The Caveman by Jorn Lier Horst

The Caveman
Jorn Lier Horst
2017, Affirm Press
9781925475708
352p.

A neighbour of Detective William Wisting dies and remains undiscovered for four months. Wisting's daughter, a journalist, wishes to write a story on how this could happen in modern society and begins to investigate his life. Meanwhile a body is found in a Christmas tree lot which appears to be connected with a 1980s serial killer.

This is the first book I've read in this Scandinavian murder series, even though it's book four. I bought it at the airport and that's probably the best way to describe it. It's an airport book - extremely easily readable, fun and quick. The chapters are really short, even rivalling James Patterson (ok, maybe not that short). There were a couple of errors in the text, not sure if it's an error by the author or by the translator. Still, a fun quick read and definitely recommended.

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The Shining by Stephen King

The Shining
Stephen King
1977, Kindle ebook
Unnumbered

Jack Torrance takes on the job of caretaker at The Overlook Hotel for the winter season with his wife and son Danny, who has telepathic powers. After the snow cuts them off from all access, Jack begins to behave oddly and violently.

More terrifying work from King. Jack was a surprisingly sympathetic characte. It was hard to put this book down. I would like to see the movie now.

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The Four Legendary Kingdoms by Mathew Reilly

The Four Legendary Kingdoms
Matthew Reilly
2016, kindle ebook
Unnumbered

Jack West Jr. again has to save the world. Oh wait no, this time he has to save the universe. Something something Hercules something Sikorsky.

Enjoyable as always. Reilly writes really fun books.

Still without compute so reviews will be shorter than normal/littered with spelling errors.

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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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.

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

Battle Royale
Koushun Takami
1999, 2003, 2009, Haikasoru, San Francisco
9781421527727
576p.

A group of junior high students from an alternate reality of Japan are taken to an island where they are fitted with exploding collars and told they must kill each other until there is one survivor remaining.

I saw the movie and wanted to read the book.  This is like Hunger Games only better.  Bloody and violent and a hell of a lot of fun.  It may have been improved by a more in depth look at the dystopian aspects of this alternate reality, but then again, that may have distracted from the premise of the book.  As a stand alone, straight-out blood bath novel, it works.

Pox by Richard Reinking

Pox
Richard Reinking
2011, Amazon Kindle
9781463547219
unnumbered

 A group of terrorists infect themselves with a strain of the small pox virus and then go on to spread it in four major cities of America.

This was a quick read - a solid medical thriller.  I am fascinated by the small pox virus and I thought this was a fairly credible telling of how it could be potentially used as a bioterrorist attack and how the virus would react in modern society.  Yes it was full of clichés but heck, that makes it easier to read and sometimes I'm after something a little silly.

Brother Odd by Dean Koontz

Brother Odd
Dean Koontz
2006, 2007, HarperCollinsPublishers, London
9780007226580
439p.

Odd Thomas can see dead people and strange creatures which feed on death he calls bodachs. After his girlfriend is killed in a mall shooting, he finds his way to a monastery where he hopes for some peaceful reflection. But of course, he doesn't get it - bodachs begin swarming around the monastery and Odd must find out what they are after before too much blood is shed.

An ok story, but not great writing style. I never felt comfortable in the narrative - it was like the narrator wasn't sure which voice to use, and the story jumped around far too much. Odd should be a fascinating character, but it just doesn't come through which is a shame. The best part of the book was the tete-a-tete between Odd and Romanovich.

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Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King

Dolores Claiborne
Stephen King
1992, 1993, Hodder and Stoughton, London
0450588866
307p.

A sixty-five year old woman from Long Tall Island walks into the police station and states that she killed her husband thirty years ago. She then goes on to tell her tale in her own way.

This was an interesting book in the way it was written and how it all came together. Not exactly horror, but thrilling nonetheless. The characters were incredibly well fleshed out and I feel like I know them.

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The 5 Greatest Warriors by Matthew Reilly

The 5 Greatest Warriors
Matthew Reilly
2010, Simon & Schuster, New York
9781416577577
374p.

Continuation of the story The Six Sacred Stones in which Jack West Jr. and his team fight to save the earth from destruction by using an ancient machine with parts scattered all over the world.

Everything that's great about Matthew Reilly is in this book. Action every step of the way - continually bigger and more hair-raising than what came before. Of course, I'm now suffering from adjective-overload, but that's a small price to pay for such a great ride.

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Never Say Die by Tess Gerritsen

Never Say Die
Tess Gerritsen
1992, 2006, Mira, Chatswood
1741161329
207p.

Willy Maitland travels to Vietnam to search for her father who was shot down during the war. But someone wants to stop her from discovering the truth about what happened.

I was very disappointed with this. The story and characters are clichéd and uninspiring. And the writing style is amateurish. I realise this was early in Gerritsen's career and it just shows how far she's come.

Big Trouble by Dave Barry

Big Trouble
Dave Barry
1999, 2000, Judy Piatkus, London
0749933054
245p.

Plot: ok, um ... set in Miami ... there's Russians and weapons, an advertising executive, small time crooks, professional hit-men and a toad. It's just fun going along for the ride so I won't give too much away.

