BLACKLANDS (Susp-Steven Lamb-Devon, England-Cont)1st book – Belinda Bauer Eighteen years ago, Billy Peters disappeared. Everyone in town believes Billy was murdered—after all, serial killer Arnold Avery later admitted killing six other children and burying them on the same desolate moor that surrounds their small English village. Only Billy’s mother is convinced he is alive. She still stands lonely guard at the front window of her home, waiting for her son to return, while her remaining family fragments around her. But her twelve-year-old grandson Steven is determined to heal the cracks that gape between his nan, his mother, his brother, and himself. Steven desperately wants to bring his family closure, and if that means personally finding his uncle’s corpse, he’ll do it. Spending his spare time digging holes all over the moor in the hope of turning up a body is a long shot, but at least it gives his life purpose. Then at school, when the lesson turns to letter writing, Steven has a flash of inspiration . . . Careful to hide his identity, he secretly pens a letter to Avery in jail asking for help in finding the body of "W.P."—William "Billy" Peters. So begins a dangerous cat-and-mouse game. Just as Steven tries to use Avery to pinpoint the gravesite, so Avery misdirects and teases his mysterious correspondent in order to relive his heinous crimes. And when Avery finally realizes that the letters he’s receiving are from a twelve-year-old boy, suddenly his life has purpose too. Although his is far more dangerous...
KASA - NR - It seems that children are being put into more at-risk situations these days. The protagonist, Stephen, was an amazing character. He showed resilience and that of which a child is capable. Although the book was well written, she would not recommend it because of the story line. LIBBY - VG but hard to recommend - She wanted to say she liked it but, because of the antagonist Avery, who was too sick even for her, she has mixed feelings about it. It definitely kept her reading. It was very well written, with strong descriptions; the moor almost became a character itself. She felt sad for Stephen, the protagonist, and his family, but Avery was so awful. LJ - VG+ - The very opening of the book creates a sense of place and an atmosphere which is both gloomy and compelling. There are no perfect characters here; only human ones. Steven is a shy boy, afraid of confrontation, and knows his mother prefers his younger brother, yet he constantly strives for the thing we all want; love and acceptance. Avery, the imprisoned murderer is as far from perfect as one can get but is the person with whom Steven must form some level of a relationship in order to gain what he needs. Through Bauer, we understand how dangerous and impaired is Avery without her having to indulge in graphic detail. In fact, in some ways, the hints and inferences are even more effective than detail would be. What is particularly wonderful about Bauer's writing is that the characters are alive and understandable; she shows us Steven becoming more mature in his thinking and reasoning, yet still as a 12-year-old-boy. She is also one of those wonderful authors who can take an inanimate object and make it not only an important element, but almost a character in the story. Bauer does write dialogue well, although there's not a lot of it as the book is written narrative. She does often exhibit an wonderful turn of phrase. "Avery adapted so fast, he'd have blown a hole straight through Darwinism." There is excellent suspense. At time she lets it build and then backs it down. It then starts to build again, slowly and relentlessly to an intense transition from where Steven was courting the Devil, to where he has fully awakened and I found myself almost catching my breath. The one real flaw for me is a dependence on some rather large coincidences. Otherwise, the book would have earned top marks from me. Still, it was very close and one of the best reads I've had in awhile. MARCY G - VG - The subject matter was very dark making it a disturbing read but it kept her reading as it was so well written. Excellent characters and descriptions. It was very good but she'd be hesitant to recommend it. MARCY S - VG writing/Okay plot - She didn't really think it was a mystery in the classic puzzle sense. She doesn't want to know the mind of a serial killer but did think it was very well written. She did have an issue with the escape from the prison being described as death-defying as the fact seemed much less dangerous than the concept. She did not put the connection together at the end until taking another look at the beginning of the book. It was very well written.
