-style: italic;">The history books are full of our outlandish escapades, erotic adventures and deeds of derring-do</span>”.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Fat, Fifty and F***ed</span> is very Australian in character and language, without being over the top. The plot may stretch credibility to its limits, but that doesn't really matter as you find yourself just going along for the ride in this fast fun read.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Fat, Fifty and F***ed</span> is McGeachin's first novel, and he has followed this with a series featuring special agent Alby Murdoch. I have a couple of these in my TBR pile and look forward to reading them. More information can be found at <a href="http://homepage.mac.com/geoffreymcgeachin/">McGeachin's website</a>.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06879328957750493647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-85246698653358727792009-02-19T21:13:00.006+11:002009-02-19T21:43:04.646+11:00FAN MAIL by P.D. Martin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_U42FAzJtiUA/SZ0xg1xrm-I/AAAAAAAAABE/o55tXvSchXA/s1600-h/FanMail.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_U42FAzJtiUA/SZ0xg1xrm-I/AAAAAAAAABE/o55tXvSchXA/s200/FanMail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304450376373345250" border="0" /></a>Published: Pan Macmillan, 2008<br />ISBN: 978 1 4050 3826 3<br /><br />First line: <span style="font-style: italic;">The voice is deep and smooth. 'Agent Sophie Anderson?'</span><br /><br />Australian FBI profiler Sophie Anderson, on her last day at FBI headquarters at Quantico before transferring to the Los Angeles field office, is given the task of showing crime author Loretta Black around the facilities. She finds Black to be rude and overbearing, and is glad when the tour is over.<br /><br />Within days of Sophie's arrival in Los Angeles, Black is found murdered in bizarre circumstances. She has been killed in exactly the same way as the victim in her latest book. It doesn't take long for Sophie to link this crime with the murder of another crime author several months earlier in San Francisco. She too had been killed in the same manner as one of her fictional victims.<br /><br />When another author disappears in circumstances similar to the plot of her most recent book, Sophie is involved in a desperate race against time to catch the killer before he can kill again.<br /><br />FAN MAIL is the third book featuring psychic FBI profiler Sophie Anderson. I have to admit that I don't normally like woo-woo in crime fiction, and Sophie's psychic ability initially made me wary of this series. However, thankfully Martin has resisted the temptation of having Sophie have a convenient vision and voila! - crime solved. Actually there was one such moment, relating to a side plot, but I didn't mind that instance as I'd already figured it out for myself some time before without any psychic intervention!<br /><br />Rather Sophie's visions help provide her with a better picture of the victim and the crime scene, and she combines this with the more usual profiler techniques to build a better picture, more quickly, of the perpetrator. She chose to transfer to a field office so she could make better use of her psychic abilities at crime scenes when the details are likely to be fresher and her visions stronger.<br /><br />Alongside the main plot, the finalisation of the investigation from the previous book, THE MURDERERS' CLUB continues. I would recommend reading the earlier book before starting FAN MAIL as it contains significant spoilers. As we follow the course of the investigations, a lot of detail about investigative and forensic procedures is included and, while mostly interesting, it sometimes gets a bit tedious and has a tendency to slow down the story.<br /><br />It takes a brave crime author to write a story about a serial killer murdering crime authors! But luckily Martin had no such qualms because FAN MAIL is good fast paced thriller with an interesting and unique character in Sophie.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06879328957750493647noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-60441032971406609762009-02-02T00:35:00.004+11:002009-02-02T02:12:44.193+11:00Carnival of the Criminal Minds #31I have the pleasure of hosting this episode of the Carnival. The brainchild of the esteemed Barbara Fister, the Carnival has travelled to <a href="http://crimecarnival.wordpress.com/">many corners of the world</a>. After it's recent return season at<a href="http://juliabuckley.blogspot.com/2009/01/revisiting-carnival.html"> Julia Buckley's Mysterious Musings</a>, it's setting up here at It's Criminal for the first time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/385009296_af8f6a00e4.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 253px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/385009296_af8f6a00e4.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/124/348278913_8ec76390ca_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 202px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/124/348278913_8ec76390ca_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />As I'm sitting here sweltering in the middle of a hot hot hot Australian summer, and especially as I'm in Newcastle, where fab beaches abound, I thought I'd have a surf carnival theme. This also gives me the opportunity to rectify what appears to be a shocking oversight in previous Carnivals - a distinct lack of buff Aussie blokes!<br /><br />If you are thinking that this means the following will be a tour of bright summery crime fiction, then you'd be wrong. Maybe it's to counter all that sunshiny cheeriness, but my taste in crime fiction veers to the dark and dreary, much of which seems to take place in the colder regions of the Northern hemisphere. So I find myself looking at blogs like <a href="http://internationalnoir.blogspot.com/">International Noir Fiction</a> where Glenn Harper talks about and reviews mostly translated crime fiction. In his latest posting he talks about a forgotten pioneer of Swedish crime fiction, Kerstin Ekman. He places her in the context of the more well known Sjowall and Wahloo, and the later Swedish writers.<br /><br />At the wonderful <a href="http://eurocrime.blogspot.com/">Euro Crime</a>, a survey of their reviewers favourite books of 2008 found Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo came out at number 1, and I learned that the <a href="http://eurocrime.blogspot.com/2009/01/jar-city-on-dvd-r2.html">DVD of Jar City</a> based on the book by Arnaldur Indridason has just been released in the UK. (Amazon here I come!) Apart from the blog, the <a href="http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/">Euro Crime site</a> includes reviews, bibliographies, awards and one of my favourite parts, the <a href="http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/future_releases.html">Future Releases</a>, where I can add to my wishlist well into the future. At least it gives me time to save up!<br /><br />Peter Rozovsky of <a href="http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/">Detectives Beyond Borders</a> always seems to have something interesting to say about crime fiction set in foreign climes. This week he had an <a href="http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/2009/01/interview-with-mehmet-murat-somer.html">interview with Mehmet Murat Somer</a>; discussed <a href="http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/2009/01/fiction-and-real-life.html">Matt Rees' views</a> on the difference between fiction and reality and on the difficulties of being a journalist in the Middle East; and linked to an <a href="http://detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/2009/02/andrea-camilleris-translator-speaks.html">interview with Stephen Sartarelli</a>, Andrea Camilleri's translator.<br /><br />A new entrant into the blogosphere is <a href="http://reg-stieglarssonsenglishtranslator.blogspot.com/">Reg Keeland, Stieg Larsson's translator</a>. Reg welcomes comment on Larsson's books, but also provides insight into translating, and how he got started. He notes that generally, he forgets a book as soon as he's finished with the translation, but the Larsson books stuck in his head. He calls this "the mark of a genius writer".