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balthazarlawson's reviews
1198 reviews
What Hides in the Cellar by Graham Masterton
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Another book in the Patel and Pardoe series, two London detectives that are given the more unusual cases that crop up to solve. When there are a series of violent crimes one thing links them. Witnesses say that the perpetrators were not all there, as in their head was missing, or their feet, or they were only half a person; the right half. It's not any easy case to get into as all the forensic evidence is old, as in the weapon is 80 years old and cigarette butts haven't been made since World War 2.
But slowly they work their way into the case and realise they have to become just as violent as the perpetrators they are chasing to be able to solve the case.
There is a lot of horror and bodies in this book but it's an enjoyable read and what one would expect from the author.
But slowly they work their way into the case and realise they have to become just as violent as the perpetrators they are chasing to be able to solve the case.
There is a lot of horror and bodies in this book but it's an enjoyable read and what one would expect from the author.
Choked Off by Andrea Frazer
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.5
I didn't like this. It was stupid, especially the ending. The structure of this book is almost identical to the previous book in the series and is very repetitive in nature. The police in this are hopeless bumbling idiots who do surprisingly stupid things and behave in a highly inappropriate manner. The book is all over the place and doesn't follow any logical progression when investigating a crime. This might be okay if the main character was quirky and eccentric, but this is not the case. The surprising thing about this is that the main character in the book, Harry Falconer, doesn't appear until half way through. I can only hope that things improve with this series.
Unfortunately, I have another 12 books in this series to read as they are sitting on my shelf ready to go. I don't think I will rush into them.
Unfortunately, I have another 12 books in this series to read as they are sitting on my shelf ready to go. I don't think I will rush into them.
Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Life in the quite village of St Denis is disturbed when a case of arson brings attention from far and near. The mayor puts pressure on the village chief of police, Bruno, to ensure the case is solved quickly, even though he is not heading up the investigation, as an investment opportunity is at risk. But life goes on and grapes are picked and crushed. When there is an unexpected death of two locals, a young man and an old man, even more attention is paid on the village. Bruno must tread the middle ground of protecting the village and finding those who are responsible.
This feels like an idealised French village country life. It's informative but one has to wonder how real this cosy setting is. As a novel it's entertaining and the main character, Bruno, is likeable, with his cooking, steady approach, evenness and attempts at a love life.
This feels like an idealised French village country life. It's informative but one has to wonder how real this cosy setting is. As a novel it's entertaining and the main character, Bruno, is likeable, with his cooking, steady approach, evenness and attempts at a love life.
Death of an Old Git by Andrea Frazer
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
This is a cosy murder mystery set in a small village where everyone seemed to have a reason to do away with the victim, the hated man of the village. Trying to keep track of who's who in the village is a problem and so many are related to each other.
DI Harry Falconer and acting DS Davey Carmichael investigate the death, spending a lot of time going around the village talking to the residents. The problem is, you don't get to know much about these two characters in this book, there is no real character development. As these are the main characters in this series you would expect to learn something about what makes them tick, their quirks and where they come from.
There is no real depth to this book and is full of cliches that I've seen so often in this sort of simply murder mystery. I even picked the killer.
DI Harry Falconer and acting DS Davey Carmichael investigate the death, spending a lot of time going around the village talking to the residents. The problem is, you don't get to know much about these two characters in this book, there is no real character development. As these are the main characters in this series you would expect to learn something about what makes them tick, their quirks and where they come from.
There is no real depth to this book and is full of cliches that I've seen so often in this sort of simply murder mystery. I even picked the killer.
London by Frank Tayell
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
This book is the diary of a man surviving in London while Zombies spread across the world, including London. There is only one character in this book, Bill Wright, a political staffer who is recovering at home following an accident in which he broke his leg. As he sits there in his attic flat zombies spread out from New York and take over the world. We don't know what is really happening in the world as Bill doesn't know and we only see things from his limited point of view. It's slow and nothing much happens as he sit and watches the world go by worrying about food and water.
Things pick up a bit after he is forced to leave his flat but it's still just him and the zombies. There are 21 books in this series and I'm very much in two minds about reading anymore.
Things pick up a bit after he is forced to leave his flat but it's still just him and the zombies. There are 21 books in this series and I'm very much in two minds about reading anymore.
The Heron's Cry by Ann Cleeves
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Talk about confusion. Everyone seems to be connected to everyone and if there is a connection then they must be a victim, suspect or depressed. Working out how people are connected is a problem.
It all starts with the murder of a man after a party and ends with the discovery that the death of a teen was not what it seemed. In between there is a long slow police procedural story that didn't really grab me. It wasn't exciting, surprising or revealing. It was just another case that could have just as easy been solved by Vera or had occurred on the Shetlands. Nothing really mad this hugely unique.
It all starts with the murder of a man after a party and ends with the discovery that the death of a teen was not what it seemed. In between there is a long slow police procedural story that didn't really grab me. It wasn't exciting, surprising or revealing. It was just another case that could have just as easy been solved by Vera or had occurred on the Shetlands. Nothing really mad this hugely unique.
Silent Predator by Tony Park
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Tom Furey is a London police officer who works as a personal protection officer. He is called in at short notice to take over the protection of a deputy minister who is about to take a trip to South Africa. During the trip the minister and his assistant are kidnapped, something that Tom is suppose to prevent. Everything has gone wrong during what should have been a straight forward trip. Sannie van Rensburg is his opposite in the South Africa police who is protecting the Defence minister and they set off, against orders, to track down the kidnappers.
This is the premise of the story but there is much more as believed truths are not so true when looked at closer.
The characters of this book make it a good read, Tom a dedicated officer who knows his career now hangs in the balance and Sannie a mother as much as she is a police officer. She knows what she is doing is wrong and she should be following orders, but also knows that sitting around doing nothing is just as wrong. They have to make a hard choice but do what they think is right.
This is a complex story that switches between England and South Africa with side trips to Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia and Malawi. It's all connected. But there are also some dark aspects to this story, ones that very real in this world of ours.
Enjoyable, but long.
This is the premise of the story but there is much more as believed truths are not so true when looked at closer.
The characters of this book make it a good read, Tom a dedicated officer who knows his career now hangs in the balance and Sannie a mother as much as she is a police officer. She knows what she is doing is wrong and she should be following orders, but also knows that sitting around doing nothing is just as wrong. They have to make a hard choice but do what they think is right.
This is a complex story that switches between England and South Africa with side trips to Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia and Malawi. It's all connected. But there are also some dark aspects to this story, ones that very real in this world of ours.
Enjoyable, but long.
The Shadow Project by Scott Mariani
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I've read many books in the Ben Hope series but have always been left with a few unanswered questions regarding his sister, who was kidnapped in Africa on a holiday. This book answers those question and how they were reunited.
Following a training incident at his place in France, Ben takes over a security job in the hope of not being sued for millions. But the job doesn't go well as it was poorly organized from the beginning. However, the job gives him a clue to his missing sister and one he embraces and runs with.
This brings him into conflict with a shadow group that is pursuing the aims of a Nazi general, who went missing at the end of the war, that was working on a secret project
I really enjoyed this and is a must if one enjoys the Ben Hope series.
Following a training incident at his place in France, Ben takes over a security job in the hope of not being sued for millions. But the job doesn't go well as it was poorly organized from the beginning. However, the job gives him a clue to his missing sister and one he embraces and runs with.
This brings him into conflict with a shadow group that is pursuing the aims of a Nazi general, who went missing at the end of the war, that was working on a secret project
I really enjoyed this and is a must if one enjoys the Ben Hope series.