Group’s Rating Average: VG
A MOST PECULIAR MALAYSIAN MURDER (Pol. Proc.-Inspector Singh-Kuala Lumpur-Cont) 1st in series – Shamini Flint Inspector Singh is in a bad mood. He’s been sent from his home in Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to solve a murder that has him stumped. Chelsea Liew—the famous Singaporean model—is on death row for the murder of her ex-husband. She swears she didn’t do it, he thinks she didn’t do it, but no matter how hard he tries to get to the bottom of things, he still arrives back at the same place—that Chelsea’s husband was shot at point blank range, and that Chelsea had the best motivation to pull the trigger: he was taking her kids away from her. Now Inspector Singh must pull out all the stops to crack a crime that could potentially free a beautiful and innocent woman and reunite a mother with her children. There’s just one problem—the Malaysian police refuse to play ball.
EVANDA - Ex - Because of the book, she feels she know this part of the world. Excellent dialogue; you really got to know the characters. Excellent sense of place. She really enjoyed this book. LINDA S - VG - Liked the book for the interplay of cultures and found it educational. She didn't realize how many cultures live in this region and the interaction between them. She enjoyed the mystery as well. LJ - VG - Wonderful characters, excellent sense of place, great dialogue and a well-constructed mystery. For what more can you ask? I'll write a more detailed review soon.
Group’s Rating Average: VG+
Inspector Singh Investigates: A PERFECT MURDER (Pol. Proc-Inspector Ghote-Bombay, India-Cont) 1st in series - H.R.F. Keating Inspector Ghote's first cases for the Bombay Police Department include a seemingly unsolvable murder and the theft of one rupee from the desk of the Minister of Police Affairs and the Arts.
KASA - DNF - She just couldn't get into it LJ - DNF - Learned that Keating had never been to India when he wrote this book, and it showed. The characters were very bad stereotypes written in a manner that was painfully condescending, with a plot that just didn't hold my interest. I finally gave up on it. MARCY G - NR - She read it but didn't like it. She realized it was written years ago but it was very condescending. The mystery was ridiculous and she had no feeling for the characters. She did finish it, but wished she hadn't.
Eighteen years ago, Billy Peters disappeared. Everyone in town believes Billy was murdered—after all, serial killer Arnold Avery later admitted killing six other children and burying them on the same desolate moor that surrounds their small English village. Only Billy’s mother is convinced he is alive. She still stands lonely guard at the front window of her home, waiting for her son to return, while her remaining family fragments around her. But her twelve-year-old grandson Steven is determined to heal the cracks that gape between his nan, his mother, his brother, and himself. Steven desperately wants to bring his family closure, and if that means personally finding his uncle’s corpse, he’ll do it. Spending his spare time digging holes all over the moor in the hope of turning up a body is a long shot, but at least it gives his life purpose. Then at school, when the lesson turns to letter writing, Steven has a flash of inspiration . . . Careful to hide his identity, he secretly pens a letter to Avery in jail asking for help in finding the body of "W.P."—William "Billy" Peters. So begins a dangerous cat-and-mouse game. Just as Steven tries to use Avery to pinpoint the gravesite, so Avery misdirects and teases his mysterious correspondent in order to relive his heinous crimes. And when Avery finally realizes that the letters he’s receiving are from a twelve-year-old boy, suddenly his life has purpose too. Although his is far more dangerous...
KASA - NR - It seems that children are being put into more at-risk situations these days. The protagonist, Stephen, was an amazing character. He showed resilience and that of which a child is capable. Although the book was well written, she would not recommend it because of the story line.
LIBBY - VG but hard to recommend - She wanted to say she liked it but, because of the antagonist Avery, who was too sick even for her, she has mixed feelings about it. It definitely kept her reading. It was very well written, with strong descriptions; the moor almost became a character itself. She felt sad for Stephen, the protagonist, and his family, but Avery was so awful.
