Updating:

10. Gallows Thief by Bernard Cornwell

I spent much time last year reading through BC's Viking, Arthurian and Grail Quest series. This was a bit of a change of pace from those but I just loved it. It had a lot to say about the death penalty in the 1800's and the hypocrisy and callousness of those in charge of the system. But although thought-provoking it was no heavy read. With wonderful characters - I especially loved Sally! - and whipsharp dialogue, often very funny, I wouldn't mind seeing more adventures of Rider & Co. in the future.

11. The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara II : Antrax by Terry Brooks

I'd read part one of this last year and although it was by no means a dud, it didn't exactly set me on fire to read the rest either. But I did pick up this one when I saw it in the charity shop and it was just as good if not slightly more entertaining. I'm still not desperate to find out what happens next, but if I ever come across part 3, I'll pick it up.

12 & 13. Indigo Slam by Robert Crais / Bad Luck & Trouble by Lee Child

Okay, I confess it – I'm in love with Elvis Cole and Jack Reacher. laugh Robert Crais' laconic detective in the style of Mike Hammer is fairly new to me – I picked up two of his books last year – but I'm rapidly catching up, fast as I can. I love the snappy dialogue and characters, especially the relationship between Cole and his taciturn partner, Pike.

I've read every JR book out there and this one was the latest. A bit of a change of pace, with Jack meeting up with his old army team, rather than being on his own, but it made for a great read and it was interesting to see him interacting with the others and what it said about him. Had a ball with both of these and can't wait to visit with Elvis and Jack in the future.

14. California Angel by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg

I was new to this author and the book wasn't really what it was presented on the cover. Instead of the courtroom thriller (the court stuff was dealt with in about half a page!) it turned out to be a kind of modern fairytale about a woman who, for years, has had dreams that she is saving children from death and danger. She finds out the events in her dreams are real and gradually comes to believe – with the help and hindrance of the other characters around her – that she is a modern-day angel. Despite it not being my usual genre, I found it an enjoyable read. I probably wouldn't look out for the author again, but I certainly didn't find it a waste of my time and I even found myself welling up just a tad at the ending.

15. The Ballad of Frankie Silver by Sharyn McCrumb

I found this one intriguing – it sought to marry the true story of Frankie Silver, a young woman hanged for the murder of her husband in 1833, with the modern tale of a young Sheriff in the same county who, while convalescing after being shot and disturbed by the case of a young man he helped convict whose execution is due shortly, becomes intrigued with her case. It did a good job of working the two together and the characters were sympathetic and likeable.

16. The Echo by Minette Walters

I've read a few of MW's novels now, and this was the first that I had trouble with. After an intriguing start, I found it very hard to get into and it wasn't until two-thirds of the way through, when three of the main characters came together and began interacting with one another, that I really became interested.

17. Kisscut by Karen Slaughter

I had to check back to the cover of this one to remember what it was about – which probably tells you all you want to know. laugh It was a fairly standard thriller. If I found more from her I'd probably pick them up and read them.

18. The Angel Gateway by Jane Adams

This was the second book in my latest reading batch that sought to marry an old story with the new. In this case, a weary, newly-retired detective, suffering the mental and physical wounds of a horrific attack, takes over his deceased aunt's country cottage and finds it haunted (although in the most tenuous sense) by the ghost of a young woman who was hanged for witch-craft. I found it really enjoyable. I learned some things I'd not known about how witchcraft trials were conducted – how thoroughly, for instance, that the deck was stacked against the defendant; they really had no chance in hell of proving their innocence, despite the most tenuous of evidence against them. I found myself less interested in the modern mystery as our detective sought to discover who had attacked him and why, but the two elements meshed fairly well.

19. Life Support by Tess Gerritson

My second book by this author, new to me who I'm seeking to catch up with. This was one of her medical thrillers – I tend to be less interested in medical thrillers than others – in the style of Robin Cook et al. I actually found it to be not very original, there were few surprises in it for me and the so-called shocks I'd guessed about half a book back. But it was saved for me by some very sympathetic characters.

20. Circle of Pearls by Rosalind Laker

The second book I've read by this historical author and just as enjoyable as the last one. Despite her unwavering bias towards all things royal. <G> This one was about a Royalist family struggling to survive in the England of Cromwell and the Puritans, spanning several decades. Enjoyable.

21. Child of the Phoenix by Barbara Erskine

This author is a source of both enjoyment and frustration for me. I've only read a few of her books so far, but with every one I've had the same problems : forced angst, dependant half the time on characters behaving immensely illogically or stupidly and plot themes which repeat over and over when they should have been resolved after the first incident. This one was no different. Despite the flaws though, there's always something about them that has me still reading and I enjoyed it – as I have the others – despite its many flaws. I'm at a loss as to how she manages that, but she seems to! goofy

That's me for now. I had a stroke of the most bizarre luck this week. I'd run out of books and couldn't get to my usual charity store. I had a doc appointment on Thursday and suggested to Stuart that I'd pop into my local health centre on the way back, see if I could pick something up there. I wasn't hopeful because I never tend to find anything to my tastes there – certainly never thrillers which are rare – but if I could pick up even one or two to tide me over it would be better than nothing.

Well, I went in and stood there with my mouth open. Every shelf of the two low bookcases was stuffed with thrillers! Many my favourite authors, most of them in mint condition. It was like someone had stocked the place just for me. I basically just emptied the bookcases into my bag. goofy I ended up with 25 books – so I'm settling in for some great reading! I was on a high all day.

LabRat :


Athos: If you'd told us what you were doing, we might have been able to plan this properly.
Aramis: Yes, sorry.
Athos: No, no, by all means, let's keep things suicidal.

The Musketeers