The Slender Reed ~ John W. Cassell

Disclosure: I received a copy through LibraryThing's Member Giveaway programme.

While this tale of one man fighting political and judicial corruption within his own purview is set in the ‘80s it is easy to see how by simply changing a few names it could be the lead story from any media outlet thirty years later. Le plus ça change le plus ça reste le même.

Initially, I thought the setting of this novel to be Small Town U.S.A., but the more I read, the more I felt that perhaps it was more of a rural subdivision or borough of some larger city. There were other perplexing moments in this novel, which I ultimately chalked up to a lack of knowledge of the American political and judicial system. There were such a mix of levels of political offices and varying departments with their hands in the pot that it was a bit difficult keeping them sorted. Eventually I concluded that this was a deliberate way for the author John W. Cassell to give the non-official a sense of just how convoluted politics and the law can get. While we assume they are supposed to be making decisions to keep us functioning and adapting laws to ensure order, they are often at loggerheads when the ultimate goal is the economy. This is where we realise that economy and individuals are not viewed as compatible and one must decide with which they will side.

Cassell’s protagonist Cranford has all of this to deal with as the man with the dubious role of State’s Attorney, a role I determined sits at the apex of both points of view. As the fulcrum between money and humanity, it is a place where sometimes one must skirt the lines to take back control of what is right, by not allowing cynicism and complacency to run roughshod.

I appreciated the appendices explaining radio codes and ‘insider terms’, but felt that an brief explanation or chart explaining the different political positions and what level of government they are meant to serve would be quite useful for a non-American market. I searched the internet for information and found that it impeded the story’s flow. Otherwise, I quite liked the message and the spark of hope that perhaps in time, with the right people, that politics and the law can share a stage.

Publisher: Inkwater Press
Publication Date: 2 February 2012
Format: Paperback

Review originally appeared on the now defunct Bookworm's Buffet Blog

Fire & Ice ~ Patty Jansen

Disclosure: I won a copy from LibraryThing's author giveaway programme.

I do not read many fantasy novels, but I have been extremely fortunate over the years that friends have recommended some brilliant ones.. This time I stepped out on a limb without ‘professional’ guidance and put my name for an author’s copy of Fire & Ice from LibraryThing and was honoured to win a copy. As in my few other fantasy novel experiences, I was not disappointed. In fact, I am looking forward to reading the next instalment.

The concept of this series, whether intended, is an allegorical tale of our times - discrimination, segregation, moral superiority and polar bears. Well, yes, polar bears are not precisely an everyday sight for most of us, however, their use in this novel tells of our own uses of animal for sport and the repercussions of attempting to tame the wild.

The centre of power is the City of Glass, the population ruled by a Regent intent on claiming the crown with help from his Eagle Knights, while the son of the former King, living outwith the city’s borders amasses a force of ‘deformed’ individuals who are able to tap into the world’s largest power source. While these two fight for control, the inhabitants are stuck in the middle, unsure, confused and understandably afraid. Patty Jensen wonderfully crafts this tale adding unpredictable scenarios and expertly paces the tension. Moments of the everyday are fused between chess-like moves by the elite, such as a difficult child delivery and light-hearted moments between young soldiers. The main characters are all connected through complicated webs of blood and association, which also serves as a means to add moral dilemma to the mix - all the things we expect in a world where greed and survival meet in the battlefield.

I have yet to read the other two books of the trilogy, but intend to as this first instalment has gripped me and I am invested in the characters and have made my own predictions, which I expect will be wildly off the mark due to Jansen’s ability to throw curves on the straightest of all roads.

Publisher: Capricornica Publications
Publication Date: 6 October 2011
Format: e-book

Review previously appeared on the now defunct Bookworm's Buffet Blog

The Steel Deal ~ James Blakley

Disclosure: I received a copy directly from the author.

Sunny Busco is a 55 year old private detective in L.A., prone to self-deprecation who prefers the conveniences of the 70’s over the technological progress of the .com age. Thus there is an innate irony when he is hired to deliver the most advanced self-forming steel to New Mexico.