<br /><br />A fairly recent blog discovery for me is <a href="http://djskrimiblog.blogspot.com/">DJs Krimiblog</a>, where Danish blogger Dorte H writes bilingual posts and reviews (as a monolinguist, I'm seriously in awe!). Here I found out that an old favourite of mine, <a href="http://saraparetsky.wordpress.com/">Sara Paretsky now has a blog</a> and has been publishing chapters of a new VI Warshawsky story. So far she is up to chapter 3.<br /><br />Another of my newish finds is <a href="http://capturescrime.blogspot.com/">Mack Captures Crime</a>. In a recent post Mack brings one of his favourite podcasts to our attention at the <a href="http://crimewav.com/">Crimewav.com</a> site, where podcasts of authors reading their own short stories are available for download. I'm definitely planning on spending a bit of time over there.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/179/385009795_f627444b5b_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 160px;" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/179/385009795_f627444b5b_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Of course, this is just a smattering of posts that have caught my eye this week, but I can't pack away the surf skis, reels and flags, and shake the sand out of my cossies without mentioning my favourite site for all things relating to Australian crime fiction - Karen's wonderful <a href="http://www.austcrimefiction.org/blog">AustCrime</a>. The latest news there is about the filming of author <a href="http://www.austcrimefiction.org/node/5017">Leah Giarratano's new 8-part true crime television series</a> due to screen here around March. Another recent post is an interesting summary of <a href="http://www.austcrimefiction.org/node/5015">early Australian women crime fiction writers</a>. Apart from the blog, the whole <a href="http://www.austcrimefiction.org/"> AustCrime site</a> is a treasure trove of information about Australian crime fiction and true crime.<br /><br />The Carnival next moves on to <a href="http://barbarafister.wordpress.com/">Barbara Fister's own blog</a>.<br /><p></p><p>Photos courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rodspics/385009296/">rodc</a> and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogeroz/348278913/">Roger OZ</a><br /></p>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06879328957750493647noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-22148200126467091252009-01-18T22:00:00.005+11:002009-01-18T23:22:49.030+11:00The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_U42FAzJtiUA/SXMaJEXnrqI/AAAAAAAAAA8/zkLOA5lc6lw/s1600-h/GirlWhoPlayedWithFire.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 212px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_U42FAzJtiUA/SXMaJEXnrqI/AAAAAAAAAA8/zkLOA5lc6lw/s320/GirlWhoPlayedWithFire.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292602730184421026" border="0" /></a>Published: Quercus, 2009<br />ISBN: 978 1 84724 557 1<br /><br />First line: <i>She lay on her back fastened by leather straps to a narrow bed with a steel frame.</i><br /><br />Lisbeth Salander has been travelling the world after abruptly leaving Sweden a year ago, soon after the events of the previous book, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. She cut her ties with her erstwhile lover, <span style="font-style: italic;">Millennium </span>journalist Mikael Blomqvist, and simply disappeared. When a cyclone interrupts her stay at her most recent destination, Grenada, she decides to return home. Having left Stockholm without saying goodbye to anyone, she slips back in just as quietly.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Millennium </span>magazine is about to publish freelancer Dag Svensson's explosive book about the sex trade in Sweden, in which he exposes a number of prominent and powerful people. While Svensson completes the final chapters of his book, Mikael Blomkvist and his colleagues work on a special edition of the magazine to coincide with the publication.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Lisbeth's guardian, the sexual predator Nils Bjurman, who has never forgiven her for the revenge she exacted on him, has spent the year gathering information and plotting his own more permanent revenge.<br /><br />Then Svensson and his girlfriend are found murdered in their flat, and Lisbeth is linked to the scene of the crime. When a third murder occurs she becomes an even stronger suspect in all three deaths. She goes into hiding and uses her singular computer skills to not only keep tabs on the police investigation, but to follow her own leads as she tries to prove her innocence.<br /><br />This is the eagerly awaited sequel to fabulous THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO and it doesn't disappoint, in fact it is even better. Not to put too fine a point on it, THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE is utterly brilliant – enthralling, compulsive and mesmerising. I would strongly recommend reading the first book before starting this one, however, as it contains a lot of the background to this story.<br /><br />THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE is Lisbeth's story, and what a story it is. We find out how she came to be the person she is, and in the process learn of her horrific childhood, and what happened in 'All The Evil'. Lisbeth is a fascinating character and one of the most unusual you will ever meet in crime fiction. Intelligent, prickly, intensely private and with a strong moral core, even if that morality is not one that always makes sense to others, she may not seem to be an obviously sympathetic character, but I know I'm not alone in liking her a lot.<br /><br />THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE has a large cast of characters and is told from multiple viewpoints, but at no stage does this become confusing. In a book like this, it can be easy to lose track of who is who, but the characters are all so real and individual that this never happens. Larsson moves smoothly between characters and points of view to create a story that is complex, dense and detailed, and the result is spellbinding.<br /><br />The last chapters are a breathtaking race against time, and the ending leaves you counting the days until the next book is published (unfortunately not for another 12 months). THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE is a riveting story that will keep you reading long past your bed time.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06879328957750493647noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-31950280075822043242009-01-01T18:23:00.005+11:002009-01-02T00:11:45.748+11:00My top 10 books for 2008It's that time of year when everyone is listing their top 10 reads for 2008, so who am I to buck to the trend! I only read 57 books this year, a little below the total for the last couple of years, but most of them rated very good to excellent. There were many honourable mentions, those that ranked just a fraction below these, but here are my absolute best reads of the last 12 months.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Cross </span>by Ken Bruen<br /><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/08/voodoo-doll-by-leah-giarratano.html">Voodoo Doll</a> by Leah Giarratano<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Draining Lake</span> by Arnaldur Indridason<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo</span> by Stieg Larsson<br /><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/05/shatter-by-michael-robotham.html">Shatter</a> by Michael Robotham<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Betrayal </span>by Karin Altevegen<br /><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/10/murder-farm-by-andrea-marie-schenkel.html">The Murder Farm</a> by Andrea Maria Schenkel<br /><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/06/dead-mans-footsteps-by-peter-james.html">Dead Man's Footstep</a><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/06/dead-mans-footsteps-by-peter-james.html">s</a> by Peter James<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Wash This Blood Clean From My Han</span>d by Fred Vargas<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Black Seconds</span> by Karin FossumHelenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06879328957750493647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-35218502962237088292009-01-01T17:04:00.005+11:002009-01-02T00:13:29.122+11:00New to me authors read in 2008I saw this meme on a few other blogs, including <a href="http://paradise-mysteries.blogspot.com/2008/12/crime-fiction-discoveries-in-2008.html">Mysteries in Paradise</a> and <a href="http://petrona.typepad.com/petrona/2008/12/authors-new-to-me-idea-via-norman-.html">Petrona</a>, and thought I'd have a go. A trawl through my 2008 reads revealed that almost half of the books I read last year were by new to me authors. There were 24 authors and 27 books.