Tome Time - Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly

Started September 26th, finished October 6th.

I'm always glad to be starting a new Michael Connelly novel, especially if it's a Harry Bosch story.

This starts with Harry looking into a robbery/murder.  Whilst not being too happy with his partner's work ethic. From there it twists and turns and twists and turns.

This is by far the most 'action' of Connelly's novels that I've read.  It's also the first time I've come sort of close to disbelief.  However, it didn't mar my enjoyment of the story.  I do kind of hope it's not the first of a run of movie style books about Harry.

This looks into things that are new for Harry.  It takles a look at the Immigrant Community and the darker side of that than we've seen before.  Harry leaves LA.  He learns much more about being a father.

I won't go into the plot any more as it would be difficult to do so without spoilers.  Whilst I was reading the book certain things didn't add up for Harry as he was working things out.  It was the same for me.  Stick with it though.  It all makes sense in the end.

There are big shocks in this book.  Connelly certainly doesn't pull any punches.  This is a whirlwind of a story.  One I enjoyed but I'm not sure it would work trying to find similar situations for Bosch to recover from again.  I like his ordinariness.

Harry's life is certainly changed by the happenings in this book.  Much more than we've seen things change before.  I'm interested to see how his story progresses.

3.5 out of 5 pawprints

Next - The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde

Tome Time - A Question of Belief by Donna Leon

Started August 31st, finished September 2nd.

Apparently this is the 19th in the Brunetti series.  I had no idea I had read so many.  Which is a good sign as as it hasn't begun to drag as so many crime fictions series' do.

I think the aspects of these books that I love most are the descriptions of Venice and of Brunetti family life.  Nothing set in a well described Venice can fail to enchant me.  A look at Italian politics and way of life as seen through Brunetti, his wife and his colleagues eyes doesn't ever stop being fascinating.

My only quibble with this book was the coincidences involved in aspects of investigations merging.  Though in an area with such a low crime rate maybe this is more believable.  Brunetti is looking into crimes seemingly committed by a 'bad' man and crimes committed against a 'good' man.  The book looks at what makes a man a good man.  It's no surprise where the politics of character and person lie in this book if you've read previous novels.

The scene is set in a Venice suffering a heat wave.  As always this is evoked perfectly.  You're wishing Guido can escape to the mountains whilst also wishing him to stay and solve the mysteries that have surfaced.

I love these books so I'm probably biased and they'll always be high on the pawprints.  I just hope she carries on writing them for a long time yet.

4 out of 5 pawprints

Next - Sweet Mandarin by Helen Tse

Tome Time - The Death of a Mafia Don by Michele Giuttari

Started August 21st, finished August 24th
This is my favourite so far of this author's books.  Either he is getting better or I'm getting more accustomed to his style.
This is a very Italian crime novel.  Looking into the Mafia and what surrounds them.  The author is still enjoying planting the character he seems to write himself as at the centre of everything in the world he's created.  This irritated me less in this book than the others.  Described these books could sound very similar to the Brunetti series.  In reality I'd say they're very different.  I see this author as an Alpha Male describing himself as he sees himself in these books.  The other characters aren't as well described but that doesn't really cause me problems.
I found this a good story I rolled through quite easily.  I found the final chapters a tad fantastic but I let it go.  The bit I found most irritating was the the consequences of the final chapters wasn't ever looked into.  Maybe in the next book?  This is a fun crime story that can't be read with a critical eye.  Just roll with it.  I wouldn't advise reading this without reading the book prior to this though A Death in Tuscany, as that forms the backbone of a lot of this book.
3.5 pawprints out of 5
Next - The Haunting of Gad's Hall by Norah Lofts

Book 22 of the 50 Book Challenge

The Tattoo Murder Case  by Akimitsu Takagi, 324 pages

Started March 31st, finished April 5th

The book is another borrow.  This time from my dad.  The provider of a hell of a lot of my reading material :-)

I knew this was a crime novel set in post-war occupied Tokyo.  I pre-judged this to mean that it would be very dark.  Although murder is never a light topic this book can't really be described as dark.  It's definitely got humour.

The descriptions of the Japanese art of tattooing and its results were wonderful.  They sound absolutely wonderful.  Much more interesting than the Western style.  I would love to see one in real life.

The characters in this book are great.  It was an easy job to get to know them.  They all added a little to the telling of the tale.