My favourite character was Roger the dog - this was a very funny book. I got part way through it before realising I hadn't actually seen the movie which I was sure I had. Now I want to, of course. I liked all the little insights into Miami culture (especially being a fan of the Dexter books). If I had to use one word to describe it, that word would be 'zany'. It's just zany ... but in a good way.

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Divorcing Jack by Colin Bateman

Divorcing Jack
Colin Bateman
1995, HarperCollinsPublishers, London
0006479030
282p.

Dan Starkey is a journalist who commences an affair with a young woman he meets at a bar. When she ends up dead, Starkey is suspected of the murder and finds himself on the run from the good guys as well as some very bad guys to boot.

This book gave some interesting background on Northern Ireland history which I didn't know much about. I think the story was good, but it suffered from inconsistency. Parts of the book were humorous, but it wasn't maintained throughout. Other parts were poignant, but not very often. And the suspense was a bit flat at times. It wasn't a bad book - I enjoyed it - it just wasn't super-great.

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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three by John Godey

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
John Godey
1973, 1975, Hodder & Stoughton, Hornby
0340187727
287p.

Book upon which the movie, and the movie, and the movie, is based. A group of four armed men hijack a New York City subway train demanding one million dollars for the release of hostages.

I enjoyed both versions of the movie I have seen (the Walter Matthau and Vincent D'onofrio versions), and now I have really enjoyed the book as well. The book does a great job of describing the culture and attitudes of 1970s New York City. It's very dated, but that's to be expected.

The Tower by Richard Martin Stein

The Tower
Richard Martin Stein
1973, 1974, Pan Books, London
0330242334
303p.

The book on which the movie The Towering Inferno is based. A new skyscraper bigger than the World Trade Centre is built in New York City. At the opening, a bomb explodes leaving 100 people trapped on the top floor with fire burning below.

A bit of a sombre read considering what has happened in the meantime. The cover art is especially poignant. The story itself was interesting - not at all what I was expecting. It's more of a philosophical little book, rather than an action adventure.

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Stiff by Shane Maloney

Stiff
Shane Maloney
1994, 2004, Griffin Press, Melbourne
1920885188
276p.

Murray Whelan is a political fixer working for the Minister of Industry when an accident at a meat-packing plant threatens to put a spanner in the works of an Industrial Relations Bill. Investigating the incident, Whelan finds himself in the middle of something far more sinister.

This book is very Victorian. I'm not sure how accurate it is, as I wasn't in Melbourne in the early 1980s, but the reader certainly gets a feel for the culture. Whelan is a great character, he's just trying to do a good job, to stay on top of everything, yet gets himself in deeper and deeper.

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Fortress by Gabrielle Lord

Fortress
Gabrielle Lord
1982, 1988, Corgi, London
0947189157
170p.

Sally is the new teacher at a one-teacher school in a small New South Wales town. One day, three men in frightening masks kidnap all 12 students and their teacher and hide them in the bush.

Wow what a thrilling little page turner! I loved that this was set in the Australian outback because I could identify with the characters and the setting. It's a bit of an unlikely story, but the reader is along for the ride all the way. It never lets up. There are similarities to Lord of the Flies which is another book I loved.

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Covet by Tara Moss

Covet
Tara Moss
2004, 2005, HarperCollins, Sydney
073227673X
434p.

Makedde is a Canadian model whose best friend was murdered in Australia by the notorious Stiletto Killer. When she comes to testify at the trial, the killer escapes from custody and comes after her.

This was a bit of a pedestrian thriller, but quick to read. The characters and their motivations were unbelievable at the start, however, as the story continued, they became more real. I'm not sure if that's because they were more fully fleshed out, or because I was just getting used to them.

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The Seventh Secret by Irving Wallace

The Seventh Secret
Irving Wallace
1986, 1987, Sphere, London
0722188641
374p.

Dr. Ashcroft is an historian writing the definitive biography of Adolf Hitler when he receives correspondence indicating that Hitler did not commit suicide in 1945 and in fact, survived the war. When Ashcroft begins to investigate these claims, he is killed in a hit and run, and his daughter continues the investigation in this place.

A very unlikely story. And I thought that the writing style was stilted when it came to dialogue. I don't mind a bit of faction, but it needs to believable, which this wasn't. However, the action and pace of the story was enough to keep the reader interested. The way the author weaved the different characters stories together was clever.

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Dr. No by Ian Fleming

Dr. No
Ian Fleming
1957, 2002, Penguin, London
no isbn
309p.

James Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of fellow agent Strangways and his secretary. Bond's investigations lead to the mysterious island Crab Key and the even more mysterious caretaker of the island, Dr. No.

Bond books follow a formula: maniac+torture+girl+henchmen+strange-death-for-the-bad-guy. And this novel delivered on all counts. I'm surprised at how much like the book the movie is, usually they only take a few elements out of the book, but the Dr. No movie (which I just watched the other day) is very similar to the Dr. No book. Well, apart from the strange-death-for-the-bad-guy, which I would have LOVED to see in the movie!

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