Just Finished Reading: This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal-El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (FP: 2019) [198pp] 

It started as almost a joke, a tease, a way of snubbing the enemy. At first s/he was annoyed, even amused in a way but also intrigued. They had been at war for countless years across countless worlds and countless realities, but they had never communicated at least not directly. Almost on a whim a response was sent and forgotten. When another letter was discovered s/he experienced something akin to pleasure. She wasn't even sure before that if she could experience such things. The letter itself spoke of admiration for a skilled opponent even if the effort was wasted as they, the other side, would eventually win. Knowing that such a victory was impossible for the other side this caused much amusement. Despite some misgivings the correspondence continued. At first, it was a teasing, but mutual admiration of battles well fought, and strategies well played. But admiration turned, slowly, into something akin to friendship. Could you be friends with an implacable and dangerous adversary? Apparently so... Control, of course, must never discover their conversations. Both 'Red' and 'Blue' would have a hard time explaining themselves without the words loyalty and betrayal being thrown about, especially now that they were both avoiding situations where it might be possible they could come into actual physical conflict. But could they meet? Could they discuss, face to face, what they do next? Could there be a third way or will one side finally lose the Time War? 

I'd been aware of this book for a while (YouTube had gone crazy over it) so snapped it up when I saw it on offer at my nearby Indie shop. Then, as usual, it sat unread for a year or two. When I finally got around to it, I was not disappointed. It was a little confusing at first, but decades of Sci-Fi reading helped me ease into the narrative. From my intro you might assume that the novel takes place as a series of letters between the two protagonists in the story. The letters (in various intriguing formats) are certainly central but there's a lot more going on here. We do spend quite a bit of time in the minds and memories of both 'Blue' and 'Red' throughout as they both progress their own faction's war in time to ultimately bring about their preferred outcome in the far future. So, there are actual battles, assassinations and other violent acts, but there's also people just being delayed so they don't meet someone or a message is delivered to puts a scientist on a different train of thought – subtle manipulation. The reason I used s/he earlier is that it's not always clear exactly what gender either 'Blue' or 'Red' are. Indeed, it's not 100% certain if they're exactly human as we would recognise it. One seems to be more machine than human and is at least a cyborg. The other appears to be more mythical, almost Elvin in nature or maybe even a plant (I kid you not). They both also seem to either swap gender as required and sometimes even appear to be non-human. It's an interesting identity fluidity that, in part, shows them to be more similar (despite their differences) than they first appear. I did feel distinct resonances of Michael Moorcock at times (although I have no idea if that was deliberate) which I found interesting – and it prompted me [again] to re-read some of his work. Overall, I found this to be a delight from beginning to end. I do tend to be rather 'out of the loop' where more modern Sci-Fi is concerned but this has certainly prompted me to focus more on it in future (no pun intended for a change!). Definitely recommended if you're up for something a bit strange and rather haunting or if you're a fan of Time Travel stories without too much actual science to spoil the fun. 

Just Finished Reading: Till September Petronella by Jean Rhys [53pp] 

This was a small collection of four short stories dominated very much by the titled work which ran to 35 pages. Although well written and very 'visual' I did struggle with it more than a little. Essentially (without given too much away) it revolved around the eponymous Petronella who had just arrived at a cottage 'in the country' - AKA outside London – at the invitation of a male friend presumably with the intention of 'having a good time'. Another couple was already there but Petronella quickly soured of the idea and managed to get a life from a local farmer to the railway station and went back to the city - with the farmer hoping to meet up with her next time he was 'in town' presumably for a 'good time'. That was essentially it... Which I thought was more than a little flat! 

Other stories – all well written – revolved around a wife getting revenge on her recently departed husband by destroying his beloved library on a bonfire in the garden and an old woman who is deprived of her LONG hair (which she loves) during a stay in hospital. Again, these stories fell rather flat as they all seemed to lack a recognisable narrative 'flow' despite, I'll say again, being well written. 

The only story I really liked was the last one – a mere TWO pages long – called 'I Used to Live Here Once', where the main character returns to a childhood home in the West Indies and is presented with an unexpected revelation. The 'twist' at the end caught me completely by surprise which I liked!  

Will I be looking out for any more of her work? Possibly not... but its always good to dip a toe to see if a new author will appeal. Reasonable. 

Just Finished Reading: The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore (FP: 2016) [357pp] 

New York, 1888. Young lawyer Paul Cravath couldn't quite make up his mind. Was the offer an opportunity of a lifetime or the ultimate poison chalice? On its face it looked simply too good to be true. Paul was barely out of law school and had only just become partner in a very minor law firm with few clients and no reputation, so why was George Westinghouse - THE George Westinghouse so interested in having Paul as his companies' main lawyer? What was more perplexing, and a lot more frightening, was the reason the Westinghouse company needed a lawyer so badly. They were being sued by a man unaccustomed to losing and who had deep pockets and many friends in both high and low places – Thomas Edison. The case seemed to the untrained eye a straightforward one but the result - either way – would not only determine the future of both companies but the technology that would illuminate the whole of the continental United States. Whoever won the case to decide who invented and therefore owned the 'light bulb' would make a considerable amount of money in the coming decades. With stakes that high how far would those involved go to prove their points and just how far would Paul go to combat them and stake his claim as a lawyer of note? 

This was an interesting one. It certainly made a very nice change from my usual historical fiction reads which normally revolved around either crime or conflict. The comment on the front of my cover says "John Grisham meets Edith Wharton" but as I've only read (I think!) one Grisham over 100 years ago and have yet to read any Wharton I couldn't possibly comment! As you might imagine a goodly chunk of the narrative revolves around the legal arguments of Edison's patents for his light bulb as well as the argument between the uses (and dangers) of Direct Current, proposed by Edison, and Alternating Current, proposed by Westinghouse, with Nikola Tesla thrown into the mix. Along the way we also meet Alexander Graham Bell and J P Morgan – it's quite a list of characters!  