I was very pleased to read an new hard-boiled detective story, and while the set-up suggests it will not be a series, it harkens back to the no-nonsense P.I.s who prefer to withhold their suspicions until there is enough weighty evidence before making a declaration and who have the good sense to refrain from revealing details to everyone involved in the case. Busco is embroiled in a case that pits him against higher authorities whose sole purposes is to complicate everyone’s lives and to prevent anyone from discovering the truth. Undaunted, the protagonist, an unwilling dupe, collects the puzzle pieces and is handsomely rewarded for his discretion and ability to dissect the elaborate scheme. The author, James Blakley, uses this opportunity to remind us all that life is more than just a little satisfactory when we appreciate the things we have, even if it’s only a beat up car, good mates and a modest roof over our heads.

I don’t want to come off as sounding like all this story has to offer is a slightly cranky P.I., there are brilliant moments of hilarity, coincidence and some terrific banter between all these strong characters. Plus, he does encounter resistance, complications and some characters that would drive a Dali Lama to lose patience. So, if you desire a quirky detective, colourful characters and a plot that might just explain why the world still needs spies, this could just be the book for you.

Publisher: Inkwater Press
Publication Date: 3 September 2010
Format: Paperback

Review originally appeared on the now defunct Bookworm's Buffet Blog

The Weeping Empress ~ Sadie S. Forsythe

Disclosure: I received a copy directly from the author.

What happens when someone’s life is dropped into a foreign place with all they know is beyond their grasp? Chiyo Alglaeca is such a person. With an inner strength she was unaware she possessed, she fights her way back home in the only ways she knows how. Teaming up with two rebels, they elude the emperor’s forces as a mysterious cult threatens to envelop Chiyo in their schemes against the oppressive ruler. Fed by fear, then anger, finally an unshaken resolve and against all odds she finds a way return to her family.

I found myself completely disoriented at the beginning, then slightly defeated, only to realise that the author, Sadie S. Forsythe, has this wonderful ability in ensuring that the reader shares an emotional relationship with the protagonist. Few would feel differently if torn from all they know and dumped in a strange place, speaking a different language and where emerge peculiar customs. The author has done a wonderful job of mashing up different cultures to create a colourful landscape and vivid characters in a pre-modern technological age. I was only ever unsure about time. There a places where an indication of how much time has passed is mentioned, but I still did not understand whether I was meant to think that time was part of the urgency, or whether the story developed over the span of years. Perhaps this was intentional in order to ensure the reader’s continued sense of shared bewilderment with Chiyo.

Other than the issue of time, I quite enjoyed this novel. It is a story about a shift in time and space, but it definitely does not fall within the realm of romance. This is a book about survival and the human spirit. It also explores how a person can be at once caring and loving while cleaving their enemy in order to get back at those who were taken from us. This is absolutely a story about a woman’s strength - not the type of strength generally placed in her sexuality, rather it’s about that power we all possess deep in our humanity.

Publisher: Lulu.com
Publication Date: 14 December 2011
Format: Paperback

Review appeared on the now defunct Bookworm's Buffet Blog

Dreams Of Gold ~ Jonathan Chamberlain

Disclosure: I received a copy of this from the Goodreads First Reads program.

Synopsis: Circumstances collide to set Rowan Jones (a Welsh poet) as the spokesperson for a previously unconnected group of athletes choosing to compete in the London 2012 Olympics. A little political, a little sporty and a lot funny, Dreams of Gold pits together a cast of characters who, individually posses varying degrees of sanity, but together make a formidable team of athlete-cum-detective-cum spies to save the Olympics from themselves and an enigmatic dictator.

One must read this book as though they are watching a sporting event with an extremely knowledgeable, yet unidentified presenter/broadcaster. Considering this is a book about the Olympics (sort of), I think it really helped to set the tone. I did wonder if perhaps this broadcaster-cum narrator would turn into a Hercule Poirot as it became more of a detective story, but alas no Belgian accent popped up.

For the most part, Chamberlain sticks to the Martin Millar approach of writing chapters in fewer than 5 pages, with a Jasper Fforde-ish quirkiness of prose. Add to this a dash of information about Olympic regulations and a host city's neurotic need to produce the best event...evaaaah, Chamberlain successfully navigates the planet and the diverse reasons athletes have for wanting to compete on the world stage.

We are given just enough detail about each character to understand what each has at stake and why their individuality improves the whole of the group. We also learn how pinning one's hopes on a singular decision can derail an entire concept while simultaneously exposing everyone to relatively esoteric ideas. Not to mention a dose of unique poetry from time to time.

I don't know that this writing style would appeal to all, but I do believe it is a story that everyone should read. The work is riddled with lessons in tolerance, reading the fine lines, doing research, having faith in one another and that differences between people make for a very spherical world. Plus, it's just simply a fun read.

