Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer by Rick Riordon

I have never been interested in Norse mythology-until now!

Rick Riordon takes us on the beginning of yet another adventure with Magnus Chase and his motley crew! 

Action, humor coupled with a witty dialogue  make this book my favorite kid's release this year!

Magnus has been living on the streets since the death of his mother, two years ago. 

One day he hears that his Uncle Randolph is looking for him. Once he finds him, Randolph starts spouting off stories about Magnus's lineage, Norse mythology and a secret sword!

Before Magnus realises, he's knee deep in trouble and soon finds himself dead! And that's where his story begins...

The Tournament by Matthew Reilly

Matthew Reilly writing historical fiction? Say what?!




Set during the reign of King Henry VIII,  this book follows a young Princess Elizabeth on a supposed defining period of her life.




The great Sultan of Constantinople has invited kingdoms from far and wide to participate in a chess tournament in the world.




England is slowly being ravaged by the plague and the King sees this as an opportunity to get the young Princess out of harm's way. Roger Ascham, teacher of the young Princess Elizabeth thinks that this will be the ideal teaching opportunity for her. They along with the country's best chess champion and a travelling party of companions and chaperones travel to Constantinople.




Once there things are not as they seem, they get caught up in a murder mystery and politics amidst the greatest chess tournament of all time!


A surprisingly entertaining read from the master of the high octane action thriller, this will keep you well entertained. Interestingly he weaves his story around factual figures, with amusing and thought provoking fiction while teaching you the basics to mastering your chess game.


Matthew Reilly shows his versatility with this Historical thriller.

I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

A few people had recommended  this to me and I had it on my bedside table for a few weeks. After reading a random review comparing it to Frederick Forsyth, I opened it one Friday and didn't put it down for the rest of the weekend.

A detective notices murders based on a book he wrote anonymously when he was a spook. Following leads he discovers a terrorist plot against the United States. Reluctantly he goes back into the spy world, trying to foil the upcoming attack. He realises that the terrorist responsible has gone undetected   and is as brilliant, if not better at his tradecraft than anyone else. Unravelling first the connection and cause he sets out to catch him before the unthinkable...

It is everything a spy novel should be; enough twists to keep you turning the pages, believable characters and a tight plot! Stunning debut from one of Hollywood's great scriptwriters.

KD 

Books with related topics

I have recently finished two books dealing with a  common topic; the deep dark web:

I was given a forward copy of Lee Child's Make Me from the publisher. I couldn't wait to crack open the latest Jack Reacher and I wasn't disappointed!

He drifts into a Midwestern town, Mother's Rest, on a whim (as he does ) and invites trouble (as he does). He literally bumps into a woman whose PI colleague is supposed to be meeting with here. Against his better nature he finds himself assisting in her search for her colleague. The town folk are suspicious and something seems amiss. After digging around they realise that he was working on something big. Following his vague leads, they stumble upon a website found on the deep web. What they uncover is far more disturbing than anything Child has written about before...

If I go any further it would be pointless for you to read the novel AND Reacher fans would never forgive me!

I write a monthly newsletter of current and forthcoming titles for the bookshop I work at. So I often come across intriguing blurbs. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter  caught my eye.

This is the story of a loving family torn apart by the abduction of the eldest child. 

Claire, newly widowed after a violent crime finds out that her husband is not the man she thought he was for 19 years. Discovering snuff porn on the day of his funeral and caught in a game of cat an mouse with the police, her estranged sister Lydia is the only person who can help her. 

Together they discover the extent of Claire's husbands betrayal. 

Together they must fight to stay alive, fight to find truth and finally find their sister.

A tight plot taut with suspense, this book must not be missed. Fans of Gillian Flynn will LOVE this!

After reading what goes on in the deep dark web I realised that 99% of us are oblivious to this hidden world and all the the nastiness associated with it. 

There is an actual market for the most heinous crimes you could think off. And in this day and age with the internet being so easily assessable, these violent crimes are exploding!

Two utterly fascinating reads. 

Go ahead... Do it! Pick up that book, I know you want to... Dinner can wait 😉

KD

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

I had watched Gone Girl a few months back and enjoyed it, probably because I hadn't read the book!