I know a little about the events covered in the novel. Usually I'm not a HUGE fan of fictionalisation of actual events. If they play too much with the narrative and stray too much into the fiction side they, at least, muddy the historical waters. If they adhere too closely to the history itself then it really stops being a novel and becomes a questionable work of historical non-fiction. It is, I think, a very hard line to walk which is why I tend to avoid this kind of thing. The saving grace here, however, is that the character of Paul (and indeed his love interest) although he existed is historically hazy enough to be used as an entree into the actual events. Many of the events that make up the substance of the novel actually happened and the author has (apparently) made great efforts to be as accurate as possible including using biographical and private diary entries to make his main (real) characters as truthful as possible. 

Both the story itself - the technological side of things - and the setting of late 19th century New York/America are well handled and there was never a time I was jolted out of the narrative by anything unexpected. It did actually make we want to know much more about what actually happened and to know more about all concerned. Strangely Edison was most definitely the 'baddie' here (and not just because he apparently enjoyed taking people to court). That's definitely something I need to read more about. J P Morgan was an interesting character, so I predict at least one book on HIM in the future as well a deeper look at the US as it transformed into a global power in the run up to and after WW1. Recommended. I noticed that the authors last published work was another fictionalisation this time around the emergence of economic warfare in the early days of WW2. Sounds interesting.....     

Just Finished Reading: The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle (FP: 1968) [292pp] 

It was an overheard conversation at it changed everything. Whilst hiding in her wood she listened in to two hunters passing through. One warned that hunting here was useless because the local wildlife had learnt to hide too well in emulation of the resident unicorn. His companion laughed heartily and explained the unicorns were a myth and even if they had existed (which he doubted) they had long vanished from the world of men. Both amused and irritated by the debate she couldn't help but wonder: was she the last unicorn? If so, what happened to the others? Did they leave to go elsewhere or did they, rather illogically, die – being immortal kind of squashed this idea. There was, she thought, only one way to find out. She would have to leave her sacred wood and venture out into the world and seek out others of her kind or at least find out what happened to them and what might, ultimately, happen to her. Her quest was about to begin... 

Despite this being a classic (although apparently 'lost' for some time) and despite being listed as one of the 100 greatest fantasy novels of all time, I had honestly never heard of it or the author. I think a big part of that is that Fantasy isn't exactly my favourite gene. I've dipped my toes in before (and even wiggled them a bit) but have never really 'dived in' - to extend the metaphor a little further. This book/author might be the start of turning that around because I totally LOVED it! 

I think part of that reaction was sheer surprise. For one thing the novel was really well written - simply beautifully. But it was much more than that. As usual I'll bang on about characterisation. The unicorn herself, as she progressed from understandable naivety to depressing knowledge, is very well drawn. Her companions on the quest likewise are a delight. The immortal (but only until his magic actually starts working properly) wizard Schmendrick was a particular favourite of mine throughout. He's fully accepting of how inept he is but at the same time knows with iron certainty that he CAN do great things given the right opportunity. 

The world building is superb. If you have had any experience of either Fantasy tales or Fairy tales, you'll fit right in. Layered on top of this is the VERY knowing humour that had me literally howling with laughter. We meet a bandit chief who composes songs about himself so that he'll become a part of the local folklore and, eventually he hopes, a myth (yet he doesn't believe that Robin Hood was ever a 'real' person). There is a local villager who, when asked to explain his actions – or actually inactions - responds with (I'm paraphrasing slightly here) the fact that he knows what a hero narrative looks like when he sees one. One other conversation almost floored me the way it fell. One of the other main characters asked why the prince in the spooky castle was 'so important'. The magician looked at her and said, "You've never been in a fairy tale before, have you?" MUCH laughing ensued as the magician clearly knew he was a character in a story and was happy to go along with it! 

This is the kind of book that you could read to your children at bedtime (I suggest for the over 7's as some of the ideas might simply fly over their heads otherwise and there are a few scary bits for the very young). Older children would, I think, not only get a LOT out of this but also get a lot out of re-reading it every 3-5 years. Each read, I think, would reveal more as they matured. But that doesn't mean that this is simply a well-written and enjoyable children's book. Nothing of the sort. This is one of those rare books that just about anyone can read and enjoy. All readers of all ages will get different things from it, but everyone will come away entertained, bedazzled and oddly comforted too. It is a tale of heroism, friendship, love, conviction, exploration and much, much more. Definitely a highlight of the year and DEFINITELY recommended even if you're not normally a Fantasy fan. More to come from this author. 

Just Finished Reading: The Last Sunrise by Robert Ryan (FP: 2006) [303pp] 

Singapore, 1948. Lee Crane was finally leaving South-East Asia before it killed him. He'd been offered a job flying cargo into a besieged Berlin and jumped at it. He even entertained the possibility that a certain girl would be there despite her not returning his letters. But fate, it seems, had other ideas along with echoes from his past. He knew what was coming long before Elsa punched him, throwing her entire weight behind it, in front of everyone. He knew that his ex-copilot would show up eventually and that they would use the memory of Kitten to manipulate him to fly somewhere for something illegal that might get them all killed. It was only a matter of time before he was looking down at the jungle again wondering if the airstrip could handle his arrival or whether he had enough fuel to make it over the mountains. Maybe, just maybe, he'd actually get out and leave the god forsaken place. Maybe... 

Although I've had a few books by this author for a while now this is my first time with him. I'm sorry that I waited so long. Overall this reminded me of the thrillers I read in the 70's with characters down on their luck, hoping to make a quick buck and who are still trying to live with the consequences of previous incidents (often war related) that were left hanging and unresolved but still ate away at them. All the elements were there: Lee is a cynical cargo pilot who had ALL of his innocence kicked out of him during the war in Asia first with the Flying Tigers and then as a cargo pilot flying cargo over 'The Hump' for the Nationalist Chinese. Then we have Else, the femme fatal of the piece (I liked her!) who could throw a mean punch and seduce just about anyone. There was even a love story, well told for once, with the mature and somewhat mysterious Kitten who was the focus of the green and very young Lee as he both found his feet and his wings in wartime. The story – full of crosses, double and triple –crosses – friends, enemies, sudden death, espionage, self-dealing and betrayal – was both complex and highly satisfying. The narrative moved at a steady pace and there wasn't a single moment when I found myself even slightly nudged out of the story. It was a good, solid thriller with more than a few nice moments and some great, very well drawn, characters. The only 'slight' niggle I had was with the number of cliff-hangers (some literal) which I thought was somewhat more than necessary. Whilst there's nothing TOO flashy here and the novel didn't exactly knock me on my heels it was still a very entertaining read and I'm looking forward to his other works Recommended. 

