Warleggan (Poldark #4) by Winston Graham – Book Review

by
Warleggan (Poldark #4) by Winston Graham - Book Cover

If you think Cornwall was one of the UK’s most vibrant, culturally advanced, and innovative regions at the end of the 18th century, well, you’re wrong. Very wrong. It took exceptional courage for an author to set his epic family saga in this era. Winston Graham had that courage. And persistence. Warleggan is now the fourth part of the Poldark family saga.

Back to the Copper Mines

What can one do in Cornwall at the end of the 18th century? Besides fishing and smuggling, of course. Well, mining. The area is full of copper. The fact that copper prices have been in the gutter for about a decade doesn’t seem to bother anyone.

It’s almost comical, this stubbornness that defies all logic, with which Poldark teeters on the edge of bankruptcy and collapse, only to be granted yet another short-lived reprieve thanks to unexpected twists, allowing him to keep struggling against fate.

But there’s no need to worry. You know full well that he only needs to hold out a little longer, and once war breaks out between England and revolutionary France, prosperity will return.

And the Poldarks will become filthy rich.

Read more

The Collector by John Fowles – Book Review

by
The Collector by John Fowles – Book Cover

Frederick Clegg, a butterfly collector and an even grayer-than-gray low-level office clerk, admires Miranda, a lively, aspiring art student, from afar. (Actually, more like he’s just stalking her.) He has no chance with her. In fact, he has no chance with anyone. He’s weird, unfit for life, humorless, and lacks any imagination. However, when he suddenly comes into a large sum of money thanks to a lottery win, brand-new opportunities open up for him. The collector decides to add Miranda to his collection.

Time Has Flown By for The Collector

This is actually the first thing you notice. John Fowles’ novel was first published in 1963. It’s hard to say whether the author himself was stuck in the past or if it’s just his utterly characterless protagonist that creates this slightly unsettling feeling. Either way, it’s not immediately obvious that the story takes place at a time when the Beat era and the sexual revolution were in full swing.

In The Collector, these cultural shifts are only faintly present. Clegg narrates the capture of his new acquisition and his activities with her with an odd, emotionless detachment. It’s as though the butterfly collector, this man without qualities, is somehow stuck outside of time, or at least has remained firmly anchored in the past. Everything about him feels like it belongs to decades earlier.

The early 1960s was a time when class distinctions were largely dissolving in the West. The constant emphasis on the class differences between Miranda, an upper-middle-class girl, and her lower-class, socially aspiring captor doesn’t do much to help the novel’s reception decades later… And Fowles’ characters listen to Bach and Mozart instead of The Beatles…

No Sex, Please, We’re British

Read more

Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Daniel Silva – Book Review

by
Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Daniel Silva – Book Cover

Gabriel Allon, the legendary Israeli master spy, has finally retired. About time! Honestly, he should have done it at least four books ago. After all, a Mossad director in his seventies, still running field operations, was getting a bit ridiculous. Well, maybe more than a bit. So, what’s ex-assassin Grandpa up to now in the latest installment, Portrait of an Unknown Woman? Well, pretty much the same stuff he always did…

Portrait of an Unknown Woman: A Clever Forgery

Julian Isherwood, the absent-minded art dealer, has a knack for getting into trouble. And this time is no different. And honestly, in his shoes, who else would you call when things go sideways, especially when one of your best pals is the former head of Mossad?

A newly discovered painting called Portrait of an Unknown Woman has surfaced in the art world, supposedly bearing the mark of Van Dyck. Along with the skillful hand of a forger. Behind the forger looms a whole network flooding the market with countless fake works of art. Exposing these forgers? That sounds like the perfect job for a retired super-spy…

Portrait of an Unknown Woman: A Clever Crime Novel

Read more

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir – Book Review

by
Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir – Book Cover

Tamsyn Muir has taken a step forward from her debut Gideon the Ninth, which was extremely promising but quickly descended into childishness. Its sequel, Harrow the Ninth, managed to shed some of its growing pains but in return became utterly incomprehensible. With Nona the Ninth, the Australian author continues her utterly unique sci-fi fantasy series that propels necromancy into space. But it feels like a few things in this part aren’t COMPLETELY clear either. For example:

Who, where, and what?

Oh, and why?