Publisher: Long Island Press
Publication Date: 2 January 2012
Format: Paperback

Review first appeared on the now defunct Bookworm's Buffet Blog

A Man Of Value ~ Anna Markland

Disclosure: I received a copy of this from the Goodreads First Reads program.

Synopsis: This is the second instalment of the historical romance series The Montbryce Legacy, set in the Borderlands of England and Scotland during the 11th Century. Caedmon Woolgar, a warrior caught up in the struggles between the Normans to the South and the Scots in the North must decide where he loyalties lie and when he meets Agneta Kirkthwaite. As his feelings for her grow, he discovers that his knowledge of historical events aren't based on fact which serves to put both their futures in jeopardy.

I really wanted to like this book; it's set in a part of the world with which I am not only familiar but for which I have an affinity. It's a period that is little represented and a location that is rarely used in historical romances; therefore, is ripe for picking. The premise of the story intrigued me and appealed to my knowledge of the politics of the time, but it unfortunately fell short. Less so the story than the way it was told.

I often find that historical romances could be a little shorter, but in this case, I found myself wanting more. More conversation between the protagonist and his lover, his mother and his mates. I wanted more description, more tension, more humour, more, more, more...of just about everything. I found the conversations between the characters stilted and they tended to repeat precisely what was forewarned in the narrative. Then when I got to the scene where Caedmon goes 'fishing' I asked myself, "Why couldn't the rest of the book be like this one"? It had detail, flowing conversation, tension and feeling. It was the flow found in this scene that was lacking in the others. I also found that the best insight into the protagonist's mind was found is in his diary writing when fighting in the Crusades.

Knowing that the author is able to write this way made me wonder if the whole thing wasn't just a bit rushed. I really feel that more of what is found in those two elements would have taken the story to a completely different level.Clearly, the bones are there. The structure is pretty much there too, but the execution was a bit lacking for me. I think it could be a fairly brilliant novel if it was twice as long. More development of the characters and less stilted conversations with a better sense of location and the fundamental push and pull of relationships would do wonders for this story.

While I found Caedmon, his mother, Agneta and some of the characters believable even though we don't get a full picture, I could not say the same of Ram and his immediate family. I just don't see how they all basically accepted Earth-shattering news as if it were asking for the peas to be sent across the table. At one point one of the sons mentions that the situation had him upset, but again, we never ever saw it.

As noted above, I was intrigued by the premise of the larger story of the series, but I get the impression by reading the blurbs about the other books that what occurs in this novel will have little impact on future instalments.

Publisher: Anna Markland
Publication Date: 6 January 2012
Format: Paperback

Review previously appeared on the now defunct Bookworm's Buffet Blog

An American Spy ~ Olen Steinhauer

Disclosure: I received a copy of this from the Goodreads First Reads program.

Synopsis: In this third installment of Steinhauer's The Tourist the CIA's Department of Tourism has been eradicated and the survivors are coping with the changes in varying ways, while the Chinese spymaster tries to figure out how exactly they intend to exact revenge, if at all.

I had not realised that this was the third installment in The Tourist series. This speaks volumes about Steinhauer's ability to provide enough back story so that new readers never feel like they need to read the previous books to understand what is happening in the one they are holding.

The sense that this is a stand-alone book is primarily due to the use of multiple P.O.V.s. With German Erika Schwartz questioning world events, the Chinese spymaster Xin Zhu outlining the root of his intentions, and ex-CIA agent Milo Weaver's bafflement of his friend's behaviour, one gets a real sense of how espionage and counter espionage is riddled with deceit, distrust, abuse of position and the blatant use of the unsuspecting. However, what the novel's strongest message is simply, that there is only one way out once you've entered this life of secrecy.

Set just prior to the 2008 Olympics, the author deftly interweaves of each character's story within the political climate set by a distrustful America and a taciturn China. As one might expect from a spy novel, each of the characters is intent on protecting their beliefs, their loved ones and their respective backsides. I admit that I know nothing about the author, but did wonder at whether any of the tricks he used would actually work. Then I thought that I'd have to either be an actual spy or extremely paranoid to want to delve into this travel arsenal.

Once I get through the mountain of books I have waiting, I will likely get my hands on the first two books, and if luck is with us, a follow-up to this one.

Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: 13 March 2012
Format: Hardcover

Review previously appeared on the now defunct Bookworm's Buffet Blog