Just Finished Reading: The Last Vampire by Patricia Rosemoor and Marc Paoletti (FP: 2008) [345pp] 

Decades after uncovering 'something' in a cave which killed her father and brother, anthropologist Leah Maguire (and expert in the mystic rituals of the past) is hired as a civilian contract expert to a secret military unit known as Team Ultra. At the centre of the team's lab is a 500-year-old mummified body with an unusual DNA structure. Spliced into other creatures it gave them extraordinary abilities and Team Ultra is the final result of those tests. Gifted with superior speed, increased healing and other more outlandish abilities they are the cutting edge of Special Force black ops. But they are not alone in their interest in the mummified corpse. A local voodoo priestess has discovered its whereabouts and knows exactly what it is – a vampire, the last of its kind. Determined to use its power for her own ends she uses her magical abilities to revive it and enable its escape. Team Ultra has a new mission – find and recapture the vampire before it can bring its kind back! 

In my defence I bought this quite some time ago (probably around the time it was published) and had fixated on the word 'vampire' in the title. The only reason I finished it was that I had already DNF'd two books this year which is my limit. Fortunately, this did have one redeeming quality – it was a FAST read. As to the rest... 

The 'story', and I use the word advisably and in its very broadest sense, was at best questionable from the very beginning. I'm going to give 'SPOILERS' here for which I make zero apology. The 'vampire' was self-made (a new one on me) using alchemy to make himself semi-immortal (he's trying to go all the way but that takes something else which is an element in one of the subplots) so that he can fight and hopefully destroy the Catholic church who essentially allowed his mother to die on their watch 500 years previous to the novels present timeline. Because he's an alchemical vampire none of the standard kill methods work (except sunlight – so naturally they try to take him down at night because of 'reasons') and, weirdly, GOLD – supposedly because it's an 'ethereal' element. So, "liquid gold" bullets... I kid you not! 

I soon discovered that the characters in the book – ALL OF THEM – could readily be divided into two types: those who were passively stupid and those who were actively stupid. If that wasn't enough this travesty of a novel contained multiple instances of one of the things that I particularly hate in fiction – when a character has a vital piece of information and either deliberately withholds it for purely plot reasons (generally in order to get others into difficulty for an action sequence) or is told not to divulge that information to the very people who could solve a problem in order that the unresolved issue can move the plot 'forward' another inch. I COULD go on, but you no doubt get the drift. This was, without much in the way of competition by far the worst book of the year and quite possibly for several years before that. The inevitable love interest between the two main characters read like something written by a teenage girl who has yet to kiss a boy never mind sleep with him. Even if the book was AIMED at a teenage audience (which it might very well have been) they would still be laughing over the way the characters GUSHED over each other. [shudder] So, without a single redeeming feature I would have to classify this as terrible and advise anyone who comes across it to AVOID picking it up. If it's sitting on your shelf presently unread, I'd suggest giving it to charity or possibly lighting fires with it.  

Just Finished Reading: The Last English King by Julian Rathbone (1997) [388pp] 

Europe, 1070. Walt the Wanderer is making his way, slowly and painfully, across Europe to the Holy land to seek atonement. The guilt he is carrying is almost crushing him, the guilt of failure, the guilt of shame and the guilt of survival. When he at last looks across the waves at Constantinople he hears a voice he can understand in a sea of foreigners. Unable to pay the ferryman his new companion Quint offers to pay for both of them. Having nothing to offer in return Walt initially declines until Quint says that he can pay his way by telling the story of his life. After a longer than expected pause Walt agrees and tells a tale of growing up in service to a powerful lord, of learning to fight in single combat and in the shield wall, of becoming an elite Companion and of travelling to Ireland, Wales and to France where he met Duke William, the Bastard. He tells his tale of political manoeuvrers, of broken oaths and of love both found and lost and he tells of battles won and battles lost along with his right hand and of fallen heroes including the last English king - Harold Godwinson. 

I've been looking forward to reading this for some time. As someone who is more than a little obsessed with 1066 'and all that' (actually the title of Part VII of the novel, which made me laugh out loud!) I'm always up for reading anything on the subject be it fiction or non-fiction. Unfortunately, so far, the novelisations around the period have been less than impressive – not so for this very good rendition. Although told mostly in 'flashback' I thought it was an excellent way at looking at the events running up to Hastings and the immediate aftermath of the calamity. Not only is Walt in effect paying for his supper he is also using his narrative to come to terms with what happened (to him, Harold and England) and as a method for dealing with his survivor's guilt plus an unhealthy dose of PTSD. The fact that he is often telling his tale with an audience – up to 5-6 people at some points – with his audience asking questions or countering his narrative with THEIR understanding of the facts – allows for a much more rounded look things. 

I think I was most impressed by the way that the author mixes what we DO know of the events with some very plausible explanations for the mysteries that historians still argue and publish books about – notable the much-discussed oath that Harold was purported to have made to support Duke William's claim to the English throne. The thing that gave me MUCH pause for reflection (and a need to read up far more on the period) were the relationships between some of the main players notably Edward the Confessor. I did have my 'suspicions' in the area of his sexual preferences, but the author really ran with them. What actual credence they have will need some more research on my part! Speaking of sex... there is some scattered throughout the novel and it is moderately explicit at times, although its easily skippable. I think the thing that surprised me more than anything was who was having sex with who and how most of it was at least tolerated or regarded as barely noteworthy. Anglo-Saxon sexual mores are something I know VERY little about so I'll see if I can find out more in my reading. 

Overall, I thought this was at least very good with long moments of excellence. I certainly couldn't fault any of the historical fact (or at least what I know of it) and not a single thing broke me out of the narrative. Harold was obviously the hero throughout and William was portrayed as borderline psychotic which he may very well have been taking into account his early life and his actions post-Hastings and especially after the Northern rebellions. Edward played an interesting role rather different from my expectations (sexual preferences aside) which actually explained quite a bit. The battles of Stamford Bridge and especially Hastings were very well done and dramatic – including the in/famous arrow which did briefly raise an eyebrow to be honest, but I forgave him quickly. Loved it and I'm looking forward to more from this author. HIGHLY recommended especially if you have any interest in Anglo-Saxon England or (more especially) the pivotal Battle of Hastings.