<br /><br /><div>I have bolded all first books whether they were 2008 or not, and have marked with an asterisk those authors who have gone on my definitely-want-to-read-again list. My reviews, when there is one, are linked.<br /><br /></div> <div> </div> <div><strong>*Lenny Bartulin - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/08/recent-reads-july.html#bartulin">A Deadly Business</a></strong><br /></div> <div><strong>*Tony Black - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/12/paying-for-it-by-tony-black.html">Paying for It</a></strong></div> <div>*Paul Cleave - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/07/cemetery-lake-by-paul-cleave.html">Cemetery Lake</a></div> <div>*Paul Cleave - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/06/killing-hour-by-paul-cleave.html">The Killing Hour</a></div> <div><strong>*Colin Cotterill - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/05/coroners-lunch-by-colin-cotterill.html">The Coroner's Lunch</a></strong> (2006)</div> <div><strong>*Phillip Gwynne - The Build Up</strong></div> <div>*Anne Holt - The Final Murder</div> <div><strong><span style="font-weight: bold;">*</span>Stieg Larsson - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</strong></div> <div><strong>Donna Leon - Death at La Fenice</strong> (1992)</div> <div>Donna Leon - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/05/girl-of-his-dreams-by-donna-leon.html">The Girl of His Dreams</a></div> <div><strong>David Levien - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/04/city-of-sun-by-david-levien.html">City of the Sun</a></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="font-weight: bold;">*</span>Dominique Manotti - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/08/recent-reads-july.html#manotti">Rough Trade</a></strong> (2000)</div> <div>Guillermo Martinez - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/07/book-of-murder-by-guillermo-martinez.html">The Book of Murder</a></div> <div>*Brian McGilloway - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/06/gallows-lane-by-brian-mcgilloway.html">Gallows Lane</a></div> <div><strong><span style="font-weight: bold;">*</span>Adrian McKinty - Dead I Well May Be</strong> (2004)</div> <div>*Adrian McKinty - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/10/bloomsday-dead-by-adrian-mckinty.html">The Bloomsday Dead</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Camilla Nelson - Crooked</span><br /></div> <div><strong>Camilla Noli - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/05/still-waters-by-camilla-noli.html">Still Waters</a></strong></div> <div><strong>*Matt Rees - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/11/bethlehem-murders-by-matt-rees.html">The Bethlehem Murders</a></strong> (2007)</div> <div><strong><span style="font-weight: bold;">*</span>Giampiero Rigosi - Night Bus</strong> (2006)</div> <div><strong>*Andrea Maria Schenkel - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/10/murder-farm-by-andrea-marie-schenkel.html">The Murder Farm</a></strong></div> <div>Steve J. Spears - Murder at the Fortnight </div> <div><strong>*Simone van der Vlugt - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/05/reunion-by-simone-van-der-vlugt.html">The Reunion</a></strong></div> <div>Irvine Welsh - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/08/crime-by-irvine-welsh.html">Crime</a></div> <div>Jincy Willett - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/07/writing-class-by-jincy-willett.html">The Writing Class</a></div> <div><strong><span style="font-weight: bold;">*</span>Chris Womersley - The Low Road</strong> (2007)</div> <div>Edward Wright - <a href="http://its-criminal.blogspot.com/2008/04/damnation-falls-by-edward-wright.html">Damnation Falls</a><br /><br /></div>Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06879328957750493647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-63256361023840011952008-12-23T23:51:00.005+11:002008-12-24T01:01:52.312+11:00You know it's the summer holiday season in Newcastle when ...... the shops are bedlam; 'car park rage' abounds; there's an eerie glow in the night sky caused by excessive Christmas lighting; the beaches are crowded; <a href="http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/tis-the-season-santas-hit-the-surf/1393050.aspx">Santa goes surfing</a> ... and there's a new Barry Maitland story serialised in the local paper. <br /><br />This year the story, <span style="font-style: italic;">Blood River</span>, is set on the Danube River and will unfold over 14 episodes. <br /><br />In an interview last week, Barry said there was "a knack to writing in episodes ... you have to end each part with something that will keep people interested and coming back for more." He certainly did that in Monday's first episode which started with Kate on a cruise on the Danube, one year after a boating accident that left her husband Larry missing, presumed drowned, and her brother dead. While having a quiet drink in a Viennese cafe, a strangely familiar man sits beside her, and she is shocked to find that it's Larry. <br /><br />This is, I believe, the third year that Barry has written a story for the summer editions of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Herald</span>. Last year's story, <span style="font-style: italic;">Blood Pearl</span>, was set in Broome in the north west of Western Australia. And the 2006 story was <span style="font-style: italic;">Blood in Umbria</span>. I have enjoyed all of them.<br /><br />The bad news is that unless you can get hold of print copies of the <span style="font-style: italic;">The Herald</span> you won't be able to read it, as the story doesn't appear to be available from the newspaper's website.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06879328957750493647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-41812852075652746292008-12-08T21:05:00.005+11:002008-12-08T21:30:32.580+11:00Paying for It by Tony Black<img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; width: 157px; height: 220px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_U42FAzJtiUA/STz1FUB8KLI/AAAAAAAAAAk/_wKL9yg9VxE/s320/PayingForIt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277362334996375730" border="0" />Publisher: Preface, 2008<br />ISBN: 978-1-84809-021-7<br /><br />First line: <span style="font-style: italic;">Funerals make my eyes water.</span><br /><br />Gus Dury is an alcoholic on a downward spiral. He had a promising career as a journalist until he was involved in an unfortunate incident with a member of the Scottish parliament. With no job and no prospects, and his wife starting divorce proceedings, life looks much better through the bottom of glass.<br /><br />When his mate Col’s twenty year old son, Billy, is killed, the official verdict is suicide. Col knows it was murder and asks Gus to investigate. Gus soon finds that Billy was working for a Russian gangster called Zalinskas and had got himself in way over his head.<br /><br />As he delves deeper into Zalinskas' business dealings, Gus discovers a people-trafficking operation smuggling in girls from Eastern Europe to work in brothels, and uncovers police and political corruption at the highest levels. He is warned off a number of times, in increasingly violent ways. But Gus is not an easy man to intimidate, and he doggedly continues on to the shocking conclusion.