While going through movie trailers one afternoon, I came across a film adaptation of Dark Places starring the talented Charlize Theron. Dark, emo and with a hint of madness I knew I had to hunt down a copy.

Whew!

Gillian Flynn is one talented lady! Her words have the amazing quality to leave me supremely uncomfortable yet greedy for more!

Libby Day. Survivor of a family massacre. A family massacred by one of their own. 

Fast forward 20 odd years and Libby is broke and bitter. (I loved to despise Libby) Needing money quickly, she agrees to meet with a "murder club", accepting payment to speak about her ordeal at the hands of her brother. Once she gets there it's not the sympathy she expects. They convince her of the lack of evidence and her testimony against her convicted brother.

She is forced to confront childhood memories of the murders and the possibility of her brother's innocence.

Leaping between present day and the week leading up to the murders and told from the POV's of Libby, her mother and brother, this is an ending you never saw coming!

As prescribed by another reviewer, "this book should be read out in the bright sun while surrounded by happy people."

Loved it!

KD

A few reviews as promised …

The Event by David Goleman

I was suffering from a James Rollins withdrawal and sought out authors of the same genre; thriller/suspense with a healthy dose of adventure.
The first name I came across was David Goleman. I tracked down The Event and began reading…
I was hooked from the first page. The cast is vast and I had a to do a mental backtrack a few times but all in all I found it to be a good read, and I think it will appeal to fans of TV Sci-fi series etc.
I look forward to reading the next 4 books too!

 The Son by Jo Nesbo

I loved this stand alone novel from the creator of the Harry Hole series! Sonny Lofthus a model prisoner for twelve years, has been incarcerated for crimes he did not commit, but which he confesses to in return for a supply of drugs.  He has always believed his father committed suicide after admitting to being a corrupt cop. One day a prisoner makes a confession about his father’s death that changes Sonny’s future forever.  Now Sonny, who has never lived on the outside, an addict and a scapegoat, is out for vengeance for his father’s murder. I couldn’t help cheering on the hero who was actually an anti – hero! The story starts off slow and builds with mounting suspense which does not dissapoint!

Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown

Ashleigh's boyfriend, Kaleb, is about to leave for college, and Ashleigh is worried that he'll forget about her while he's away. So at a legendary end-of-summer pool party, Ashleigh's friends suggest she text him a picture of herself -- sans swimsuit -- to take with him. Before she can talk herself out of it, Ashleigh strides off to the bathroom, snaps a photo in the full-length mirror, and hits "send."

I found the subject matter (sexting & its consequences) thought provoking; it is a book I think all teens should read! It is an education about, modern technology coupled with teen emotion and how wrong it can go. I did find Ashleigh not compelling enough as a character and the depth of the relationship rift caused with her parents not fully explored. Peripheral characters could have been brought into the story with more to do.  A book with a similar message but better writing is Susan Vaught’s Going Underground.
However all said and done, I am a fan of Jennifer Brown’s The Hate List. Read it!

KD

E-Readers...the ups & downs.

I have gotten stuck into some really awesome reads recently and have completely forgotten I have a blog to post.

These awesome books have actually been e-books. I shall blog about them in my next post but for now I'm going to tell you the pros & cons of reading off a tablet.

I was put off by the back light etc. but reading on an actual e-reader has been fantastic.

I highly recommend it for fiction. All your books can be stored on a lightweight device as opposed to lugging around a huge book bag (which I have been known to do)!

It’s great for reading at night; you can change the font size & colour (I don’t have to wear my glasses-BONUS).

I can read anywhere, everywhere, even while pretending to be working ;-)

Those maybe the many virtues of the e-reader but I do have a few downers...

You can't really read a business or textbook on it especially if you want to quickly refer to something you've read previously!

The battery lasts me seven hours and if I'm travelling and not near a charger or laptop, I'm left stranded without something to read...

And...I can't read in the tub  L

I can live with the cons but I also refuse to give up actual books. I get high at the euphoria of all of my senses being engaged!

LONG LIVE BOOKS!

Keep an eye out for my next post with a few reviews from my current reading list. J

Till Next Time,
KD