Just Couldn’t Finish Reading: Cunning Women by Elizabeth Lee (FP: 2012) [365pp] 

Lancashire, 1620. Sarah Haworth lives with her family on the edge – the edge of the village, the edge of acceptability and on the edge of starvation. Forced to exist by any means necessary after the death of her father both Sarah and her mother use their knowledge to aid those who come in the night looking for relief from pain, from an unwanted pregnancy or an unwanted husband. But things are about to change. The local disgraced magistrate is leaving, and his replacement is on the constant lookout for troublemakers and problems. It’s only a matter of time before his baleful gaze turns in the direction of the remaining Haworth family. To add to their complicated lives, Sarah has formed a relationship with a local farmer’s son Daniel. Will this be the spark that ignites the villager's fury, or will Daniel be their saviour? Only time will tell. 

I had fairly high hopes for this going in. It was well written with a strong feeling for place and time, and the characterisation was pretty solid throughout... But, after around 140 pages I couldn’t bring myself to continue. Part of the problem I had was that the pacing was slightly better than glacial. There was a lot of character building (along with some world building) but little that I felt I could get my teeth into. There was a sense of menace, but it didn’t seem to go anywhere. But the biggest problem I had was the fact that this was essentially a teenage love story rather than the one I was expecting (and essentially what the blurb promised). There was SOME talk of magic, the Devil, spells and such but very much sprinkled in the gaps between the story of Sarah and Daniel. Personally (and it is just a quirky character trait on my part) I’m not a huge fan of the Romance genre – as you might have guessed by now. I don’t mind a romance element in a story. Afterall you can’t really expect realistic characters to be indifferent to each other especially where jeopardy is involved. Surviving a near-death experience might just result in feelings and even a slice of intimacy too... But what I don’t enjoy is when such things are the primary focus of the novel and the things I’m actually interested in are reduced (of necessity) to the background. So, whilst not a BAD book (as far as I could tell having abandoned it about one third through) this just wasn’t for me.  

Just Finished Reading: The Art of Dying by Ambrose Parry (FP: 2019) [406pp] 

Edinburgh, 1849. Will Raven is back in Scotland. After a year in Europe and now a newly minted MD, he’s looking to a bright, or at least brighter, future. The only fly in the ointment he can see is Sarah Fisher. When he left for the Continent, she was a housemaid in Dr Simpson’s house and, although they were close, he couldn’t see a way forward at that time without putting his career in jeopardy. With Dr Simpson on a call, he asked after Sarah and his heart fell – in the intervening 12 months she had married, not only married but married well, to another doctor. Still working in Dr Simpson’s house as his assistant the two were inevitably thrown together on a daily basis. But bigger issues needed both of their attentions. Sarah’s new husband was ill, very much so, and a new disease seems to be sweeping Edinburgh leaving a trial of bodies behind it. Raven is convinced that uncovering the origin of this strange malady could make his reputation. Sarah is not so sure and is convinced of a much more mundane if disturbing possibility – that one person is responsible to the growing death toll, not as an unknown carrier of a new disease but as a killer, one who dispatches men, women and children with equally chilling efficiency. Worse the killer, whoever they are, is a woman... 

This is a second book in the Fisher and Raven series. I enjoyed the first book a great deal with its mix of medical mystery and a great feeling for the time and place where the events transpire. Despite looking forward to future works it's taken me an age to catch up – as, no doubt it will, for the next books! I was, actually, slightly less impressed by the second book. Part of that was that I thought it was a little slow at times with a little too emphasis on the European ‘backstory’ which, despite being quite interesting, didn’t add a whole lot to the narrative (I couldn’t help thinking that the European angle might have been the author’s initial idea for the whole book but that the publishers wanted the focus to be back in Edinburgh – just my thoughts...). The other thing that slightly irritated me – despite agreeing with every word – was the preaching about the position of women at that time and the hurdles (essentially Great Wall of China sized) stopping them – and Sarah in particular – from progressing as they could if they had been born male. I’ve LONG held the belief that human civilisations across the planet and since the dawn of time could have progressed much further and much faster if half of their population hadn’t been sidelined, under-educated and dismissed as nothing more than vessels to fill with babies. That being said, the *odd* mention of Sarah’s frustrations would have been enough. 

OK, back to what I LIKED about the book. As I had expected both the characterisation (yes, THAT again) was very good and I liked the way that Will Raven’s character developed throughout the novel. He certainly learnt a lot between these covers and not all of it medical. Sarah is an excellent character and I’m looking forward to her progressing as a medical professional in a VERY male dominated environment – both inside and outside the hospital. The secondary characters were well drawn and even the criminal elements managed to be sympathetic ones. One of the MOST interesting was the killer herself. I really liked the way that we spent quite a bit of time inside her head to understand the WHY of what she ended up doing. This didn’t justify the deaths, but we at least got an insight into HOW her mind became so twisted. That was interesting if, at times, rather creepy. 

Overall, despite a few (rather minor) niggles, this was a fun pager-turner. I very much like that fact that the ‘detectives’ are in fact medics rather than the police. I also very much liked the forensic side of things – just emerging as an actual profession – with its emphasis on science as a means to actually PROVE who did what with what method. Oh, one final thing... I did that the impressions that the authors took a particular delight in getting Will Raven splashed with various bodily fluids much to his annoyance and embarrassment. Some readers might want to skip over those bits. Recommended and more to come.

[Highest page count of the year so far: 406pp][+5pp]

Just Finished Reading: The Black Ball by Ralph Ellison [53pp] 

This was a short collection of short stories from the acclaimed author of the 1952 classic Invisible Man. All four were about different aspects of the black experience mostly in the US – from casual racism to targeted violence.  

