criminolly's reviews
2419 reviews

Haunted by Desire by Cameron Dokey

3.0

Not as enjoyable as the other ‘Charmed’ novelisation I’ve read (which adapts the first episode), but this was still an entertaining quick read. Two of the sister fall for the same guy (naturally he’s a wrong ‘un) whilst the third investigates a historic murder at a university which has left some ghosts behind. All very silly, but diverting enough. 

Love and Death in London by Francine Pascal, Kate William

4.0

I was delighted by just how much fun this, my first Sweet Valley High, book was. A dizzy mix of crime, horror and romance, all told with breathless energy. This first entry in the ‘Horror in London’ trilogy, sees the Californian twins travel to the UK to work as interns in a newspaper. Immediately there’s a murder, as well as an almost overwhelming number of references to ‘An American Werewolf in London’, a missing princess and lots and lots of boys. 
No one element ever overwhelms the others. The horror is silly, the mystery obvious and the romance never more than fleeting, but the balance between the three is delicious. It’s all ridiculous, but the cliched characters and plot twists are so much fun it’s impossible to dislike it. 
And OMG is the cliffhanger ending shocking!

The Sailcloth Shroud by Charles Williams

4.0

A very entertaining, fast-paced nautical mystery from the 1960s. The plot is particularly twisty and fun, involving two deaths amongst the three man crew of a small boat that’s just sailed into port. The trials the surviving crew member goes through as he tries to work out exactly what has happened and save himself from current perils are endlessly engaging. 

Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener by M.C. Beaton

4.0

My favourite Agatha Raisin mystery yet, with a gardening competition in the village that brings out the best/worst (delete as applicable) in Agatha. Of course there’s a murder and the ensuing investigation is particularly enjoyable. There’s also the continuation of the ongoing romantic sub-plot which is almost as much fun. 

The Galactic Riddle by Clark Darlton

fast-paced

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

3.0

Perry Rhodan is a hugely successful German sci fi series that has been running since the 1960s. Published in a magazine style format there are now over 3000 instalments. In the 1970s a few of the books were translated into English and published in both the UK and the US. I remember seeing them in bookshops as a kid and being fascinated by them. 
Fast forward 40 years and I’ve finally read one. Book 8 (in the English translation at least, I’m not sure if the original German numbering is the same) was a fun, silly space opera. Perry Rhodan is the captain of a team, mostly made of people with various telepathic ability, roaming the galaxy Star Trek style and investigating weird science stuff. In this one it’s a missing planet. There’s loads of implausible explanations for things, ray guns and a positronic brain. Great, pulpy stuff. I will be reading more. 

Doctor Who: Space Babies by Alison Rumfitt

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

This was just what I needed this week to restore my faith in humanity a little. A silly yet meaningful, hopeful, joyous SF adventure by trans author with a queer black lead, a feisty young woman sidekick and pro choice storyline. 
The fact that’s it’s based on an episode of a TV show jointly made by the BBC and Disney, two of the largest, most respected entertainment organisations in the world, is a sign that compassion and inclusivity still have a chance. 
Alison Rumfitt does a great job of bringing the episode to life on the page. It’s funny, fun and perfectly paced and she captures Ruby and the Doctor perfectly. In fact in some ways I preferred it to the TV episode - the babies are less weird and annoying in prose form.
 

Rebel Moon Part One - A Child Of Fire: The Official Novelization by V. Castro

3.0

Reading this took me back to my teens when I read an absolute tonne of movie novelisations. What's interesting about 'Rebel Moon' is that it's a novelisation of a new movie. There's been a wave recently of book versions of classic (and not so classic) 80s horror movies, but adaptations of newer films are pretty rare. 
What we get here then is something that feels very like the novelisations of the 70s, 80s and 90s. A decently crafted but not overwhelmingly good prose version of the film screenplay. V Castro (whose work is always decent value for money) does a good job. The challenge she has is that the movie wasn't that great in the first place and the strengths it had were mostly its bombastic visuals. Without those the story is a silly, derivative futuristic fantasy adventure. It's a fun diversion, but nothing more than that.  

Colorado Kill-Zone by Don Pendleton

tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Book 25 in the Executioner series is an above average entry. Think Die Hard in a ski resort and you have a sense of the plot, with Mack Bolan going up against an army that includes both mercenaries and the Mafia. It’s taut, violent and really enjoyable, with a storyline that delivers in terms of the scale of the conspiracy Bolan is up against. Great stuff. 

The Sentinel by Jeffrey Konvitz

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

Silly, but grotesquely entertaining entry in the late 60s/early 70s religious horror boom. It feels a little like Rosemary’s Baby at times, with a young woman facing weird events (and neighbours) in a NY brownstone. Like Rosemary’s Baby the Hollywood adaptation was helmed by a European bad boy director. The fact that Rosemary got Roman Polanski and The Sentinel got Michael Winner tells you all you need to know about the relative quality of the source material.  

The Bone Key: The Necromantic Mysteries of Kyle Murchison Booth by Sarah Monette

4.0

Reading a solid collection of short stories from an author I haven't read before is always a joy. This one was really fun - well written, inventive and creepy. All follow the adventures of Kyle Murchison Booth, a young man who works in a museum. He's an expert in mysterious books and (naturally) gets involved in investigating supernatural goings on. There's a range of creepy things for him to go up against in a series of elegantly told tales that recall the classic style of Lovecraft. It was the quality of the writing that impressed me most about this collection, it has a beguiling richness that makes you want more.