LJ - VG+ - The very opening of the book creates a sense of place and an atmosphere which is both gloomy and compelling. There are no perfect characters here; only human ones. Steven is a shy boy, afraid of confrontation, and knows his mother prefers his younger brother, yet he constantly strives for the thing we all want; love and acceptance. Avery, the imprisoned murderer is as far from perfect as one can get but is the
person with whom Steven must form some level of a relationship in order to gain what he needs. Through Bauer, we understand how dangerous and impaired is Avery without her having to indulge in graphic detail. In fact, in some ways, the hints and inferences are even more effective than detail would be. What is particularly wonderful about Bauer's writing is that the characters are alive and understandable; she shows us Steven becoming more mature in his thinking and reasoning, yet still as a 12-year-old-boy. She is also one of those wonderful authors who can take an inanimate object and make it not only an important element, but almost a character in the story. Bauer does write dialogue well, although there's not a lot of it as the book is written narrative. She does often exhibit an wonderful turn of phrase. "Avery adapted so fast, he'd have blown a hole straight through Darwinism." There is excellent suspense. At time she lets it build and then backs it down. It then starts to build again, slowly and relentlessly to an intense transition from where Steven was courting the Devil, to where he has fully awakened and I found myself almost catching my breath. The one real flaw for me is a dependence on some rather large coincidences. Otherwise, the book would have earned top marks from me. Still, it was very close and one of the best reads I've had in awhile.
MARCY G - VG - The subject matter was very dark making it a disturbing read but it kept her reading as it was so well written. Excellent characters and descriptions. It was very good but she'd be hesitant to recommend it.
MARCY S - VG writing/Okay plot - She didn't really think it was a mystery in the classic puzzle sense. She doesn't want to know the mind of a serial killer but did think it was very well written. She did have an issue with the escape from the prison being described as death-defying as the fact seemed much less dangerous than the concept. She did not put the connection together at the end until taking another look at the beginning of the book. It was very well written.
Group’s Rating Average: VG
A MOST PECULIAR MALAYSIAN MURDER (Pol. Proc.-Inspector Singh-Kuala Lumpur-Cont) 1st in series – Shamini Flint
Inspector Singh is in a bad mood. He’s been sent from his home in Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to solve a murder that has him stumped. Chelsea Liew—the famous Singaporean model—is on death row for the murder of her ex-husband. She swears she didn’t do it, he thinks she didn’t do it, but no matter how hard he tries to get to the bottom of things, he still arrives back at the same place—that Chelsea’s husband was shot at point blank range, and that Chelsea had the best motivation to pull the trigger: he was taking her kids away from her. Now Inspector Singh must pull out all the stops to crack a crime that could potentially free a beautiful and innocent woman and reunite a mother with her children. There’s just one problem—the Malaysian police refuse to play ball.
EVANDA - Ex - Because of the book, she feels she know this part of the world. Excellent dialogue; you really got to know the characters. Excellent sense of place. She really enjoyed this book.
LINDA S - VG - Liked the book for the interplay of cultures and found it educational. She didn't realize how many cultures live in this region and the interaction between them. She enjoyed the mystery as well.
LJ - VG - Wonderful characters, excellent sense of place, great dialogue and a well-constructed mystery. For what more can you ask? I'll write a more detailed review soon.
Group’s Rating Average: VG+
Inspector Singh Investigates: A PERFECT MURDER (Pol. Proc-Inspector Ghote-Bombay, India-Cont) 1st in series - H.R.F. Keating
Inspector Ghote's first cases for the Bombay Police Department include a seemingly unsolvable murder and the theft of one rupee from the desk of the Minister of Police Affairs and the Arts.
KASA - DNF - She just couldn't get into it
LJ - DNF - Learned that Keating had never been to India when he wrote this book, and it showed. The characters were very bad stereotypes written in a manner that was painfully condescending, with a plot that just didn't hold my interest. I finally gave up on it.
MARCY G - NR - She read it but didn't like it. She realized it was written years ago but it was very condescending. The mystery was ridiculous and she had no feeling for the characters. She did finish it, but wished she hadn't.
Group’s Rating Average: NR