For me the best of the bunch was the last one – and not just because it was based in the UK (actually in Wales). Called ‘In a Strange Country’ it told the story of an American black sailor in WW2 looking around the local area after his ship had docked to unload supplies in Britain for the war effort. Set upon by several white American soldiers he is rescued by some locals and taken to a local pub to recover. Bought a pint of beer by one of his rescuers he really doesn’t know how to respond and struggles to understand how white men are treating him so well. Slowly he begins to understand that the locals are treating him simply as a ‘Yank’ and as someone who came from another country to help them fight a common enemy – Germany. Later taken to the local hall he is introduced to more people who look past his skin colour and who appreciate his more than decent singing voice. 

I’ve heard of several real incidents like that after an increasing number of American servicemen – both black and white – were based in Britain during the run-up to D-Day and after. As the American services were still segregated at that point some insisted on segregated pubs and other venues when based in the UK. Without such a history here, they were denied that request which caused some friction between white and black Americans some of whom were forced to either mix or leave for the first time in their lives. I image both sides were hit by the significant culture shock. I’ll see if I can find some history books covering this interesting topic from a US and UK perspective.  

Just Finished Reading: Captain Alatriste by Arturo Perez-Reverte (FP: 1996) [248pp] 

Madrid, 1620’s Spain. On his recent release from prison Captain Alatriste (played by Viggo Mortensen in the 2006 Spanish language adaptation) needs three things – a bath, his clothes fumigated and, most importantly, a way to earn a living. With Spain technically at peace the captain, along with many of his fellow soldiers, is out of work and hungry. So, when he hears of a well-paid assignment from a well-placed friend he puts his name forward. The desire of his potential employers to meet in secret behind masks was all the warning he needed. The task was to waylay a pair of foreigners and remove any documentation they carried. Simple enough, except that one of the potential employers wanted the extraction to take place from their dead bodies. It became abundantly clear that Alatriste was fast becoming ensnared in the machinations of political rivals and Holy Mother Church herself. Few, even with the captain’s hard-won skills fared well under such circumstances, especially when he decided to not co-operate.  

I first came across the character of Captain Alatriste by accident. I had been browsing through some foreign language DVD’s (as I do) and came across an odd one starring Viggo Mortensen playing a 17th century Spanish soldier. On watching it, in Spanish naturally, I was totally intrigued and delighted to discover it was based on an entire series of books. Fast forward 20 years and here we are. Obviously whenever the captain appeared in the novel I saw him as Viggo, so I didn’t have to use my imagination overly much. His character was very down at heel, scraping to get by between conflicts and unwilling to become a simple bandit or thief. Driven by his own sense of honour (which gets him into a lot more trouble than some of the other more ‘flexible’ characters) he decides to set himself against the plans of powerful people by disobeying orders at a critical moment. This drives the second half of the novel and, presumably, the future books.  

The feeling for early 17th century Madrid is handled well as is the almost Machiavellian political intrigue of the age (more on THAT later). Alatriste was a great character both simple in some ways and nicely complex in others. The other very good character – and almost a mirror image of the captain – was the Italian swordsman/assassin Gualterio Malatesta who crosses swords with Alatriste more than once. There are several very nice set pieces and some very good dialogue which I enjoyed greatly. The only criticism I had was with the pacing which stuttered on occasion. Overall though this was a good solid read and most certainly both entertained me and made me want to know more about that period of European/Spanish history. I shall be looking out for the other books in the sequence. Recommended (as is the movie if you can track down a copy).  

Translated from the Spanish by Margaret Sayers Peden 

Just Finished Reading: The Mysterious Mr Quin by Agatha Christie (FP: 1930) [254pp] 

As my reading of Miss Marple’s books seems to have stalled (temporarily!) I was looking around my stacks for another (non-series) Christie to get my teeth into before actually BUYING the next Marple book. So... my gaze fell on this oddity, and ODD it was too! 

Comprising of 12 short stories this was a Christie that I’d never encountered before or was even aware of. The main protagonist in each tale was a Mr Satterthwaite who prided himself on noticing things that other people either missed or ignored. His great hobby was, therefore, watching people. Ever the outsider he compensated by being a consummate observer of humanity and human foibles. Then Christie added another element that was rather unexpected – the occult (for want of a better word) in the guise of Mr Quin. Mr Quin – indeed Mr Harley Quin – is... strange, other-worldly, mysterious. He shows up out of the blue and, without seeming to expend much energy, helps solve problems. These are not always crimes, although often they are or at least crime related. He doesn’t DIRECTLY solve, or indeed do, anything but restricts himself to asking questions and prompting both thought and action – especially from Mr Satterthwaite. I could help but think of Quin as a Dr Who type character – appearing and disappearing without anyone noticing, always in the right (or wrong) place and the right time and very hard to ignore. He makes a point of leading OTHERS to the right solution and never actually provides the answers others seek. One of the other (relatively) strange themes throughout the dozen stories is romance with Quin either bringing people together (who are fated to be such) or enabling those in bad relationships to find the right one. He’s even handed too with BOTH sides of a relationship eventually finding true (or lost) love as well as preventing people from committing suicide with The World’s End being a prime example of that. 

I think that my favourite story was The Man from the Sea which was a combination of lost love/suicide prevention and rather sweet to boot. Others, like The Sign in the Sky, were more normal detective stories revolving around things in plain sight that had been overlooked for some reason leading to the resolution of a mystery or solving of a crime. Overall, this was a fun read with the added spice of being a slice of Christie’s writing I was previously completely unaware of. Recommended for all Agatha Christie fans – but be warned... it can get a bit STRANGE! 

Just Finished Reading: The Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson (FP: 1956) [200pp] 

Scott Carey wasn’t afraid. He wasn’t even worried by the strange cloud he had been briefly enveloped in. For a few moments it left his exposed skin tingling like a bad sunburn but, just as quickly, both the cloud and the sensation was gone. Within a few minutes he had forgotten about the whole thing. It was only weeks later that his doctor noted a drop in Scott’s weight. A few weeks more and Scott was back worried about something else – not only was his weight dropping but so was his height. Sent for tests his suspicions were confirmed. Scott was losing height at a steady rate – 1/7th of an inch per day... Every day... They tried every test, every remedy and still, nothing. The rate never varied but never stopped. Scott was shrinking and it seemed that nothing and no one could stop it. The question that Scott grappled with was simple – what would become of him in a world of giants where a misstep could kill him, where the family cat can become a deadly predator or where a common spider can become a mortal enemy?  