<br /><br />PAYING FOR IT is a terrific first novel from yet another Scottish crime writer. (What <span style="font-style: italic;">do </span>they put in the water there?!) The Edinburgh that author Tony Black portrays is a very dark place, but it's not just the criminal underworld that is so dangerous and brutal. Flashbacks to Gus's horrendous childhood with an extremely violent and abusive father, show that home isn't always the safe place it should be.<br /><br />Gus is a hard man with a smart mouth. He has a black humour, and his speech and thoughts are peppered with slang and classic noir-style metaphors. His character develops a depth and complexity that isn't immediately apparent, and despite all his faults, he is a likeable character. His life may be a complete mess, but underneath he's a decent, caring person and a loyal friend. He reminds me a lot of Ken Bruen's Jack Taylor.<br /><br />I have one minor quibble – the constant naming of cigarette brands. It seemed every time Gus lit up (which was quite often) he smoked a different brand, and for some reason we had to be told this. However, although irritating, it didn't affect my overall enjoyment of the book.<br /><br />With plenty of action, smart dialogue, a pacy plot, and a group of likeable characters, PAYING FOR IT is a splendid debut.<br /><br />Tony Black is a journalist living in Edinburgh. He was born in Newcastle, NSW (hey, that's where I live!) but grew up in Scotland and Ireland. PAYING FOR IT is his first novel, and with the second, GUTTED, in the wings, hopefully this is just the beginning of a long series about Gus Dury.<br /><br />For more information visit <a href="http://www.tonyblack.net/">Tony Black's website</a>.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06879328957750493647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-64492004418619556992008-11-30T21:47:00.006+11:002008-12-08T21:33:30.604+11:00The Bethlehem Murders by Matt Rees<img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; width: 160px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_U42FAzJtiUA/STJxpmKxhkI/AAAAAAAAAAU/k6TTXL75504/s320/BethlehemMurders.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274403073038583362" border="0" />Published: Atlantic Books, 2006<br />ISBN: 9 781843 546030<br /><br />First line: <span style="font-style: italic;">Omar Yussef, a teacher of history to the unhappy children of Dehaisha refugee camp, shuffled stiffly up the meandering road, past the gray, stone homes built in the time of the Turks on the edge of Beit Jala. </span><br /><br />When a young member of the Palestinian resistance is shot dead near his home on the outskirts of Bethlehem, George Saba, a Christian, is arrested as the collaborator who led the Israelis to him. As a member of the minority Christian community, he is a convenient scapegoat, but Omar Yussef, his old teacher and friend, is convinced that George has been framed.<br /><br />With George under threat of imminent execution, Omar takes leave from his teaching job to carry out his own investigation. His enquiries bring him up against the Martyrs Brigade, the resistance fighters who effectively run the town. To Omar, they are no more than a gang of corrupt and violent thugs. Everyone, including the police and legal system are powerless against them, and it seems Omar is the only one interested in the truth. As he moves closer to discovering that truth, he puts himself and his family in danger.<br /><br />THE BETHLEHEM MURDERS is a fascinating book, as much for its insight into the effect of the ongoing conflict in Palestine on the lives of ordinary people, as it is for the mystery. Rees brilliantly evokes the atmosphere of a town in the middle of a battlezone, and a people living with daily violence, fear and uncertainty.<br /><br />Rees has created a very different and exceptional hero in Omar Yussef. A middle-aged school teacher with a full set of human foibles, he is a man of great integrity, who ultimately cares more about the truth than his own safety. He hates what has happened to his town, and he mourns the time in the past when Christian and Muslim could live together in harmony.<br /><br />There are some horrific and brutal scenes, made all the more so by Rees' note at the beginning of the book which states that all the crimes in the book were based on real events in Bethlehem. Omar Yussef 's quiet, cynical humour provides a few lighter moments in an otherwise rather bleak book. Rees is a wonderful storyteller and this beautifully written book brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion. I look forward to reading more of Omar Yussef's adventures.<br /><br />This book also goes by the title of THE COLLABORATOR OF BETHLEHEM (USA).<br /><br />Matt Rees is a journalist who has worked in the Middle East for more than 10 years. He has written two more books featuring Omar Yussef, THE SALADIN MURDERS (or A GRAVE IN GAZA in the USA - why do they do that?), and THE SAMARITAN'S SECRET (which rather surprisingly appears to have the same title on both sides of the pond). You can find more information at <a href="http://www.mattbeynonrees.com/">Matt Ree's website</a>.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06879328957750493647noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-65299647813291390202008-11-29T21:31:00.007+11:002008-12-08T21:34:25.292+11:00Doors Open by Ian Rankin<img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; width: 140px; height: 209px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_U42FAzJtiUA/STEdajWnksI/AAAAAAAAAAM/9JdwwyCfoFI/s320/DoorsOpen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274028980631474882" border="0" />Published: Orion, 2008<br />ISBN: 978-0-7528-9071-5<br /><br />First line: <span style="font-style: italic;">The open door was only yards away, and beyond it lay the outside world, eerily unaffected by anything happening inside the abandoned snooker hall. </span><br /><br />Mike Mackenzie is very rich and very bored, so when a friend suggests the perfect crime he is more than a little interested. Professor Robert Gissing, the head of the Art School, annoyed about the amount of art locked away from public view, in private collections and warehouses, proposes the “repatriation of some of those poor imprisoned works of art”.<br /><br />Mike, Gissing and another friend, banker Allan Cruikshank, devise a plan to use the annual Doors Open day to steal a number of paintings from the National Gallery of Scotland's warehoused collection and make it appear that nothing is actually missing. As their plans begin to take shape they realise they are going to need some 'professional' help. A chance encounter with Chib Calloway, a local gangster and an old school acquaintance of Mike's, suddenly makes it all possible.<br /><br />But it all starts to go very wrong when Mike finds he is much more deeply involved in the criminal world than he ever wanted to be. Bringing Chib into the plan may not have been such a good idea after all. But Chib is not their only worry – there's the dogged policeman, the talented but dangerously mischievous student, the greedy girlfriend, not to mention the very large Norwegian bikie called Hate.<br /><br />DOORS OPEN is the eagerly awaited first post-Rebus book by Ian Rankin. It is not a totally new work, but a reworked and extended version of a serialised story originally written for the New York Times. Set in the Edinburgh art world, it is a very different environment to that inhabited by Rebus, however there are some common themes. The two faces of Edinburgh again feature strongly and the association of characters from both sides has echoes of Rebus and Cafferty, but Mike and Chib are quite different characters, and their relationship is very different as well.<br /><br />While DOORS OPEN does not have the depth of the Rebus books, it is written with Rankin's usual flair, and so can't fail to entertain. It doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is - a terrific fast paced thriller. Fairly lightweight but with a dark edge, the plot has enough twists and turns to make for a satisfying read. The book really comes into its own in the last third when it becomes much edgier, and I had trouble putting it down from that point. Much as I enjoyed this book, I'm hoping that Rankin was just using it as a palate cleanser before returning to something with a bit more substance.