Cambridge is sweltering, during an unusually hot summer. To Jackson Brodie, former police inspector turned private investigator, the world consists of one accounting sheet - Lost on the left, Found on the right - and the two never seem to balance.
Kate Atkinson has an innovative style and her previous novel Emotionally Weird earned a respectable four-star rating. Case Histories gets a modest three-stars. The biggest problem is that it's just too messy. Events are eventually sort of connected but only because the author has decided to connect them before the book finishes, not apparently out of any logical link.
Silks is the first novel written with significant input by Dick's youngest son, Felix. Previously, Felix had assisted in the research of many of Dick Francis novel's but following the author's death in February 2010, his son has taken over the Francis legacy.
Silks, true to the Francis form, offers suspense, twists and turns that will keep you guessing throughout. Well researched information of both the racing world and the world of law help maintain a healthy level of interest - much of the information being gathered from the writer's own experiences.
No matter how we may feel about it, divorce is common in our society. Often the individuals who suffer the most are the children. The plight of children surviving the divorce of their parents has been the subject of much discussion and debate. Although some couples manage an amicable separation, others use their children as pawns to get what they want. Discord among parents is not a new theme but, in Belva Plain's novel, After The Fire, Plain takes this theme to an unusual and heartbreaking level.
Flashes And Specks begins with the suicide of Henry's cousin, Carter. The cousins use the comic book world to escape from their own worlds, comic book heroes being a prominent and reoccurring theme throughout Flashes And Specks, particularly the notion of hero versus villain.
I was not initially expecting to like this book but by the time I'd finished it, I was converted enough to consider it almost a 'must read'. Flashes And Specks is just the right length for what it is but at the same time, it leaves you wanting more. Insightful, mind-bending and at times challenging to the point of being slightly depressing, Flashes and Specks will make you consider your own feelings on life's challenges. Surprisingly unforgettable.
To say that Babs is Natalie's closest friend is rather like saying that Einstein was good at sums. Babs and Natalie had such a beautiful relationship, no man could better it. And then she met Simon. Now Babs, noisy, funny Babs, is getting married and Natalie, 27, is panicking. What happens when your best friend pledges everlasting love to someone else?
Running In Heels is an example of 'Chick Fiction' trying to get serious and making itself appear one Bridget short of a phenomenon in the process.