I remember being awestruck as a youth watching the 1957 movie adaptation (called The Incredible Shrinking Man). Not only was the idea presented in the movie on the bizarre kind but the life-or-death fight with a GIANT spider in the basement of his own home mesmerised me. Unfortunately, this was one of those instances where the adaptation was superior to the original text. One of the major differences was the format, the flow, of the narrative itself. Although I haven’t watched the film for a while I very much remember it as a straight narrative – Scott is ‘contaminated’ by the cloud, Scott starts shrinking, Scott deals with the effects as he gets smaller and smaller – all very linear. The book, however, is largely told in flashbacks (from his time trapped in the basement) and sometimes in flashbacks within flashbacks which often interrupted the narrative flow. Scott himself is a much more likable and sympathetic character in the movie. Book Scott is a jerk who is angry at everything and everyone for his circumstances. He elicited very little sympathy from me!  

The movie left out a couple of things too. One was the worry expressed of just how much the tests were costing and how they were going to pay for them. I guess this was just an unnecessary detail that could be left out or edited out. The other thing, which both surprised and almost shocked me (especially considering its publication date) was the focus on Scott’s sexual frustration as his stature continued to reduce. Part of that was the perceived reduction in ‘manhood’ and the other was the fact that Scott couldn’t bring himself to approach his wife despite her saying that they would ‘find a way’, and this wasn’t just a passing comment but something that the author returned to throughout the book. At times it honestly felt more than a little creepy. 

Both the climax of the movie and the book was the final (boss) fight with the resident spider in the basement. Both the movie and the book handled it well although in different ways. WARNING: If you are in ANY way bothered by spiders do NOT read this book. It WILL give you nightmares! That for me was definitely the best part of the book and brought it up to ‘reasonable’ and almost made me forgive the rest of it. It was an interesting read on several levels, but I can’t really recommend it. Maybe you should give it a chance if you want to read ALL of the Gollancz SF Masterworks series, but I think you’d be safe missing this one out. More, and hopefully better, SF to come. 

Just Finished Reading: Lemons Never Lie by Richard Stark (FP: 1971) [221pp] 

He knew it was a mistake as soon as he pulled the arm on the slot machine. Confirmation came swiftly when the three lemons came up and paid out in a clashing of nickels. It was bad luck. That afternoon, only part way through the ‘presentation’ he had decided to leave early. Alan Myers’ plan to knock over a brewery was too elaborate and far too violent for his tastes, plus Meyers was an idiot. But when he left his friend and sometimes partner Dan left with him and Meyers didn’t like that – not one bit. With no flights out of Las Vegas till the next day Dan decided to throw some dice in a craps time to pass a few hours. Unlike Alan Grofield, Dan was having all the luck and walked away with a few thousand. Unknown to either of them Myers was watching them and decided that the money was rightfully his... Weeks later Alan was getting ready for the summer crowd when Dan unexpectedly showed up. Even more surprising was what Dan had in the trunk of his car – Meyers, trussed up like a pig getting ready for a roasting. Unfortunately for both Dan and Alan they removed the gag and let Meyers talk. He told a tale of easy money waiting to be taken... and they believed him. The bad luck wasn’t over yet. 

The Hard Case Crime series has been VERY hit and miss so far. Whilst the majority have been generally OK there have been a few stinkers that still resonate in my memory. One or two have been very good, but they’re very much the exception. This one was at the higher end of the reasonable pile, so I was more than happy with that. The writing is solid and I was pleased the way the story unfolded. I wasn’t ever sure which way things were going to go, but I was more than willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt seeing how he handled things. Whilst none of the characters were particularly outstanding, they were all well drawn, down to earth and believable. Their actions matched their motivations, and nothing felt ‘off’. Being the nature of such books there was a smattering of violence (not too explicit) and ‘mild threat’ (as they say just before a movie) but nothing that would disturb too much. The plot moves along at a fair clip and is well constructed. Alan Grofield is a smart cookie and professional part-time criminal (with the emphasis on professional) and it shows in the way he operates. It's all very believable. Entertaining if not exactly great literature. Reasonable. 

Just Finished re-Reading: Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson (FP: 1988) [316pp] 

A Corporate War was coming. To protect her as much as possible, Kumiko Yanaka has been sent to freezing London in the care of her father’s ‘business associate’ and a state-of-the-art mobile AI called Colin. Meanwhile on the other side of the Atlantic a group of misfits hiding out in an industrial contamination zone have been tasked to hide a comatose hacker connected to a medical gurney and enough computing power to hold an entire world and more. Enter Sally, AKA Molly, a soldier, street samurai, agent for hire. She’s being blackmailed to kidnap the biggest star in the Matrix for purposes unknown. The blackmailer is the ‘ghost’ of a deceased billionaire who refuses to accept the reality of her own demise. Within the Matrix itself things move in the data streams. Things that have only just emerged, things with their own powers and own agenda, Things that have done something that will change EVERYTHING. 

This is the 3rd volume in the Sprawl trilogy. I first read it around the time of publication when Gibson was blowing my mind with possibilities. Strangely I found the first 100 pages a bit slow – but that might just be me these days – character building with a bit of world building thrown in. Most of the world building had been supplied in the first 2 novels so it wasn’t really required to do much more. A few of the characters from the previous book appeared (including the great character of Molly with her implanted mirror-specs) although they mostly played subsidiary roles here. The story REALLY picked up after page 100 when several revelations dropped which not only changed the speed of the narrative but its overall tone too. Although the closing revelation didn’t have quite the same impact on a 2nd reading, I do remember being totally FLOORED by it the 1st time around. It was a heck of a cliffhanger that has, as yet, not been resolved in any of the authors other novels – I'll leave you to think on how good or bad that idea is! 

Set in the ‘near’ future – it's hard to say exactly when – it's always amusing to see what predictions came true and what was missed. Here we have self-drive cars, instant access to information, laptops (called decks), smart clothes, orbital factories, the casual (if expensive) use of intercontinental supersonic flight, but NO mobile phones. There was one mention of Wi-Fi (as well as how expensive it was) but not a single cell phone. WEIRD! Although this is probably my least favourite of the trilogy – the 2nd book is my favourite – this is still a very good cyberpunk novel and has rightly part of a well-earned classic trilogy. You don’t have to read them in chronological order as they are only loosely connected but I’d recommend that you do so. Recommended to all SF lovers and especially those interested in the Cyberpunk sub-genre.    