<br /><br />Ian Rankin lives in Edinburgh and is the author of the wonderful Inspector Rebus series. More information can be found at <a href="http://www.ianrankin.net/">Ian Rankin's website</a>.Helenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06879328957750493647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-55918534729905946652008-11-06T20:05:00.005+11:002008-12-08T21:35:02.835+11:00A Snowball in Hell by Christopher Brookmyre<img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GhAE-xtaLDA/SRK0-G2ERCI/AAAAAAAAAME/pF_7O7hSs4U/s200/SnowballinHell.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265469893431804962" border="0" />Published: Little Brown, 2008<br />ISBN: 978-1-4087-0062-4<br />Pages: 393<br /><br />First line: <span style="font-style: italic;">Ladies and gentlemen, roll up! Roll on up! Step inside! </span><br /><br />Are you sick of reality tv? Tired of the endless parade of vapid ‘celebrities’ it creates? Simon Darcourt is, and his response to it is certainly turning (and in some cases, removing) heads. Darcourt, aka the Black Spirit, is a hired assassin who has been keeping a low profile ever since the spectacular failure of his last job. But now he's decided to come out of retirement, and with the help of the Internet, is creating quite a stir with his very own reality show, one that his celebrity contestants are literally dying to be part of.<br /><br />With the body count rising, the police call in Detective Angelique de Xavia, formerly a Glasgow police officer who is now working with an anti-terrorism task force based in Paris. Angelique has crossed paths with Darcourt before and knows how dangerous he is. She also knows that if she is going to stop him, she is going to need help – the special kind of help only her old lover Zal Innez, bank robber and magician, can provide. But first she has to find him, and then keep him from being arrested.<br /><br />A SNOWBALL IN HELL brings together characters from two of Brookmyre’s previous books, A BIG BOY DID IT AND RAN AWAY and THE SACRED ART OF STEALING in a story that is a witty, sharp and sarcastic poke at the cult of celebrity. Nothing is as it seems in this book, and just when you think you’ve finally figured out what’s really going on, Brookmyre pulls off another twist. Although it takes a while to set up all the characters and bring them together, the complex and pacy plot makes this darkly comic book a real page turner.<br /><br />This is Brookmyre in full rant mode and his amusing diatribes on celebrity and media struck a chord with me. He seems to be one of those authors you either ‘get’ or you don’t, and if, like me, you are in the first category, then you’ll love this book. While reading this, I did start to wonder what sort of person Brookmyre had turned me into, as I at times found myself rather guiltily cheering on Darcourt and laughing at some very gruesome, albeit imaginative, murders!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.brookmyre.co.uk/">Christopher Brookmyre’s website</a> is well worth a look.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-48496186823308523372008-11-03T21:10:00.005+11:002008-11-04T00:00:06.452+11:00Wallander telemovies bought by channel 7<table><tbody><tr><td valign="top">I read in the SMH today that channel 7 have bought Kenneth Branagh's Wallander series. Filmed earlier this year in Sweden, the three 90 minute episodes are based on the Henning Mankell novels Sidetracked, One Step Behind and Firewall. I'm still not sure about the idea of Branagh in the role of Wallander, but look forward to the series anyway.<br /></td><td valign="top"><a href="http://nachofoto.com/photo-of-Kenneth-Branagh-Swed-45308d50be44" target="_blank"><img style="width: 248px; height: 248px;" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/images.nachofoto.com/b-Kenneth-Branagh-Swed-45308d50be44.jpeg" alt="Kenneth-Branagh-Swed-45308d50be44" align="right" border="0" hspace="5" /></a><p style="font-size: small;" align="right">Kenneth Branagh as Kurt Wallander<br /><a href="http://nachofoto.com/"><span style="font-size:smaller;">Celebrity photo</span></a></p></td></tr></tbody></table><br />This BBC series is apparently due to begin screening in the UK sometime this month, but there is no word yet on a screening date for Australia. Let's hope the network treats the series and its fans with more respect than has sometimes been the case in the past with the commercial networks and non-mainstream series.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-21372649473963871112008-10-16T22:42:00.005+11:002008-12-08T21:35:37.397+11:00The Pyramid by Henning Mankell<img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GhAE-xtaLDA/SPcp9evOERI/AAAAAAAAAKw/gL4JCzGBihQ/s200/Pyramid.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257717226178220306" align="right" border="0" />Published: Harvill Secker, 2008<br />ISBN: 978-1-846-55098-0<br /><br />When Kurt Wallander first appeared in 1990 he was a senior police officer, 42 years old and divorced. The five stories in this collection fill in Wallander's back story, from his first years in the police force until the beginning of that first book, <span style="font-style: italic;">Faceless Killers</span>.<br /><br />The stories begin when a 21 year old Wallander finds his elderly neighbour shot dead. He is still a uniformed police officer in Malmo, but with a transfer to Criminal Investigation pending, his future boss encourages his involvement in the investigation of the apparent suicide.<br /><br />A routine call on his way home on Christmas Eve 1975 turns into a terrifying couple of hours for Wallander in ‘The Man with the Mask’. In this suspenseful short story Wallander is held hostage by an armed and desperate man. Despite the circumstances, Wallander’s compassion and social conscience are evident.<br /><br />By the third story, ‘The Man on the Beach’, and after a gap of 12 years, Wallander is settled in Ystad as a Chief Inspector, and all the familiar supporting characters from the books are there. When a taxi driver finds his passenger dead in the back seat, tests reveal he had been poisoned. Wallander discovers the long-standing obsession that led to the man’s death.<br /><br />A man is found bashed to death in his studio in ‘Death of the Photographer’. Why someone who led such an apparently dull and routine life would be subject to such a brutal attack is mystifying, but the investigation reveals that the man had a secret life.<br /><br />The last story, which gave the collection its name, is novella length, and takes place in December 1989. It leads right up to the beginning of <span style="font-style: italic;">Faceless Killers</span> - literally. In a clever touch, Mankell brings the beginning of <span style="font-style: italic;">Faceless Killers</span> into the last page of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Pyramid</span>. In this complex story, Wallander and his team are stretched to the limit investigating several seemingly unrelated crimes: the crash of an unidentified small plane, drugs, and several apparently unconnected murders.<br /><br />I found <span style="font-style: italic;">The Pyramid</span> an extremely satisfying collection of stories. All the elements that helped form the Wallander we have come to know from the novels are here: Mona, the woman he married; his eccentric father, and their difficult relationship; and Rydberg, his mentor. And throughout is the theme common to the books, of a changing society – what was happening to Sweden?<br /><br />These are typical Wallander stories, with the longer stories demonstrating the complex plots Mankell is known for. From that first case, Wallander displays the investigative style he will manifest throughout his career: the intuitive leaps, doggedness, tendency to make mistakes, and go it alone, often putting himself at risk in the process.<br /><br />The stories chart the progress of Wallander’s seemingly always doomed relationship with Mona, first as girlfriend, then wife and ex-wife. The conflict between his career and the relationship is clear from the beginning. Even when Wallander is married to her, Mona’s role in the stories is insignificant, and she remains a shadowy figure in the background.