balthazarlawson's reviews
1198 reviews

Nuptial Sacrifice by Andrea Frazer

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

It's Falconer's wedding day and he spends half the book fussing about and nothing happens. Then there is a murder and it's just so badly written.

Who would serve a cake that had had a dead bloody body upon it?

Did not enjoy it at all. It's only saving grace was that it was short.

Shadows and Sins by Andrea Frazer

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

This is a distinctly differently structured book to all the others in the series. Where as the other books start with a round of introduction to the village and it's residents, this starts with the discovery of a body by Carmichael while walking his dogs. I thought it was going to be a more enjoyable crime read.

And then it goes down hill. Very quickly there are a rash of bodies being discovered across multiple locations, none of them very recent. There is are cameo appearances of most of the previously mentioned villages and villagers. But the fact all these bodies are suddenly found it beyond a good story.

The character of Falconer has been firmly cemented in as a mix of a frigid old woman, repressed priest, horny teenage boy and petulant toddler. He is weird and not likeable at all.

Final Verdict by Mark Dryden

adventurous informative mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Brad Norton is a criminal barrister getting on with life. He has applied for silk in his profession but there are obstacles in his way, namely a judge that doesn't like his style but he doesn't let this stop him from getting on with his job. He represents the son of another judge in a case of GBH and the wife of a man who it turns out has been murdered.

He is dedicated to getting justice even when the wife is no longer able to pay. He believes in her innocence and pushes on with the case with the help of his partner.

A very enjoyable read that just gets on with it and nothing seems over the top. It's the realism of it all that I enjoy the most. 

Bells and Smells by Andrea Frazer

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

The title refers to a reverend who everyone calls, out of total disrespect, Bells and Smells. But he doesn't really play that much of a role to warrant the title of the book. He's there but just in the background. He's not the killer, not the victim and just generally a dirty old man. So the title is irrelevant.

As for Falconer and Carmichael, they are the same, totally useless and behave like schoolyard kids. That is what has always bothered me by Inspector Falconer; he acts like a spoiled kid very willing to throw a pointless tantrum, behave petulantly and irrationally. How he would ever get to be an inspector is beyond me.

I disliked this.

The Tudor Deception by Scott Mariani

adventurous informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This story is almost a prequel to the series being set before the first book. Ben is living in Ireland working as kidnap & rescue operative and leading a lonely dedicated live. He is asked for help by a historian but in a moment of impatience the transaction is completed and Ben returns to his isolated home. Unfortunately he drags trouble with him and when there is a botched attempt on his life Ben seeks revenge.

This is full of action and what one would expect from Ben Hope, ex-SAS, out for revenge. He is resourceful but, unlike later books in the series, makes some big mistakes that could put an end to everything. It leads to an ending that is a bit far fetched and slightly lets down the book. But it's still enjoyable.

The underlying historical theme running in the background is informative, although fictional in parts, as it attempts to answer a centuries old mystery.

Glass House by Andrea Frazer

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

The thing I dislike about this, and the rest of the series, is the repetitive way in which Falconer and Carmichael conduct their investigations. Just talk to the people in the village, repeatedly. Nothing is ever really revealed until the very end of the book. However, the repeated jumping to conclusions is what fills these books. There are attempts at humour but it always revolves around the hospitalised DC Roberts, yet again, giant dogs and a clowder of cats.

This is very lightweight and shallow. I’ve three books left in the series to read and the sooner I’m done the better. I have the books therefore must read them.

Cold as Hell by Lilja Sigurðardóttir

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Arora is a financial investigator, a person that finds missing money, of Icelandic and English heritage living in Scotland. When her sister goes missing in Iceland her mother guilts her into going there to find her. But somehow she seems to get distracted from this task following a romantic encounter with a hotel owner that makes her wonder where he gets his money, seeing as he has already been convicted of fraud. Finding her sister is left to her, sort of, uncle, who is a policeman on holidays.

The structure of this book is weird and the ending is completely and utterly disappointing. There are 108 short sharp chapters from multi angles. Through this we learn what happened to the missing sister, not why, but Arora and the police never find out. It sometimes feels as if the real ending wasn't included in the book as there is more that could have happened. I felt really disappointed and let down by this. As for Arora, she is still a mystery as her true character was not fully explored.

Entertaining, but could have been so much more.

Death in High Circles by Andrea Frazer

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I continue to ask myself how on earth Harry Falconer ever became a Detective Inspector, not that you really needed one in this book. It was all over the place with so much time spent on cats, dogs, kids and family. It just didn't make sense at all with everything just going around in circles. It only got interesting towards the end, but that didn't last, as expected.

A rather unenjoyable read.

The Devil's Cave by Martin Walker

adventurous informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Bruno is doing his job in St Denis while coping with his changed private life. Pamela is still in Scotland, he has to look after the horses she owns and he is coping with the death of his dog and trying to find a replacement. Into this floats the body of a naked woman in an old boat. Trying to find out what happened is not easy. He also has to deal with a planned investment in the village that seems too good to be true and a case of domestic violence. He is kept busy.

I enjoyed this read and it's good to see that things in St Denis are never smooth but somehow they all cope by coming together. I've really been enjoying this series.

The Last Dance by Mark Billingham

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Detective Sergeant Declan Miller is returning to work following the murder of his wife. He lands a new partner, who had been his replacement, Detective Sergeant Sara Xiu, and a murder case. Two men have been found shot dead in two rooms beside one another in a hotel. The problem is, one of them is the son of a local gangster, someone Miller suspects of being involved in his wife's murder. Miller's unorthodox style and joke telling quickly puts his new partner off side but they have work together to get the case solve. All the time, his wife's ghost haunts him.

Miller is annoying and I wouldn't like to work with him, but he is smart and good at his job. In many ways if he could work on his own he would. Coping with his wife's death isn't easy but he battle through in the hope that the killer is caught. Unfortunately that case doesn't seem to be making much progress and Miller has been warned to stay away from that side of the building.

I enjoyed this refreshing new character from Mark Billingham but this is just a set up for a follow on story as the case of the dead wife is still unsolved at the end. Will that be what this series is all about?