Just Finished Reading: The Accomplice by Joseph Kanon (FP: 2019) [324pp] 

Hamburg, 1962. It was a request that Aaron Wiley could hardly refuse. After suffering a heart attack on the street his uncle was fighting for his life. His uncle, Holocaust survivor, dedicated Nazi Hunter, was convinced that he seen the infamous Dr Otto Schramm in Germany. A man who was supposed to have died in Argentina, a man who had picked his uncle, Max Weill, out of a line of camp inmates to help him with his ‘experiments. It was a face, a way of walking that Max could hardly forget. Aaron was harder to convince but a later incident changed his mind. But what could he do about it? Despite being a desk officer for the CIA, he had no field experience, couldn’t speak the language and had no contacts in Buenos Aires except for the CIA office there. Aaron knew they wouldn’t help him. Why would they? They hadn’t been in the Nazi hunting business since the war ended and they were trying to make nice with the new government now that Peron was out. So, he was on his own. Even Max’s contacts in MOSSAD where less than enthusiastic, especially with the global publicity surrounding the Eichmann kidnapping. But reluctantly, they would help as much as they could, which would be damned little. Aaaron was most definitely on his own... 

I’ve never been disappointed with this author, and he is an auto-buy for me every time I see another of his books in paperback. This was (as expected) no exception to his run of excellent historical/Cold War thrillers. From the first few pages I was hooked. The feel of the novel was somewhere between ‘Marathon Man’ and ‘The Odessa File’ - kind of Cold War, seedy, war criminals hiding (often in plain sight) with higher authorities either turning a blind eye or actively colluding with their disappearance (for a number of reasons – none of them good). One top of this wonderful ‘feel’ we have very good characterisation – you know how I like that – with Max, Aaron, the love interest Hanna (a wonderfully complex multi-layered character) and other less central players. The story itself took turns I wasn’t expecting and surprised me multiple times which I really liked. Nothing worked out quite the way I thought it would. But I think the best part of the novel for me was the completely outstanding dialogue. Not only did it feel REAL it was clever, complex, full of asides and meanings that wouldn’t have been apparent to those without the godlike view of the reader. More than once, I thought that any other character in earshot wouldn’t really know what they were *really* talking about – rather than what they SEEMED to be talking about. It was quite brilliant. 

As you might expect I really enjoyed this – I do seem to be doing very well with novels lately – and the author has confirmed, yet again, his auto-buy status. There is a warning however, being based around the subject matter it is there will be moments of nastiness (to say the least) which some sensitive readers might find rather objectionable. I did have a few nose wrinkling/frowning moments and I consider myself quite Stoic. So, be warned! Obviously recommended but with that caveat in mind. 

Just Finished Reading: The Dry by Jane Harper (FP: 2016) [401pp] 

Australia, two years into the drought. Who could blame him for losing it? Going crazy? Killing his family and then himself? Horrible as it was people could understand, especially those in the small town of Kiewarra going through the same thing. Luke’s parents though, they couldn’t accept it. Not their son. They just couldn’t imagine him killing his wife, his son. No. But what other explanation was there? The police investigation was over. An open and shut case. Obvious. But still... It was Luke’s father who called Aaron Falk, a teenage friend who had left the town years earlier under a cloud of suspicion. Now in the Federal police looking into financial crime, he seemed the ideal person to look at the farms finances to see if anything stood out as a reason. Almost immediately questions started to appear. Why did the discarded shotgun shells not match anything on the farm? Why did Luke kill everyone except the 13-month-old baby? Guilt? Shame or something else? The more Aaron dug the more he found and he wasn’t alone. The new local cop had his suspicions too. But digging into the past, recent and distant, has consequences and some people want the past buried for good and for good reason. Be careful what you dig for... 

As usual I picked this up because it looked ‘different’ and then it languished in a pile of books for the best part of 10 years. Part of the reason I then picked it up was that it was based in Australia (adding variation to my fictional world tour) and that Sarah was enthusing about it over on her Blog. I was, to say the least, not disappointed. This novel had a wonderful sense of place, and you could almost FEEL the moisture being pulled out of you as you turned the pages. You feel Aaron’s shock of returning home to an area he knew so well now devastated by years long drought. There’s also a real feeling of animosity with some of the people he left behind. The author really gets across the complexity of emotions in all of her characters, and you KNOW how much I like good/great characterisation which we have here in spades!  

The mystery itself is very, very good. Although I had my suspicions about the killer, I also had similar suspicions of other residents that didn’t pan out (obviously). It's always great when you’re kept guessing to the end and the reveal isn’t a rabbit out of the hat gimmick but makes complete sense but you still didn’t see it coming. I don’t think I can fault this in any meaningful way – or at all actually! A good solid mystery, very good characterisation, a solid main character, good dialogue... and a quick read – so much so that I found myself slowing down to saviour it more. I couldn't ask for a better more entertaining read and count this as one of the highlights of the year so far. Even better there’s a pair of sequels and I already own the first one. Definitely recommended to anyone who’s looking for a bloody good mystery thriller.  

[Highest page count of the year so far: 401pp][+2pp]

Just Finished Reading: The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak (FP: 2021) [343pp] 

Cyprus, 1974. It was a bad time to be in love. It was a worse time to love across divided communities. Both Greek Kostas and Turkish Defne knew this but when has love ever been rational? Both of them knew that their families would be horrified at their relationship and both went to great lengths to hide it, but in a small community it wasn’t long before a few knew and a few more started to suspect. As the violence increased Kostas’ mother (who had already lost two sons to the conflict) decided to send him away to an uncle in England. It was only for a short while, until things improved. 25 years later Kostas returned home looking for his lost love. He wasn’t certain she was still alive or if she had moved on with her life, but he had to find out one way or another. 

London, late 2010s. Ada Kazantzakis, 16 years old, is tasked by her history teacher to write about a family member over the Christmas holidays. Coincidentally, her aunt who she has never met, arrives from Cyprus full of anecdotes and sayings from the Turkish side of the family. After an initial rough start Ada begins to discover details of her parent's lives before they moved to England and to discover the roots she had been searching for. 

