This blog was useful once

And it will be again, at least for me to keep track.

I now have a Kindle, so I'll be reviewing stuff that I read on there as well as the old-fashioned paper stuff.

Bernard Knight - Crowner Royal

In this one, John De Wolfe, Gwyn and Stephen are in London, with not a lot to do until someone gets stabbed outside their window, and a trail of bodies seem to point to a conspiracy threatening the security of the country, and added to that, some gold goes missing which was previously the Crowner's responsibility.  The Bernard Knight Crowner John series was another "love at first read" rather than the more gradual affection I feel for Jecks, Gregory and Peters.  The medieval gigolo has had to leave Devon on the King's command to be coroner in London, and finds himself homesick and hindered by the ruffians of Westminster.  Really, what has changed?  I love the little history lessons he inserts into the conversations, such as the origin of 'robbing Peter to pay Paul', and how truly human he makes all characters.  He isn't quite as "smelly" as Jecks, but you can certainly visualise London as being merely a few miles wide with countryside and marshes all around, as far as that seems to stretch the imagination nowadays.  The ending makes me wonder if there will be any more, it is left open, albeit that it seems that John may be having a career crisis, if not marriage and love life crisis.  Absolutely great stuff, Knight is the very best writer of this genre.  

Rating 8/10

Next: Ava McCarthy - The Courier, for SHOTS, and I am painfully reminded that I am at least 3 reviews behind.

Paul Doherty - The Darkening Glass

Detective style set within the first couple of centuries after the Norman conquest.  Good, but there is far too much moving around leaving you probably as bewildered as the characters, when four knights in the employ of the King's Favourite are murdered.  Although there are loads of suspects, the actual murderer is a bit of a surprise, but since the victim is not Mr Popular, there is a risk of some apathy.  All I can say about this really is that it was enjoyable, but not remarkable.

Rating: 7/10

Next: Bernard Knight - Crowner Royal.  Forgot I got this out of the library actually and was overjoyed at the discovery.  Another weakness of mine.

Simon Brett - Mrs, Presumed Dead

You know where you are with Brett, frankly, simple tales that are not too hard on the brain but can keep you entertained for an afternoon.  Have to say though that the "little old lady wanders from place to place where, usefully, a murder has occurred and then sets about beating the police at their own game before moving on" type stylee is incredibly old hat.  It's also painfully stereotypical at times, and no, I'm not one of the PC brigade (otherwise I wouldn't be reading Ripley's books) - for instance, the book says that in the typical middle-class cul-de-sac, of 6 women only one of them works for a living?  Not in this day and age Brett, sorry.  The butler didn't do it.  A more modern equivalent did.  Sigh.  Still, this is what I get when I'm too random, or in too much of a hurry at the library.

My rating: 6/10

Next - Paul Doherty - The Darkening Glass

Bernhard Schlink - Self's Deception

If it’s unusual for me to read a James Bond-style novel, translated novels are even more scarce in my household.  But here we have a pretty respectable German to English translation, about a detective who wanders aimlessly around for a bit, is nosy to the point of getting something bitten (or shot) off, pisses a few people off and solves the crime.  That's the abridged version.

Some translations try and translate everything, even down to anglicising street names and even the characters' names for goodness sake.  This can be suitable for a story that could be set anywhere in the world, but as German politics are involved in the plot, this would have been distinctly odd.  Add the fact that Herr Self also has trouble with speaking English (discovered later in the plot) it would have been ridiculous.  If you can get your head round a book translated into English from German, and it is obvious they are in Germany, speaking German, then you can take the book as it is - an enjoyable read, and it even contains a little - gasp - humour in there as well.  Actually, I'm not one of those who think Germans lack the SOH gene.  You also learn some weird and wonderful facts (which I love to store) such as the root of the word interpreter.  (Inter - to split in two, pretius - extract a price - although I think that the speaker takes a bit of liberty with this)

One problem with translations, and this one is no exception, is vernacular.  You can't "literally" translate something as it would be unintelligible, so you find a phrase that is the most understandable.  This can make you think that some phrases "mean more in the original language", and when Herr Self waxes lyrical, I reckon that the original German probably meant more.

All the same, rating 7/10

Next: Simon Brett: Mrs, Presumed Dead.  Good title, but I'm not sure if I'm going to get through this one, short as it is.

Edward Marston - The Frost Fair

Fairly standard historical detective story, not especially noteworthy, but not bad either.  The seemingly old favourite of "body in the ice" which I seem to have read loads of times, in particular an Ellis Peters and I think a Jecks (though in that case it was "buried under snow and snow melts").  Anyway, it's the hero's brother who is the main suspect as he was heard to threaten the victim hours prior to his death, but as you read on you find the victim was not exactly on everyone's Christmas card list, apart from one or two who are obvious villains themselves.  As it is the hero's brother in the frame, the hero himself comes in for a bit of stick, mostly from the family of his lady love, distressingly.  It's these scenes that made me feel a bit uncomfortable, as Marston lays on the bias too thick, you can barely believe all concerned can be so small minded.  Maybe the old expression "mud sticks" and superstition was more rife, which I can believe.  Anyway, Chris, the architect, has to sort out the mess with his policeman friend, which he does of course and the brother's name is cleared.  It's a pity that he didn't have any of those that were quick to condemn earlier in the story, squirming at the end, which may have made the ending more satisfying.  Okay as a distraction, but not particularly remarkable.

My rating: 7/10

Next: Bernhard Schlink - Self's Deception

W.E.B Griffin - The Double Agents

I've decided to dispense with the italicised summary.  Cause I really can't be bothered any more.

Ha.  No, not usually the sort of book I read.  Libraries use the "Crime" section very loosely, although where I previously lived, you had a 'Crime' section and a 'Spy/Thriller' section.  I suppose it depends on how the librarian feels about them.

Anyhow - adventure spy is something I normally avoid, just too James Bond dahhhling.  This one should have been my worst nightmare, a whole cast of James Bonds, including a couple of characters who later became James Bond.  Yikers.  Actually, I enjoyed it.  Gasp.  It moved along at just about my pace, with enough good characterisation and plot to keep me interested.  The one thing that I could gripe about is the ending.  Three letters.  WTF.  There were also parts of it, which got you thinking - hang on, this is a clue, this will be important later....but it isn't.  Bizarre and slightly frustrating.  Maybe I shoulda been a boy to enjoy this more.  And/or James Bond.

My rating: 7/10

Next: Edward Marston - The Frost Fair