Books Read in October 2010

Dark Fire. C J Sansom. Having a passing interest in historical fiction and I enjoy a gripping mystery replete with twists and turns so I really enjoyed this book. C.J. Sansom's Shardlake is my sort of character, a little on the obvious side, with his pure heart and indefatigability overcoming the constraints of his flawed physical being (he's a hunchback lawyer). Still, it's impossible not to become enthralled by this tale of political intrigue and murder with its adroit descriptions of the machinations of the nobility, corrupt lawyers and officials, and vivid portrayal of the sights and sounds of Tudor London. I can’t wait for the next one. 4 Stars.

Dead Souls. Ian Rankin. Another in the Rebus series, not as good as previous ones, but still thrilling. Multiple stories all coming together around Inspector Rebus a Paedophile ring, a murderer deported from the USA, a policeman’s suicide, and a missing person. All take up Rebus’s skills as a detective to solve, with more glimpses of Rebus’s past life. The hard drinking detective moves through Edinburgh slowly pulling all the threads together and getting knifed for his troubles. 3.5 Stars.

The Associate. John Grisham. I do like the way John Grisham tells a story. This one has Kyle McAvoy, top law student at Harvard being blackmailed to join a top New York Law firm and steal papers on a case between two American firms building the next B Bomber for the US government. Espionage, Law, murder, and a rape case all intermingle in this finely told story. 4 Stars.
Set in Darkness. Ian Rankin. Next book in the Rebus series. Rankin loves these multiple crimes intermingling and sometimes confusing the story. This has rape, murder, old and a new crimes, corruption in the Edinburgh council and a peeping tom. This together with gangster rivalry and the sudden release of Big Ger gave the novel a racy pace. Loved it and could not put it down. 4.5 Stars.