Let’s start with the easiest question: “Where?”

Both of the first two parts were set in pretty confined locations. Even though Tamsyn Muir’s universe opens up wide, the author—who exclusively moves necromancers, otherworldly monsters, and skeletons around—shoved them all into one single place. Nona the Ninth finally steps out into the world of humans.

This fixes one of the biggest shortcomings of the first two parts. Sure, it’s fine that the omnipotent emperor of the universe rules everything through necromancy, but wouldn’t it be even more interesting to know how that affects ordinary people? Spoiler: Not well, by the way. Not well at all.

And the answer to “Where?” is: in the city of Who-The-Heck-Knows on the planet God-Knows-Where. Or somewhere like that.

Read more

Snow by John Banville – Book Review

by
Snow by John Banville – Book Cover

Ireland’s national pride and holder of numerous literary awards, John Banville, has added another crime novel to his repertoire. Snow is one of those rare books considered to have literary value while still being a crime novel.

Masterful Atmosphere Creation

In the library room of the Osborne family’s country manor, the well-liked Father Tom is found dead… It sounds like the opening of an Agatha Christie story, doesn’t it? Banville himself playfully draws attention to this multiple times. However, the author quickly moves beyond this setup thanks to his unusually deep character portrayals.

Readers accustomed to Agatha Christie and her light style, who might pick up Snow on a whim, are quickly captivated by the masterful ease with which Banville introduces his main character, Inspector Strafford. Strafford is unusually uncertain, doubtful, and even seems a bit ridiculous in his own eyes—a far cry from the typical detective.

However, beyond its excellent characters, the main strength of Banville’s Snow lies in its vivid depiction of late 1950s Ireland.

The country, groaning under the dominance of the Church and unable to move beyond Catholic-Protestant tensions, stands at the threshold of the revolutionary 1960s.

Meanwhile, the upper classes, stagnating in the boredom of rural life, are on the verge of being swept away by the winds of change. Until then, they rely on time-tested distractions: hunting, sex, alcohol, and morphine.

Read more

The Secret by Lee Child – Book Review

by
The Secret by Lee Child – Book Cover

In the 28th installment of the series, Lee Child’s uncomprimising protagonist, Jack Reacher, revisits an old adventure. The year is 1992, and Reacher, recently demoted to captain, finds himself assigned—almost as a punishment—to a special investigative unit probing a decades-old CIA operation. Someone is systematically eliminating the scientists who were once part of this ultra-secret mission. Behind it all lies a deeply buried, grave secret. But with Jack Reacher on the case, it won’t remain hidden for long…

Andrew Child Finds His Groove

We all know what it means when co-authors start appearing in a series. Usually, nothing good. “The Secret” is the fourth installment in the long-standing Jack Reacher series where Andrew Child has lent a hand. Or, to be more precise: he likely wrote it entirely by himself. The previous three books were noticeably weaker than their predecessors.

Andrew Child, of course, tried his best. In fact, he tried quite skillfully. However, long-time fans of the series could instantly sense that something was off. The little details didn’t quite click. Reacher wasn’t putting as much effort into analyzing the clues. The tactical finesse in the confrontations was missing. Sometimes, the major developed incredible, almost superhero-like abilities. And even his sense of humor seemed to have dulled.

Yet, when reading The Secret, if you didn’t know beforehand, you might not even notice the co-author’s involvement. The Secret almost feels like a classic Reacher tale.

Read more

Crisis by Frank Gardner – Book Review

by
Crisis by Frank Gardner – Book Cover

Raise your hand if you think British intelligence is heavily involved in anti-drug operations in Colombia. No one? Well, that makes sense—Colombia is too far away, and beside, it’s more of an American issue—let them deal with it. Completely understandable… Wait a minute, I see someone raising their hand after all. Yes, it’s Frank Gardner, and guess what? He’s written a hefty thriller titled Crisis based on this rather unlikely premise…

Frank Gardner in Frederick Forsyth’s Shoes

If you’ve read Frederick Forsyth’s last book, the leisurely-paced The Fox, you know that from one of the greatest thriller writers of all time, there’s not much left to expect. Frank Gardner seems to have thought it was time to fill the void Forsyth left behind.

