The Sentinel, by Lee and Andrew Child.

The newest in the long series of Jack Reacher novels. This time with a difference. Lee Child, the author of the previous 25 books is stepping down, or stepping away. But before he does he is keeping Reacher alive by handing over writing duties to his brother. They intend on collaborating on a few before Andrew takes over full time, and this is the first in the transition period of two authors.

The beauty of these books is the simplicity of them. Reacher rocks up to a small town somewhere in the great expanse of middle America, he runs into someone and stumbles upon a grave injustice. Which he deliberates over getting involved in for a time, before turning into a human wrecking ball on a mission to restore order and put the bad guys in their place. Whether that place is prison or a grave, Reacher doesn't really care.

What follows is a good old fashioned mystery with a good dollop of fight scenes which are wonderfully written. Big fists crashing into wide stomachs and brittle noses, roundhouse kicks knocking guns flying and skulls cracking. What's not to like?

The transition is seamless but you can almost sense an evolving of Reacher, breaking some of his own rules, making exceptions, and as he says himself, sometimes they all worked out OK.

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman

 

Neil Gaiman is one of those authors whose books have always been on my radar, but always kind of at the periphery for some unknown reason. I loved Anansi Boys, and devoured American Gods, but that's it. I've dipped in and out of Sandman, but its sheer size has intimidated me slightly. 

When I found this in my local library I had no excuse. And I'm so glad I did.

Its a wonderfully dark little tale, with a unique voice and sound throughout. Whimsical and lyrical in its prose, its so easy to get lost in the pages. Bod is a great character, always wanting to do the right thing while always aware of the fact that he is different to those around him. A quite lovely little parable for children who find themselves different, but loved nonetheless, and the challenges that this can bring.

Bod's strength and ability to overcome and fight his demons comes from his time in the magical world of the graveyard. As a child he is given the rather vague and nebulous freedom of the graveyard, which gives him certain magical abilities such as Fading and Haunting. We meet him as an orphaned baby and watch him grow so by the time the last pages come up on us we are really invested in his life and hope to see him to do well beyond the confines of this story. 

The Prisoner of Heaven, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Book 3 of the superlative Cemetery of Forgotten Books. This one focuses on one of the secondary characters of the first book, Fermin Romero de Torres. It sheds light on his back story, how he came to be in the lives of the Sempere family, and what makes him the enigmatic man using a nom de plume making enemies of the state police. 

A shorter book than the rest of the series, but so concise and tightly told its still a marvellous book. All the charm and atmosphere of the previous two is present here, with Zafón's fluidity of prose evident as well. 

Characterisation is key to making a story real, making characters you care about and want to know more about. Here we discover more about one of my favourites and also meet a new one, the despicable Valls, the mysterious governor of the hellish Montjüic prison. Dripping with menace and intent, Valls exists in the shadows making moves with apparent foresight. 

This one is a self contained story like the rest, but this has the added bonus of feeling like a prequel to the first as well as the next. 

A shorter read than the first two in the series clocking in at slightly less than 300 pages. But each page is beautifully composed, not a word wasted, not a sentence included that doesn't need to be there.

A beautifully complex tale, setting up the next installment which I can't wait to read.

The Devil and the Dark Water, by Stuart Turton

A supernatural mystery set on a ship sailing from Batavia to Amsterdam, with a Sherlock Holmes type detective on board. What's not to like? Turns out, not very much at all, as this is a really clever, well plotted story with great characters, so many of them with various reasons and apparent motives to keep you guessing right to the very end.

It's a stand alone story, but I would read the hell out of prequels detailing the adventures of Sammy Pipps and Arent Hale, and the fact that they have such a rich history adds to the fullness of their characterisation. Sammy Pipps is a problematory, a detective with almost preternatutal skills at uncovering the truth of things, and Arent is his giant framed bodyguard. His Watson, but with extra muscle, for revealing and accusing murderers and thieves is a risky game.

Sara, Lia, and Creesjie are all strong female characters, esch with a destiny and a will of their own to survive and prosper despite the male attention they attract and which obviously in the timeframe wants to dominate them.
Set in 1634, aboard a Dutch merchant ship, the time is vividly portrayed as a dangerous place for women, who do what they're told and should be submissive. On the surface this appears to be the fate our three ladies are resigned to, but over the story we discover this couldn't be further from the truth.

I hadn't read this author before, but will certainly be checking more of out his work.

I was provided with a free copy by netgalley.co.uk in exchange for a fair review. 

The Angel's Game, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

The follow-up to The Shadow of the Wind, this is the second book of the spanish author's masterful Cemetery of Forgotten Books series. While not as strong as the first, it evokes the same sense of nostalgia for a Spain and Barcelona of days past, of a time when danger lurked behind every gothic balustrade and overarching narrow cobbled street.

The words of Zafón, almost poetic in their construction, lure you into this world, and make you want to wander with the characters, through their streets and through their lives. 

The story meanders like the calles and avenidas, branching out and around you like vines which surround the mansions and houses of the story. Barcelona and her streets and houses are as much characters as David and his elegant and mysterious boss, coming to life with a purpose and agency that defies their being. 

As with the first, a book about books, this novel gives books a power rarely felt, how a strength within the pages of a well crafted story can consume the reader and twist their beliefs to the author's will. The power this imbues throughout the novel simmers at the heart of it, creating an unforgettable story.

More complex than its predecessor, it suffers from its overcomplicated plot ever so slightly but its still a magnificent book, by an immensely skilled writer.