This is not, as my regular readers will know, my normal read! It was, in essence, a love story (on the surface a simple Romeo & Juliet pairing but much more than that) although coupled with a (somewhat) coming of age tale. But it is much, much, more than that. For one thing this is a beautifully written book, easily the most beautiful read of the year for me. I can see why the author is so acclaimed and popular. It is also the tale of an island and a community that tore itself apart in the early 1970’s on religious/ethnic grounds which split the country in two where it remains to this day. I knew something of the actual events – watching them unfold on the nightly news in my early teens – but this novel made it far more personal and up close. [Side note: one of my early bosses in London was stationed in Cyprus with UN forces there to ‘keep the peace’ He had some interesting stories to tell]. As well as the conflict itself the author dropped in elements of the island's history going back centuries which, naturally, has prompted me to look for history books on the subject – especially regarding the history of the British there (recently in the news of course). 

I REALLY liked this. It was very well told, and I really liked the author's style. I’ll definitely be looking for more by her. I think a good part of this was the fact that it was a very different read. The other thing that really stood out (apart from the historic background) was the characters who seemed very real indeed. Although it's hard to choose who was my favourite, I think (if forced) I’d have to choose the Turkish Cypriot aunt Meryem who I found highly amusing for a host of reasons. [Another side note: Meryem cooks – a lot – and mentioned Turkish baklava. This reminded me of when one of the bosses in London took the admin team out one lunch time to a local Greek restaurant he liked. It was there that I had Greek baklava for the first time and loved it. I’ll see if I can source some of the (very different) Turkish variety and see if I like that too!] One last thing: although the natural environment figured quite a bit in the story, it's the first time that a TREE was a main character in the tale (outside Fantasy or SF novels where strange creatures are a given). It worked though, which shows how strong her characterisation skills are! Very highly recommended although sensitive souls will need a tissue handy for the sad bits. 

Just Finished Reading: Paths of Glory by Humphrey Cobb (FP: 1935) [201pp] 

The Western Front, France. It was a mistake, just not the one they suspected. After only 5 hours at the rest area, the 181st Company were on the way back to the front line – although a different section than before. Even the officers didn’t quite know why they were marching back so soon after being relieved. After weeks of exhausting combat, they certainly needed, and deserved, their rest but the veterans were cynical enough to shrug their shoulders, grumble and keep moving. On arrival at their new trench the Colonel finally received his orders. In two days, they would assault and take the German position known locally as ‘The Pimple’ and hold it until relived. This would be the third attempt and would not fail, indeed the General’s reputation and hoped for promotion depended on it. The attack, as everyone suspected, failed in spectacular fashion and with significant French casualties. Not satisfied with the effort, or lack of according to the General, a court martial was called and four of the attackers would be put on trial for cowardice in the face of the enemy – a capital offence. With the weight of the General Staff ranged against them is there any hope or will they all be shot at dawn? 

I’d seen the 1957 movie adaptation directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Kirk Douglas a few times so was looking forward to reading this. I was not disappointed. Although the movie is somewhat different the main core of the story remains the same – with the attack, the longer court scenes and the ending making it across media largely intact. The biggest change I think was the inflation of the role of Colonel Dax (the regiments commander) from a fairly peripheral role in the book to a central one in the movie as befits the star of the film. Being a quite short book, it doesn’t have any time to pad the plot and this spareness intensifies the tension as the unit involved come to terms with the objective they’re about to attack (from the perspective of a great deal of experience) and their incredulity at standing trial accused of a cowardice they did not commit. Each section leader was given the task of choosing one of their men to stand trial, knowing exactly what the outcome would be, and their choices of how to do so was fascinating – especially that of the devoutly Catholic Major. We also get to know the men on trial and how each reacts to their predicament. Again, sparse text results in excellent characterisation. 

I was honestly hooked on this story from the off. Despite being dropped straight into things – mid march from the Front before being called back – there is no need to settle into things, and you fall right into the action. I’m guessing that this is because, at least looking back on the events over 100 years ago, we have enough cultural touchstones so little explanation is required. On publication, less than 20 years after the event, many of the readers could draw on personal experience to fill out any background. Despite being written by an American who served with the Canadians on the Western Front this brilliant novel has a very French feel to it and actually reminded me of Under Fire by Henri Barbusse. Although not exactly an anti-war novel per se, this narrative hits HARD. Don’t expect to come away from this untouched emotionally but do expect to find yourself in the days and weeks after finishing it pausing for thought. Quite excellent and therefore definitely recommended. 

Just Finished Reading: The Three Electroknights by Stanislaw Lem (FP: 1977) [52pp] 

I read some Lem decades ago and found him very different from the standard UK or US sci-fi author. That made him both interesting and difficult. I haven’t read, but I do own, his most famous work ‘Solaris’ and intend to read that at “some point” in the future. I’ve tried to watch the original Russian version but failed on both attempts. I did really enjoy the Steven Soderbergh directed US remake in 2002 which starred George Clooney and Natascha McElhone. I thought it was quite excellent. 

But, to this booklet... It contained 4 (very) short stories including the titled piece. Although each was readable the first three didn’t do very much for me. The final story ‘The Tale of King Gnuff’ was something else though. At first it was a pretty standard fantasy tale with a decided Shakespearian twist. A young man is elevated to the throne in a kingdom far, far away but has a problem. He’s both a coward and incredibly paranoid. Thinking that his family are plotting against him he strikes first and has them all executed. Still not feeling safe he slowly eliminates anyone who could possibly be a danger and over time empties his capital of threats. Still not satisfied he installs advanced surveillance, builds walls around the city and automates all services. But to monitor things 24/7 (not trusting anyone else) he needs to plug himself into the machine that oversees his security. But there’s a problem. When he sleeps – as he still needs to do – his subconscious mind seems to be plotting rebellion. The King is stumped – how do you fight yourself in the dreamworld and know if you’ve won? I couldn’t help but think that this was a less than subtle comment about Stalin and his years of Terror. Mostly reasonable with the final story being very good indeed. 

Translated (presumably) from the Russian by Michael Kandel.