<br /><br />Rydberg, the mentor whose wisdom he constantly refers to in the novels, is likewise hardly any more fleshed out. Wallander’s early years in Ystad, when Rydberg’s guidance would have been most evident, are not covered in any of the stories. Rydberg spends a lot of the time off sick, so we see only a little interaction between them.<br /><br />According to Mankell’s Foreword to <span style="font-style: italic;">The Pyramid</span>, this collection came into being when he realised that he had started writing stories in his head that took place long before that day in January 1990 when the Wallander series began. Two of the stories have not been published before.<br /><br />Most short story collections lend themselves to being dipped into, picking a story here and a story there. However, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Pyramid</span> is better read as a whole from beginning to end. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Pyramid</span> is essential reading for fans of the Kurt Wallander series, but reads well on its own, and it would work well as a first introduction to Wallander for newcomers to the series.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-17098915750569583662008-10-14T00:01:00.004+11:002008-10-14T00:45:17.899+11:00Anthony Award winnersIt seems to be award season at the moment. The Anthony Awards are presented annually at the Bouchercon mystery convention, which is being held in Baltimore this year. This year's winners are:<br /><br />Best novel:<br /><a href="http://www.lauralippman.com/">Laura Lippman</a> - What the Dead Know<br /><br />Best first novel:<br /><a href="http://www.tanafrench.com/index.htm">Tana French</a> - In the Woods<br /><br />Best paperback original: <a href="http://www.pjparrish.com/"><br />P.J. Parrish</a> - A Thousand Bones<br /><br />Short story:<br />Laura Lippmann - <a href="http://www.charmedtodeath.com/Lippman_HKH.pdf">Hardly Knew Her</a> (story available in PDF)<br /><br />Critical work:<br />Jon Lellenberg, Daniel Stashower and Charles Foley - <a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9781594201356,00.html?Arthur_Conan_Doyle_Jon_Lellenberg">Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters</a><br /><br />Special Services:<br />Jon and Ruth Jordan - <a href="http://www.crimespreemag.com/">Crime Spree Magazine</a><br /><br />Web Site:<br />Stan Ulrich and Lucinda Surber - <a href="http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/">Stop, You're Killing Me!</a><br /><br />A list of all the nominees can be found at the <a href="http://www.charmedtodeath.com/anthonys.html">2008 Anthony Awards site</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-16374918411460784862008-10-11T13:19:00.005+11:002008-10-11T13:55:39.217+11:00Davitt Award WinnersThe winners of the Davitt Awards which were presented last night have already been announced on other blogs, and if you head over to <a href="http://www.austcrimefiction.org/node/4866">Karen of AustCrime's post</a> you'll find links to further information about all the winners:<br /><ul><li>Best crime novel - Katherine Howell for <span style="font-style: italic;">Frantic</span>. </li><li>Best young adult - Mandy Sayer for <span style="font-style: italic;">The Night has a Thousand Eyes</span>.</li><li>Best true crime - Janette Fife-Yeomans for <span style="font-style: italic;">Killing Jodie</span>. </li><li>Readers choice award - Lindy Cameron for her editing of <span style="font-style: italic;">Scarlet Stiletto: the First Cut</span>. </li></ul>Congratulations to all!<br /><br />I've only read Katherine Howell's book, and I can say it was a very well-deserved win. <span style="font-style: italic;">Frantic</span> was a terrific read, and in the reading notes I made at the time I said:<br /><blockquote><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GhAE-xtaLDA/SPAUKVfzgEI/AAAAAAAAAKo/IOGM06tB4C0/s200/Frantic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255722932943159362" width="100" align="right" border="0" height="151" hspace="5" />Paramedic Sophie Phillips's life falls apart when her police officer husband, Chris, is gunned down on their doorstep, and their baby son is taken. The police believe the attack was motivated by Chris's involvement in, or knowledge of, police corruption. But Sophie thinks it may be a result of her own actions. With her husband in intensive care, Sophie cruises the streets trying to find her son. As the days wear on, an increasingly desperate Sophie enlists the aid of Chris's partner in a daring and dangerous plan to discover what has happened to her baby. The pace of this thriller was exhausting, and the sense of urgency kept me turning the pages at an ever increasing speed. Excellent first novel from an author to watch.<br /></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-15105834813784129862008-10-07T23:52:00.004+11:002008-10-08T00:10:04.362+11:00The 8th Davitt AwardsThe Davitt Awards are presented annually by Sisters in Crime Australia for the best crime novel by an Australian woman published in the previous year. This year there are 41 nominees in three categories, adult, young adult and true crime. There will also be a readers' choice award.<br /><br />The awards will be presented on Friday 10th October at the Celtic Club Restaurant in Melbourne.<br /><br />This year's nominees for best crime novel are:<br /><ul><li>Sydney Bauer, Gospel (Pan Macmillan)</li><li>Joyce Berendes, The Fourteenth Day (Zeus)</li><li>Robin Bowles, The Curse of the Golden Yo-Yo (The Five Mile Press)</li><li>Lindy Cameron, Redback (Mira)</li><li>Lindy Cameron, ed., Scarlet Stiletto – The First Cut (Mira)</li><li>Lauren Crow, Bye Bye Baby (HarperCollins)</li><li>Kathryn Fox, Skin and Bone (Pan Macmillan)</li><li>Liz Filleul, To All Appearance Dead (Bettany Books)</li><li>Leah Giarrantano, Vodka Doesn’t Freeze (Random House)</li><li>Jane Goodall, The Calling (Hachette Livre)</li><li>Alison Goodman, Killing the Rabbit (Random House/Bantam)</li><li>Kerry Greenwood, Trick or Treats (Allen & Unwin)</li><li>Kerry Greenwood, A Question of Death (Allen & Unwin)</li><li>Sheridan Hay, The Secret of Lost Things (HarperCollins/4th Estate)</li><li>Katherine Howell, Frantic (Pan Macmillan)</li><li>Janette Turner Hospital, Orpheus Lost (HarperCollins/4th Estate)</li><li>Dorothy Johnston, Eden (Wakefield Press)</li><li>Wendy Laing, Cock of the Walk (Writers Exchange E-publishing)</li><li>Wendy Laing, Severance Packages (Writers Exchange E-publishing)</li><li>Gabrielle Lord, Shattered (Hachette Livre)</li><li>Pat Noad, Rockhound (Zeus)</li><li>Susan Parisi, Blood of Dreams (Penquin/Viking)</li><li>Dorothy Porter, El Dorado (Pan Macmillan/Picador)</li><li>Leigh Redhead, Cherry Pie (Allen & Unwin)</li><li>Mandy Sayers, The Night Has a Thousand Eyes (HarperCollins)</li><li>Felicity Young, An Easeful Death (Fremantle Arts Centre Press)</li></ul><a href="http://home.vicnet.net.au/%7Esincoz/images/Davitt%20PR%20208a.pdf">A full list of nominees</a> in all categories can be found at the <a href="http://home.vicnet.net.au/%7Esincoz/">Sisters in Crime website</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-42795281020821275862008-10-07T22:40:00.004+11:002008-12-08T21:43:23.058+11:00The Bloomsday Dead by Adrian McKinty<img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_GhAE-xtaLDA/SOtLyHoDOHI/AAAAAAAAAKg/u90hPBCeZ5Y/s200/BloomsdayDead.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254376714670389362" border="0" />Published: Serpent’s Tail, 2008<br />ISBN: 978-1-84668-631-3<br /><br />First line: <span style="font-style: italic;">State LY Plum P. Buck Mulligan</span>.<br /><br />In hiding from his old enemies, Michael Forsythe is working as head of security in a big hotel in Lima, Peru. Returning to his room one night he is ambushed by two gunmen who, instead of killing him, hand him a phone. The voice on the other end is that of his old girlfriend, Bridget Callaghan. Twelve years ago Michael killed her mob boss fiancé, and ever since Bridget has been trying to settle the score.