The Postcard Killers - James Patterson - Book 143

James Patterson and Liza Marklund collaborate for the tale of a hunt to catch a pair of killers who are rampaging through Europe killing couples and sending postcards to the local newspapers to announce their victims. Detective Jacob Kanon has a personal interest in this one, as his daughter and her husband were among the killers' victims. Swedish reporter Dessie Larsson helps him when the killers are tracked to Stockholm, and they try to stop the killers from striking again. Though most Amazon reviewers pan it, this is a decent read, though not Patterson's greatest (maybe because he's no longer writing them on his own?).

The 7th Month by Lisa Gardner - Book 142

I'm a big fan of Lisa Gardner's work so I was prepared to enjoy this story of what detective D D Warren does while she is 7 months pregnant and on desk duty. In the 7th Month, a gig as a film consultant leads to the chance to solve a murder, which DD does in less than a day. Short and sweet, and a recommended read.

The Witness - Dee Henderson - Book 138

The Witness is a complex novel and it's best to highlight Amazon's own description of it.

Police Chief Luke Granger's witness to a murder, Amy Griffin, has been on the run for years. Her family thinks she was murdered eight years ago, but Amy chose to accept a life in the shadows in order to protect her sisters' lives. Now unveiled secrets about their father have thrust the sisters into the public spotlight. The man who wants Amy dead now sees her sisters as the way to locate her. 

I found the characters likeable, and the premise interesting, but overall the book wasn't as compelling as I'd hoped. If you're able to pick it up second hand or as a Kindle freebie, you won't be disappointed, but don't pay full price.

Mrs Jones - B A Morton - Book 118

Mrs Jones by B A Morton has a great story - Lizzie, a woman over from the UK on her first trip to the US, sees a hit-and-run and gets embroiled in a turf war among the police, the bad guys and the Feds, helped by cop Tommy Connell. There's lots of double and triple crossing - and it turns out that the mystery of her parentage is key to the case. The book has a full cast of likeable good guys and reprehensible bad guys, as well as a few who skate between the two and is a gripping read. There is just one jarring note - though set in the US and with mainly American characters, the language is very British and the disconnect between the two sometimes jars. It's still worth a read and I'll be looking out for the next book from this author. Recommended.

Sue Grafton - Kinsey Millhone Series

I love a good mystery and the Kinsey Millhone series by Sue Grafton doesn't disappoint. Kinsey is a private investigator who often ends up enmeshed in crimes. I'd read the first in the series, A is for Alibi, some years ago, so I picked it up again with the next four books (Books 83-87 in my readathon, if you're keeping track). When you read books in a series back to back, it can be hard to separate the details. Each stands on its own, with just enough backstory so you know what's happening, without so much that it's boring for regular readers. These are good books to read on holiday as you don't have to work too hard to follow them, but they still have enough mystery to keep you interested. Descriptions of all the books to date are on Sue Grafton's site or you can find them all on her Amazon author page.

Here are the books I've read so far:


"B" is for Burglar
"C" is for Corpse
"D" is for Deadbeat
"E" is for Evidence
"F" is for Fugitive

And these are still to be read:


"G" is for Gumshoe
"H" is for Homicide
"I" is for Innocent
"J" is for Judgment
"K" is for Killer
"L" is for Lawless
"M" is for Malice
"N" is for Noose
"O" is for Outlaw
"P" is for Peril
"Q" is for Quarry
"R" is for Ricochet
"T" is for Trespass
"U" is for Undertow
"V" is for Vengeance

Lynda La Plante - Books 78-80

I've always liked Lynda LaPlante's books. She specializes in crime - detective fiction and is most famous as the author of the Prime Suspect television series featuring Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison. So I was pleased to get hold of a bunch of books I hadn't read - and they are next on my list. I started with The Legacy , the story of Freedom Stubbs and Evie. I found the plot involving Evie as a miner's daughter at the turn of the century quite compelling, with the additional plot line of Freedom's murder trial and subsequent rise to the heights of professional boxing less so. All in all, though, it was a good read, which most LaPlante fans will enjoy. Recommended (though she's written better).

Next, I moved onto Blood Line which featured more of my favorite characters, James Langton and Anna Travis and was an excellent read.

From that recent case I stepped back to the start of their work together with  Above Suspicion where they investigated a string of unsolved prostitute murders. The killer plays cat and mouse with them all the way through until, after a dangerous confrontation, his guilt is revealed and he's caught. There's an excellent British drama adaptation of this novel which is also worth watching. Highly recommended.

See more of Lynda LaPlante's novels on Amazon's Lynda LaPlante author page

Dead Simple by Peter James - Book 77

A stag night prank goes horribly wrong when groom-to-be, Michael, is abandoned by his four best friends who subsequently die in a road traffic accident. No-one knows where Michael is, or do they? Fiance Ashley is suspiciously close to best man Mark, who missed the stag do because of a delayed flight. It turns out each of them has an agenda, and time may be running out for Michael. This is an excellent mystery with enough twists and turns to keep any reader entertained. Highly recommended.

Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell - Book 61

Leaving behind her forensic pathology practice in South Carolina, Kay Scarpetta takes up an assignment in New York City, where the NYPD has asked her to examine an injured patient in a psychiatric ward. The handcuffed and chained patient, Oscar Bane, has specifically asked for her, and when she literally has her gloved hands on him, he begins to talk and the story he has to tell turns out to be one of the most bizarre she has ever heard. He says his injuries were sustained in the course of a murder ...that he did not commit. Is Bane a criminally insane stalker who has fixed on Scarpetta? Or is his paranoid tale true, and it is he who is being spied on, followed and stalked by the actual killer? The only thing Scarpetta knows for certain is that a woman has been tortured and murdered and that more violent deaths will follow... - Amazon.co.uk

I have to confess to disappointment with recent Patricia Cornwell novels and this one was no exception. Despite a decent plot, the story seems to plod and by half way through I was anxious for it to be over. If you're a series fan (as I was) you'll probably read it anyway, but if not, then start with one of her earlier novels, such as Postmortem or Body of Evidence. 2.5 stars.

Fallen by Karin Slaughter - Book 58

I couldn't put down Fallen by Karin Slaughter. Bringing together Will Trent and Sara Linton as well as a few characters from other novels, Fallen provided thrills and chills at a break neck pace. Here's Amazon's product description:

There’s no police training stronger than a cop’s instinct. Faith Mitchell’s mother isn’t answering her phone. Her front door is open. There’s a bloodstain above the knob. Her infant daughter is hidden in a shed behind the house. All that the Georgia Bureau of Investigations taught Faith Mitchell goes out the window when she charges into her mother’s house, gun drawn. She sees a man dead in the laundry room. She sees a hostage situation in the bedroom. What she doesn’t see is her mother. . . .

As usual, Karin Slaughter provides bags of suspense, interesting characters and a rollicking good read. Unlike some authors, she seems to get better with each novel. I highly recommend this as a 4.5 star read.

Hard Girls by Martina Cole - Book 44

I've always enjoyed Martina Cole's novels of skulduggery in London's East End and this one was no exception. Though slower to start than most of them, the story follows retired copper Kate Burrowes, her ex-villain boyfriend, Pat, who may not be as retired as Kate thinks he is, and Kate's mentee Annie as they try to solve a series of murders among prostitutes.

I found the omniscient narrator a bit distracting and guessed who had done it well before the end. Still, it's a good holiday read that will provide just enough intrigue without taxing the brain too much.

Chasing the Will by Stephen Hall - Book 32

Book 32 was a bit different, because it hasn't been published yet. I was given the chance to be a first reader for a first novel. It's not a whodunit, as we know pretty much from the start who the culprits are. Instead it's a howdunit. Lara's father dies and his daughter, along with will writer David try to find out how the Ferdinands came to inherit his estate. The interplay between prissy David and vivacious Lara makes for some great moments  of humour - and there's an interesting cast of heroes and villains, including a couple of unlikely golddiggers. A good read.

1222 - Anne Holt - Book 26

It's always a pleasure to read a book that's different. This mystery is set in Norway in the aftermath of a train derailment, with the main characters including an ex-police detective in a wheelchair, a little person and a sulky teenaged boy. Somehow they manage to solve the mystery of the people hidden in the upstairs room as well as the series of murders that take place in the hotel where they are marooned. Perhaps it could be pacier, but it's a good read.

Heresy by S J Parris - Book 14

I stayed with the Tudor period (well, the Elizabethan period, really) for my next book, a novel by S J Parris called Heresy. This book introduces Giordano Bruno (which for some reason kept reminding me of Britain's ex-PM, Gordon Brown), a lapsed Catholic Italian tasked with rooting out seeds of Catholicism in England at the behest of Walsingham. He goes to Oxford in search of conspiracy and finds it in abundance. There are several murders, not to mention petty academic rivalries in these hallowed halls.

S J Parris has been compared to C J Sansom, but although Heresy was a good read, it didn't grip me in quite the same way as the Sansom's Shardlake series. However, I think it's a worthy addition to the ranks of historical detective fiction and am looking forward to reading the next in the Giordano Bruno series - Prophecy.

The Professional by Robert B Parker - Book 8

It's not often that I get a book as a present by an author I've never heard of, but that's exactly what happened with Robert B Parker's the professional. What's even more surprising is that he's written dozens of books. This book is part of his Spenser series.

Amazon's description: "Spenser agrees to help a quartet of married women fend off extortion demands from stud Gary Eisenhower, with whom each has had an affair. Meanwhile, the husband of one of the women under blackmail threat hires some thugs to deal with the matter. The action takes its time getting to a dead body, but, as usual, the smooth, entertaining prose more than compensates for any deficiencies of plot."

The fact that this is the 37th (!) Spenser novel didn't detract from my enjoyment. The backstory wasn't intrusive and the story clipped along at a decent pace. I liked the characters' occasionally sardonic sense of humor and found the book hard to put down. I plan to add the rest of the series to my wishlist (in case anyone asks) and will definitely be reading more of his books in the future.