Category Archives: Books

Perry Mason: The Case of the Velvet Claws, by Erle Stanley Gardner

Posted on April 25, 2013 by

I’ve really enjoyed watching episodes of the 1950s Perry Mason TV series on DVD (see an early review on this site of one such episode) but I’ve not been able to read any of Erle Stanley Gardner’s 82 original Perry … Continue reading →

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Outcome, by Edward W Robertson

Posted on April 24, 2013 by

There’s an awful lot of self-published new fiction out in e-book format out there at the moment, and it can be hard to sieve the gemstones from out of the worthless rocks. One of the better ways for authors to … Continue reading →

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The Blade Itself, by Joe Abercrombie

Posted on April 22, 2013 by

If you have any interest at all in modern fantasy novels then you’ve probably already heard of Joe Abercrombie, Britain’s answer to George RR Martin (the author of the Game of Thrones series.) Like Martin, he’s working in the field … Continue reading →

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Wolf Hall – by Hilary Mantel

Posted on February 17, 2013 by

Hilary Mantel certainly doesn’t need any help or favourable reviews from me for her work: she’s wowed all the professional critics and absolutely dominated the literary scene over the last few years, scooping up pretty much every major award going … Continue reading →

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James Bond: Happy 50th, old man

Posted on October 5, 2012 by

You have to hand it to EoN Productions, they know how to whip up the publicity for their upcoming James Bond film, getting the mainstream media falling over the “50th anniversary of the first James Bond film” as a way … Continue reading →

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The Turin Shroud Secret, by Sam Christer

Posted on April 10, 2012 by

Contains some spoilers. Considering that just about every other historical and religious icon has been plundered by some post-Dan Brown conspiracy thriller in the last decade, it’s surprised me that seemingly no one has hitherto used the Turin Shroud as … Continue reading →

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Geek Tragedy – by Nev Fountain

Posted on November 29, 2011 by

If you’re a fan of any cult media shows – especially British ones of a certain vintage – and also possess even a rudimentary sense of humour, then author Nev Fountain’s “Mervyn Stone Mysteries’ trilogy of books should be right … Continue reading →

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The Good, The Bad and the Multiplex – by Mark Kermode

Posted on September 9, 2011 by

The second book by Mark Kermode lines up some of his most familiar targets and lets them have it with both barrels. For fans of the good doctor, it’s a treat – albeit not much of a surprise. If you … Continue reading →

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The Alchemist’s Secret – by Scott Mariani

Posted on March 8, 2011 by

If the novels of Dan Brown and Lee Child were laid out on an autopsy table and forensically dissected and analysed, then put back together again by a decent literary technician, this is pretty much what you would expect to … Continue reading →

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Blasphemy – by Douglas Preston

Posted on February 9, 2011 by

Douglas Preston is one of those authors who writes adventure/thriller fiction, but with a central idea drawn from science to make it feel a bit bigger and more important than just the usual Jack Reacher-type shoot-up. This sub-genre of fiction … Continue reading →

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