Book Review - Holding by Graham Norton

Duneen is a quiet, sleepy Irish village where everyone knows everyone and life just passes by. There is Sergeant PJ Collins, the overweight constable who has never had the chance to shine, Brid Riordan, who is an alcoholic and barely keeping her family together, and Evelyn Ross, the youngest of three sisters who never married after the tragic death of their parents. Along with the rest of the town, these three complex but clearly human characters are thrown into a murder-mystery as human remains are found at a new property being developed. The story is revealed piece by piece and although you may have your suspicions, there is plenty to keep you guessing until the end.

This book is written by Graham Norton. You know, Graham Norton of talk-show fame. You may or may not know that he also played a guest role in Father Ted for a few episodes and holds shares in a New Zealand wine company. This is his first attempt at fiction and a lot of people, myself included, were interested in the way that the book would pan out. I was pleasantly surprised by Holding and I would definitely recommend it to others. This is a read-in-one-sitting kind of book. It is not fast paced, but it switches between different narrators often so you want to piece each characters story together and this requires you to keep reading.

Although written by a comedian, it is not a specifically funny book. There are plenty of traces of wit but there is a heavy feel to the characters as they each battle their own secrets and regrets. I enjoy a good whodunnit and this did not disappoint. I found the characters to be understandably the way they are, due to past circumstance combined with small town living. The book is peppered with Irish slang which took a bit of getting my head around but it adds, not detracts, from the story. Overall a great piece of fiction that will leave you missing the town and the people after it ends. 

Thanks to Hachette for my review copy.

Book Review: The Midas Legacy by Andy McDermott

The Midas Legacy by Andy McDermott

Once again I enter a series 12 books in. I feel like 12 books in a series is a lot to write and I understand the dilemma of character development as the characters age and having them still getting up to the thrilling, action-packed, page-turning antics that drew us in in the first place. I think Mc Dermott still makes it work but I don't know how much longer the series could keep up the dynamic.

The premise is that Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase have calmed down for a few years after plenty of near-death experiences while unearthing pieces of history, including the lost city of Atlantis. They now have a 3-year old daughter Macy but they get drawn into a new adventure seeking the Midas Cave - the place that legends tell of producing gold in unimaginable quantities.

The book is LONG, a big chunker that in no way can you read in one sitting. I think this is why it is written the way it is, there are big, exciting action bits, then it calms down so you feel you can put the book down for a break but know that there will be more the next time you pick it up. There are probably 6-7 big events that happen during the book which is almost overkill for me. I could have happily stopped after the first two if they were drawn out a bit. It felt a bit like a few books in one.

What drew me to the book is the treasure hunt aspect of the story. I love mythology and Atlantis especially, so I will probably go back and read a couple of earlier titles in the series which all seem to follow similar lines. The treasure hunt didn't disappoint.

I found the introduction of the child, and the fact that Nina and Eddie were parents, to be quite hard to relate to. It wasn't that they didn't care about her, they did enormously, but the pull of 'saving the world' took them away from her multiple times during the story. I feel like after one close call I would take my family and hide away for a while!

What I did like was Eddie. He is a British ex-soldier with a witty sense of humour and a potty mouth. His one-liners pop up in the most inappropriate places which made me laugh out loud while reading.

Overall I did enjoy this book, I would have enjoyed it more if it were shorter but the content was definitely action filled and I will be revisiting some of the earlier books. A good holiday read if you need something to fill in a couple of hours at a time.

Available now from all good book retailers.

Thanks to Hachette for my review copy

Book Review - Dr. Knox by Peter Spiegelman

Available now from all good book stores

Dr.Knox is a doctor who lives in the bowels of LA, with a small, run-down clinic which he uses to treat vagrants and the vulnerable. It is funded in part by some off-the-books cash jobs by wealthy clients in a don't ask-don't tell style. One day a scared Romanian women leaves a young boy at the clinic and runs away. Dr. Knox takes pity on them and decides to try and track her down and reunite them. This unravels a tale that gets more and more complicated and dangerous, involving Russian mobsters, blackmail, extortion and a very powerful family. 

I must admit, this book took me a while to get into. It seems a bit different to the crime thrillers I usually read but I can't put my finger on why. The book is well written and very descriptive. This works well with the imagery of LA but becomes less pleasant when reading about medical procedures. It all adds to the story but it wasn't my cup of tea. 

Dr. Knox as a character has many virtues but is also very selfish and because of that, it was quite hard to feel attached to him. He drags in those close to him and puts them in danger and he almost just shrugs this off in parts. The other main characters are much more relateable and you understand their frustrations about the situation.

As the book progressed I began to enjoy the storyline and there was enough suspense and plot twists to keep it interesting and different although I didn't feel the overwhelming need to keep reading, I was able to put it down and pick it up without my mind thinking about it too much.It would probably make a better film than it does a book.

Overall, this book was good. I would read more from Peter Spiegelman and I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a down-and-dirty crime read.

Thanks to Hachette for my review copy