The mystery is well set-up.  The solving of the mystery is excellent.  It takes plenty of time and gives you a great ride through the book.  I had my suspicions on the guilty party but not how they'd done it.  It was interesting to see it explained.  With a few surprises thrown in.  The author left me wanting to read more about these characters.  Always a good thing.

4.5 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 22, Pages - 6,546

Next - A Game of Thrones by George R R Martin

Book 18 of the 50 Book Challenge

The Lincoln Lawyer  by Michael Connelly, 446 pages

Started March 19th, finished March 20th

I had decided to try and finish this challenge with no more re-reads and no more book buying.  I wanted to read those that had been festering for yonks on my shelves.  I was failing at the no-buying bit and then I found out that the film adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer was out very soon.  That trumped my earlier decision as I didn't want to miss it in cinemas and to see it I had to refresh my memory of the book first.

I had forgotten nearly all the plot.  I think when it comes to books and films I have severe memory problems.  I enjoyed the read.  Nice to see Connelly explore LA's underbelly from a different angle.  There did seem to be a lot of cliches in there. Not sure whether the cliches are in such abundance in reality that they must be included.  I can't really judge there.

I have to give full disclosure here.  I'm probably very biased.  Connelly is one of my favourite authors.  I find his books incredibly easy to read and I like the characters he invents.  I was lucky enough to see him give a talk at Waterstone's once and he comes across as a thoroughly likable man.

Maybe a few parts of the plot in this are predictable.  Some a little far-fetched but I really enjoyed reading it.  I can see why Hollywood have got their dirty paws on it.  It could make a good film.  I just hope and pray that they don't do to it what they did to Blood Work.  That film made me so angry!

So fingers crossed for McConaghey's efforts....

4 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 18, Pages - 5,324 

Next - Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

Book 16 of the 50 Book Challenge

A Florentine Death  by Michele Giuttari, 355 pages

Started March 14th, finished March 17th

This is a new author for me.  He is an ex Chief Superintendent with the Italian police.  He's worked in various places but was born Sicilian and ended his career in Florence.  He has worked on both the anti-mafia and flying squads.

Obviously his inner, recent knowledge of the workings of what he writes about is a big bonus.  What I can't figure out is how much is him and how much is his main character, Michele Ferrera.  He states that Ferrera is the man he'd like to be.  I get the impression, from his writings, that neither Giuttari or Ferrera suffer from a lack of ego.

I enjoyed this book.  I literally flew through the pages.  I have the next two in the series and I'm looking forward to them.  I'm unsure of his attitude to women.  One female character was introduced with only one adjective, attractive.  Another was described as beautiful but I still have no idea what she actually looked like.  The men's descriptions gave a much better picture of the characters.

This is the tale of a serial killer with some nice descriptions of Florence.  A little look at the Catholic church and a mafia flirtation.  Pretty much what I imagine when I think of Italy.

4 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 16, Pages - 4,751

Next - Where's My F*cking Latte? by Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff

Book 14 of the 50 Book Challenge

Cabal  by Michael Dibdin, 248 pages

Started February 28th, finished March 

This is the third and final book in the Dibdin omnibus I borrowed.  It starts off with a 'jumper' who falls from the dome of St Peter's onto the floor of the Nave during a mass.  Now here is why I resent Dan Brown.  This book, being a mystery, set in the Vatican City, centering around St Peter's, with a church conspiracy, well it reeked of Angels and Demons.  Even though this came many years before and isn't anywhere as silly.  That's what you get for enjoying a silly, fun beach read.

My main problem as I began this book was that I took a dislike to Zen.  Not good when he's the main character.  I wasn't taken with his girlfriend either.  This didn't get any better as the book went along.  The relationship issues were so predictable as to be painful.

The book got sillier as it went along with a seemingly unnecessary strain added in.  It wasn't silly enough to be put in quite the same box as Angels and Demons but it was definitely heading that way.  If it had been that ridiculous I probably would have been more enjoyable.  It was daft enough to make it unbelievable to me.  Without being ludicrous enough for me to throw care to the wind and enjoy the ride.

Now I can watch the BBC adaptations.  Which I'm hoping I will enjoy more.  From the clips I've seen it looks like a gorgeous production.  As I've decided to give Dibdin a wide berth from now on I won't be too bothered about discrepancies from the original text.  And, well, it's Rufus Sewell ;-)

2 out of 5 pawprints

Total so far, Books - 14, Pages - 3,807

Next - The Little Stranger by Sarah Walters