<br /><br />However, now she needs his help. Her eleven year old daughter has gone missing in Belfast, and she needs his local knowledge and contacts in the Belfast criminal world to find her. She begs him to help her, promising that, if he gets Siobhan back, the slate will be wiped clean.<br /><br />Unsure whether he should trust Bridget, Michael nevertheless returns to Ireland, and, from the moment he lands it seems he is a marked man. With Bridget swearing she isn't behind the attacks, he is left trying to work out what other old enemies he left behind him in Ireland all those years ago.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Bloomsday Dead</span> is the third in the Michael Forsythe trilogy, and again the theme of revenge is strong. Michael is torn between trusting Bridget and protecting himself, but it is clear he still has feelings for her. It is as much for this reason as the chance to rid himself of his nemesis (or one of them anyway) that he goes to Belfast to help her.<br /><br />Michael is not someone who moves unobtrusively through his world. Whether he is looking for it or not, trouble seems to find him and he leaves a trail of mayhem wherever he goes. He is not a nice person, hurting and killing people without compunction, and is not a character you can warm to easily, yet I somehow found myself liking him anyway. Michael is seemingly indestructible as he overcomes villain after villain in often incredible circumstances. He not only survives being severely beaten up more than once, but bounces back with enough strength to best the next assailant.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Bloomsday Dead</span> is a brutal and violent book, but with a liberal dose of black humour. The level of over-the-top violence is more than I’m normally comfortable with, but I found myself sucked into the story, and McKinty's writing kept me reading until the thrilling conclusion. This book necessarily refers to events and characters from the first book in the series, so you should definitely read <span style="font-style: italic;">Dead I Well May Be</span> before tackling this one.<br /><br />Adrian McKinty was born and grew up in Northern Ireland, and lived in the USA for a number of years before moving to Melbourne.<br /><br />(If you’re wondering about that cryptic first line, it’s code used among the hotel security officers. It’s also a clever reworking of the first line of James Joyce’s Ulysses.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-56062410790971467842008-10-04T11:59:00.008+10:002008-12-08T21:43:54.426+11:00The Murder Farm by Andrea Maria Schenkel<img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GhAE-xtaLDA/SObPcvjdoSI/AAAAAAAAAKY/hIrpuE9x-5A/s200/MurderFarm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253114108082757922" border="0" />Published: Quercus, 2008<br />ISBN: 978-1-84724-366-9<br /><br />First line: <span style="font-style: italic;">I spent the first summer after the end of the war with distant relations in the country.</span><br /><br />On a remote farm in Germany, the Danner family and their maid are found brutally murdered with a pickaxe. Old man Danner was a cruel and overbearing man who ruled his family with an iron fist. His wife, a deeply religious woman, was cowed by his brutality. Their daughter Barbara, also a victim of his abuse, had a daughter from a brief marriage. Several years later she gave birth to a son and although she never revealed her son’s paternity, a neighbouring farmer has always claimed he was the father.<br /><br />The story of what happened on the farm is interspersed with transcripts of interviews with the local villagers and neighbours of the victims, as well as prayers. This might sound a little odd, but the effect is quite stunning and it creates a hauntingly atmospheric book. The narrative is told from numerous points of view including the victims and the murderer. The interviews give us different perspectives on the Danner family and the other people in their sphere. The prayers are a poignant full stop to events in the story.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Murder Farm</span> is set in the early 1950s, but based on a true unsolved crime from the 1930s. Schenkel has woven a compelling story around the events, and produced a brilliantly plausible solution. The clever thing that she has done is to write it in such a way that the reader is the only one who discovers the solution.<br /><br />The writing is beautifully spare, and although <span style="font-style: italic;">The Murder Farm</span> is only 181 pages, it says almost as much between the lines as it does on the page. It is an enthralling story, and one you will want to read in one sitting.<br /><br />Andrea Maria Schenkel lives in Germany, and THE MURDER FARM is her first novel. It won first place in the German Crime Prize as well as the Friedrich-Glauser Prize.<br /><br />Andrea Schenkel appeared on a panel with Adrian McKinty and Michael Robotham at the Melbourne Writers Festival this year. I picked this book up after the session and had it signed, which Andrea did with a fountain pen - and that’s something you don’t see much these days! I watched Karen devour this book while travelling on the train to and from MWF that day. She kept looking up at regular intervals to say 'you're going to love this'. And, well, what can I say - she knows me, or at least my reading tastes, too well. <img src="http://planetsmilies.net/happy-smiley-732.gif" alt="happy smiley" style="border-width: 0pt;" align="top" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-31917107189621211182008-10-01T22:53:00.005+10:002008-12-08T21:44:30.439+11:00Broken by Karin Fossum<img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_GhAE-xtaLDA/SON0UG1RcGI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/ijN92BGbDMc/s200/Broken.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252169479224389730" border="0" />Published: Harvill Secker, 2008<br />ISBN: 978-1-846-55061-4<p></p>First line: <span style="font-style: italic;">I see them in the porch light. </span><br /><br />A middle-aged woman awakens one night to find a man sitting in the chair by her bed. She is a writer and the man is Alvar Eide, one of her potential characters. He has been waiting his turn to have his story told, but has become impatient.<br /><br />Alvar is a contented man with a comfortable flat, an old car he rarely uses, a modest nest egg, and a good job at an art gallery. He has no family or friends, but that's the way he likes it. He is alone but not lonely. This quiet self contained existence has suited him for his 42 years, and he neither expects nor wants anything more than to continue in the same way. Then two things happen to turn his ordered life upside down.<br /><br />Firstly, Lindys, a young homeless heroin addict, comes into the gallery. Instead of following his usual instincts and sending her on her way, he gives her a cup of coffee. She returns a few weeks later and begins to worm her way into his life.<br /><br />Secondly he becomes obsessed with a new painting in the gallery. It is called 'Broken' and its breathtaking image speaks to Alvar in a way no other painting ever has. He desires it and can just afford it, but like most things in his life, he is frozen with indecision.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Broken </span>is a fascinating book and it kept me engrossed as it examined the odd relationship between Alvar and Lindys, and explored the 'broken' theme. Although in quite different ways, Alvar and Lindys are both outsiders, social misfits, whose lives can be seen as broken in some way.<br /><br />Alvar is not equipped to handle this headstrong young woman, and as she insinuates herself into his life, making greater and greater demands, he feels powerless to resist. He sees himself as a 'good person', and so buckles time and again in the face of Lindys' demands.<br /><br />Lindys challenges everything Alvar has ever believed about himself and his life. They are polar opposites, and yet they are drawn to each other. At one point Alvar confesses to actually liking Lindys, to admiring her approach to life, her devil-may-care attitude, whereas he has order and control but is 'trapped inside myself'.