Sunday 29 May 2011

Depression

I am depressed.  I have depression.  What does this mean?  What should you say/do/think?
  • Don't think you have to treat me differently.
  • Talk to me
  • Ask me questions
  • Show that you care-a note, a text, anything will do
  • Be there for me
  • If you are serious about wanting to help be prepared for the long haul-its unlikely to get better overnight.
  • Don't make promises you can't keep (especially promises of time)
  • Just because I smile or laugh doesn't mean I'm "better"
  • Don't assume that because I'm depressed I can't smile or laugh.  I do still have a sense of humour!
  • Don't make it all about me.  Let me be a friend to you too.
  • Be prepared for silences when we're together

I'll come back to this.  I thought of some when I was at the rugby this afternoon.

In a dark house by Deborah Crombie

I like Crombie's writing. I like Kincaid and James as characters and have enjoyed their professional and personal relationships developing. I must confess I have not read the books in order but this largely doesn't matter-it means that I know what happens regarding certain things but doesn't detract from the individual stories. However, I do not think this is her best story.

There is a body found in a fire which could be one of many people who appear to have gone missing, a 10 year old abducted by her father who later reports her missing, and the ongoing custody battle over Kit who may or may not be Kincaid's son. For me, it felt that there were too many characters who were not able to be adequately developed. I would still recommend reading this and other books by her as they are a good police procedural without the gore!

Saturday 28 May 2011

The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg

This was on my amazon recommendation list so I requested it from the library without really knowing a lot about it!  Alexandra Wijkner is found dead in her bath with her wrists slit.  Initially it appears to be a case of suicide but soon it is discovered that she couldn't have killed herself.

Her childhood friend Erica Falck has returned to the area following the death of her parents and she is asked to write an obituary to Alex.  However, the writing of this throws up some questions and Erica finds herself, along with Detective Patrik Hedstrom conducting their own investigations into the death.

This is a really well written novel, easy to read and introduces some good characters who are easy to like or dislike depending on who they are!  It isn't a gory read but it is fairly gripping.  I think my biggest complaint though is the lack of chapters...there are only 6 in the entire book!!  I am looking forward to reading the next book by this Sweedish author

Friday 27 May 2011

The Executioner by Chris Carter

I didn't realise when I bought it that this was the second book in the series. It didn't matter though as it was easy enough to read it as a stand alone book. It was fast paced and although slightly implausible at times it was still a great book. It starts with a decapitated priest who has a dog's head instead of his own and when the detectives discover the number 3 painted on him they realise that maybe the priest isn't the executioner's first victim. As subsequent victims are discovered it is down to Hunter and Garcia to uncover a link between them and a motive for their deaths.

Broken Silence by Danielle Ramsay

This read very much like an introduction to a series so I was relieved to find that it was the first in a series! The focus is more on building the characters than having a complex storyline.

The main character is DI Jack Brady who is returning to work after being shot. As with many literary detectives he is a heavy drinker and a womaniser and we see glimpses of his former loves throughout the book. This book also introduces us to the local criminal master of the area who I think will feature highly in the next book which is soon to be published.

A young girl is found in a field and with a badly mutilated face identification is tricky. As investigations continue it becomes clear that she wasn't a naive youngster but the question facing Brady is who killed her and what does his colleague and longterm friend Jimmy Matthews know about it all?

The Jackal Man by Kate Ellis

Kate Ellis' books are always cleverly written and follow a similar format. There is death, an archaeologist and something that happened in the past that does link with the modern day crimes but this link isn't clear. They are not predictable or repetitive but they are truly gripping stories.

In this book a girl is attacked and the best description she can give is that the attacker has the head of a dog. Later dead bodies are found wrapped up in sheets. The question is whether there is a connection between the cases and if so what is it?

The characters continue to be developed in this book and whilst I would recommend reading all the books in the series they can all be read pretty much as stand alone stories.

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

I read this because I had heard so much hype about it. I normally enjoy historical novels but I certainly didn't enjoy this one. It was very wordy when a lot of the description didn't add to the story or the atmosphere at all. It flicked between modern day and 1209 which somehow didn't work for me. Normally I don't have a problem keeping up with the storylines in two different settings but I found this altogether confusing and as for the ending I can't say it was anything like satisfactory! I continued reading the book because I was convinced it had to improve...I was wrong!

Footsteps on the shore by Pauline Rowson

As much as I love reading long novels at times it is refreshing to read a book which cuts through all the complicated twists and turns and long narratives. Rowson narrates a clever story (complete with twists!) without wasting any words. I think it would be an advantage to have read previous novels in the series to understand the relationships between Horton and other characters.

The book focusses on the Luke Felton, a convicted murderer who has been released on license. Felton has gone missing, simultaneously a body turns up in the river. Horton doesn't know whether this body is Felton's or not. As the case progresses we are introduced to other dead bodies as well as remeeting Andy's ex-wife and her new partner.

The Leopard by Jo Nesbo

For me this is possibly the best book in the Harry Hole series. It opens in Hong Kong where Harry is taking some time away after the end of the Snowman case. Shortly after Kaja Solness appears to bring Harry back as his help is needed in a serial killer case. Only when it is revealed that Harry's father is critically ill in hospital does he agree to accompany her home.

For me the great strength of this book was the real development of characters. Harry Hole seems to be a more rounded character now especially following interactions with his father that we are witness to. Other characters who were introduced seemed to be given very clear personalities. I think the main weakness with the book was that it was a little bit too long. At times some of the narrative could have been trimmed.

I would definitely recommend reading the books in the correct order as there are references to the snowman amongst other previous cases

hello

Hi
I'm Sarah, mum to 2 great boys.  I love reading and a lot of posts here will probably relate to books.  I play chess and watch the rugby.  I am a Christian and lead a teenage youth group and a local toddler group.