The Crisis is an action-packed spy novel that feels almost as if Frederick Forsyth himself had written it. Almost. (Though, to be fair, The Fox was also only “almost” the same.)

Crisis showcases an impressive depth of knowledge. But that’s no surprise, given that the author spent many years working as a journalist.

Frank Gardner’s deep understanding of the world of British intelligence—from organizational structures to operational execution—means that his book will likely captivate even the most seasoned spy novel fans with its technical details.

Read more

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Book Review

by
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Book Cover

I first read the most famous of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s four Sherlock Holmes novels during my elementary school years. Admittedly, It’s been quite a while since then, but I can tell you that the wretched beast scared me so much that I could hardly sleep. I vividly imagined its fire-breathing snout and its eyes blazing in the flames as it roamed the moors, hunting for prey and howling at the moon, so fiercely that it sent shivers down my spine. However, it’s been 120 years since the writing of The Hound of the Baskervilles, so it wouldn’t be too surprising if the notorious hound’s fur had thinned out a bit by now. And most of its teeth might have fallen out as well…

The Hound of the Baskervilles is a Terrifying Monster

It’s easy to understand why the tale of the bloodhound, which has been haunting the Baskerville family for centuries, is the Scottish writer’s most popular work. It’s self-evident, due to its supernatural aspects. The otherworldly creature that haunts the family as a vengeful spirit has become a local legend. The crime scene is an abandoned, dangerous moor populated by eccentric characters. All these elements serve to heighten the reader’s sense of dread.

Moreover, considering the impact of the story at the time of its release, it’s not hard to imagine the reaction it must have provoked. Doyle, who revitalized and pioneered the crime fiction genre, had an influence on his field comparable to, that of The Beatles on the music of the 1960s.

The unsuspecting Victorian-era readers, accustomed to a more leisurely pace of life, probably reacted the same way I did as a child: they were so excited that they ended up filling their pants.

Read more

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman – Book Review

by
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman – Book

The education system, as a whole, is a real pain. By the time you earn a serious qualification, you’re already neck-deep in debt. If you’re studying to become a thief, the situation is even worse. The Association of Thieves, known as the Takers’ Guild, is well aware that from this point on, you possess every skill necessary to make money. So, they’ll make you work your guts out for them. Kinch Na Shannack, the protagonist of The Blacktongue Thief, finds himself in an even worse predicament. The mysterious mission he’s forced into offers nothing but loss. However, Christopher Buehlman’s readers are in for a treat, as Kinch Na Shannack’s adventures are incredibly entertaining.

Christopher Buehlman – A Refreshing Voice in Fantasy

Standing out in the fantasy genre is no easy feat, that’s for sure. On one hand, there’s an overproduction crisis, and on the other, thanks to sites like Goodreads, it’s often the most mediocre works that gather the biggest fanbases (see: S. A. Chakraborty’s City of Brass). Yet, the multi-talented Buehlman—writer, poet, actor, comedian—has the ability to disarm readers almost immediately, particularly with his humor.

Read more

Gone For Good by Harlan Coben – Book Review

by
Gone For Good by Harlan Coben – Book Cover

I think I’ve found the most accurate three sentences that I will use from now on to start every review of a Harlan Coben book. They go like this: “There are two types of Harlan Coben. The brilliant author of the Myron Bolitar series. And the other one, who writes all his other books.” The Klein family’s past, marked by a brutal murder and a brother who disappeared a decade ago, belongs to the other Coben’s works. However, with Gone For Good, it’s not something you can clearly decide until almost the very end.

Harlan Coben, Master of Suburban Thrillers

Indeed. That’s why I usually stop reading all his books after a few pages. Except, of course, for the aforementioned series. The cynicism, coolness, and darkness of the Bolitar books are so sorely lacking in his other works that they all come across as uninteresting. Fortunately, Gone For Good is a different case.

The trials of the Klein family, plagued by grief and ostracism, set a sufficiently grim tone right from the start. This is compounded by a mystery that has remained unsolved for 11 years. But it’s obvious that things didn’t go down the way the police portray them; after all, there’s no way Ken would kill his beloved younger brother’s ex-girlfriend and then disappear without a trace.

What more does a book need to captivate you even more? Love, of course! And the love between Will and Sheila certainly seems like something made in heaven.

At least, until everything falls apart even more…

Read more