<br /><br />As his story unfolds, Alvar continues to visit the author, usually in a fairly anxious state, asking what is going to happen and making suggestions. There is something a little surreal about their conversations, and it made me think of the number of authors I have heard speak of their characters as having a life of their own.<br /><br />The tension builds as you wonder where and how it can end until the shocking and unexpected conclusion is reached. <span style="font-style: italic;">Broken </span>is an extraordinary and poignant book, and one that stayed with me for some time after finishing it. It is not one of Fossum's excellent Inspector Sejer series, and is not really a crime book, but it is certainly suspenseful.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-89016732521019233902008-09-05T23:18:00.007+10:002008-09-06T00:08:19.552+10:00MWF - the first weekend Part TwoA combination of a hectic round of extra curricular activities and a dose of the dreaded lurgy which has laid me low for the best part of a week, has meant that my reports on MWF are just a tad later than expected. And as I took no notes, the time lag and the consumption of considerable amounts of alcohol (medicinal purposes only, of course!) means that details have become a little hazy. But here goes anyway.<br /><br />The Sunday of the first weekend saw us going to two sessions, only one of which was on crime fiction.<br /><br />'The Moral of the Story' had Barry Maitland in conversation with Peter Mares. Along with a more broad ranging discussion on aspects of crime fiction, Barry read from and discussed his new stand-alone novel, Bright Air.<br /><br />This session was recorded for Radio National's Book Show and the podcast is available at <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bookshow/stories/2008/2343718.htm">http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bookshow/stories/2008/2343718.htm</a>. I don't know if it will be available forever, but it's still there now.<br /><br />'The Honest Trader', a non crime event, discussed moral responsibility in the global marketplace. The speakers were Duncan Green, Head of Research at Oxfam GB; Kenneth Davidson, a senior business columnist with The Age, and Heikki Patomäki from RMIT and also a Professor of International Relations at the University of Helsinki, Finland.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-45274020921929573362008-08-26T11:46:00.005+10:002008-08-26T17:44:27.904+10:00Melbourne Writers Festival - the first weekend Part OneAfter arriving in Melbourne on Thursday and successfully rendezvousing with Sunnie from Launceston and Sally from Darwin, Karen from AustCrime drove us to her place in the hills. After a riotous welcome from the dogs, and a slightly more subdued one from Karen's other half (we were pleased he didn't also leap all over us with muddy paws!) we got down to the serious business of having fun. We spent Friday wandering around the local area, visiting a few bookshops, and, er, um, acquiring one or two - ish.<br /><br />Melbourne Writers Festival started for us on Saturday when we attended two sessions. The first was a non-crime event called 'Getting Personal' with David Sedaris, Judith Lucy and Nam Le. They spoke on using their personal lives as material for their books. David Sedaris and Judith Lucy had us in stitches, and Nam Le, although competing with a professional humourist and a comedian, was able to keep us interested with some amusing anecdotes, and thoughtful comments.<br /><br />The second session was 'Reading the Landscape' with Barry Maitland, Nick Gadd and David Francis discussing how they used landscape in their mysteries to evoke a mood and create tension. In their latest works they have used <span class="t3">a shard of rock rearing out of the southern ocean, </span><span class="t3">a Melbourne suburban level crossing, and </span><span class="t3">the icy splendour of Moscow, respectively. </span> While I only knew of Barry Maitland's work, they were all fascinating to listen to.<br /><br />Between sessions we wandered up town, and, er, somehow stumbled across a couple more bookshops, the wonderful Readers Feast, and of course, what would a trip to Melbourne be without a visit to Kill City. I think a few more books may have found their way into my bag.<br /><br />After many years at the Malthouse, MWF moved to a new location at Federation Square this year. So far I've found Fed Square to a rather cold and impersonal environment. It's lacking a central social space to gather between sessions. There is nowhere to sit except in cafes and bars where you are obliged to buy something. I can't help feeling that MWF has lost its soul.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644834918437948620.post-23170066876452745862008-08-22T23:57:00.005+10:002008-11-30T22:17:05.515+11:00Crime by Irvine Welsh<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0224080539.01._SX140_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 120px;" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0224080539.01._SX140_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>First line: <span style="font-style: italic;">She’d wanted to tell Momma that this one was no good.</span><br /><br />Burnt out Edinburgh cop Ray Lennox is on holiday in Miami with his fiancée, Trudi. He’s on stress leave after his latest case, the abduction, sexual abuse and murder of seven year old Britney Hamil. He is physically and emotionally wrung out and has begun to slip back into his alcohol and cocaine addictions. Trudi is completely focussed on planning their wedding, only seeming to take her attention from <span style="font-style: italic;">Perfect Bride</span> magazine long enough to chide Ray for his lack of interest, and for his drinking.<br /><br />After an argument with Trudi, Ray goes on the town seeking the alcohol and drugs he craves. In a bar he meets two women, Robyn and Starry, and goes with them to Robyn’s place, where the cocaine flows freely. When two men arrive to join the party, things start to get ugly. After the ensuing altercation, Ray finds himself alone in the apartment with Robyn’s ten year old daughter, Tianna. Next morning, an obviously frightened Robyn phones and asks him to take Tianna to a friend where she will be safe. So Ray and Tianna embark on a road trip across Florida to the Gulf of Mexico.<br /><br />Ray and Tianna's story is interspersed with chapters which follow the course of the investigation into Britney's death. Ray is still haunted by the case and he feels responsible for not being able to save Britney. As the story unfolds we begin to realise that there is something personal behind Ray’s crusade against the paedophiles.<br /><br />CRIME’s main themes are paedophilia and the sexualisation of children. Some of the most disturbing scenes are when we see the world through Tianna's eyes. Old beyond her years, with experiences no ten year old should ever have had, her shifts from child to ‘woman’, with accompanying seductive behaviour is confronting and quite shocking. It makes Ray even more aware that, by being with Tianna, he has put himself in danger of being cast in the role of the people he despises.<br /><br />Ray is drawn to dark side of policing, but it gets to him, and he uses cocaine to help him forget, “to make him not think about dead children.” The trip to save Tianna becomes a personal journey for Ray. He is an extremely complex character, not particularly likeable at first, but as we learn more about him we begin to understand what drives him, and to see just how precarious his mental state is.<br /><br />One light spot in this rather dark tale is the incongruous image of Perfect Bride magazine which Ray carries with him throughout, determined to return it to Trudi. This beacon of hope and happiness makes a cameo appearance in some of the most sordid scenes, and the contrast is always jarring.<br /><br />CRIME is not your usual crime story, but then Welsh is not your usual crime writer. It’s an exceptional, if somewhat disturbing and confronting tale, part police procedural, part lone crusader; but mostly it’s Ray’s story, superbly told by a master storyteller.<br /><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0