Nothing to Fear by Karen Rose

Nothing to Fear
Karen Rose
2005, Headline, London
9780755373550
593p.

A deaf boy and his interpreter are kidnapped from a holiday house by a woman who is seeking revenge.

The story has a solid premise but is let down by one-dimensional characters and just plain terrible sex scenes.  I did finish it though (and it's a long book), so it wasn't unreadable.

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0.4 by Mike Lancaster

0.4
Mike Lancaster
2011, Egmont, London
9781405253048
273p.

Young adult novel set in a future where there are many digital advancements but not a lot of knowledge of history.  History seems to have been lost in one, possibly cataclysmic, event.  This book is the transcript of some old recorded tapes which purport to explain what happened.

I sat down and read this in a couple of sittings, it it written really well.  I loved the story - post-apocalyptic is one of my favourite genres and this story had a dark yet understated foreboding which was maintained throughout the whole book.  I liked the characters, the setting, the premise, the style.  It's just very well crafted.

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Make Death Love Me by Ruth Rendell

Make Death Love Me
Ruth Rendell
1979, 1982, Arrow Books, London
0099223309
216p.

Bank manager, Alan Groombridge, dreams of stealing money from his small branch in order to have a year of freedom away from his tedious life.  But then, his branch is robbed for real and he is caught up in a scary and dangerous situation.

I've never read Rendell before, I quite enjoyed this little novel.  A lot of crime books don't put the effort into developing characters, but Rendell does a great job.  I felt empathy for poor Groombridge and his desire to leave his 'normal' life.