Literary Brooding

Close Your Eyes Michael Robotham Paperback , 392 pages Published August 2015 by Sphere I have never read a Michael Robotham novel and after ‘Close your Eyes’ I will be picking up the seven other books in the series. This is a cracking read, can be read as a standalone, is full of twists and turns with a great lead character. Joe O’Loughlin is a clinical psychologist who is struggling to cope with his physical limitations and a desire to reunite with his family. He is trying to leave behind a career that has almost destroyed him and along comes a phone call that throws him back into the deep end. A mother and daughter are found murdered in a remote farmhouse and what seems to be isolated event turns into a complex investigation. Robotham’s writing is sharp and concise, he keeps the story moving along and engaging. I was drawn into the novel and it is a cliché but it’s true, this is a real page turner. The characters Robotham has created are well fo...

The Grey Raider John Flanagan Paperback , 512 pages Published July 1st 2015 by Transworld Publishers   Two Captains, two ships - go head to head in a rip roaring battle fought on land and sea. During the Civil War the Confederates are relying on the CSS Manassas and Captain Pelle to disrupt the Union supply lines by sinking ships and making sea travel as perilous as possible. Pelle’s success on the sea pushes up insurance rates and the Union needs to stop him. The Union turns to Captain Stacey of the USS Oswego. A man who is bull headed but determined to succeed at any cost to sink the Manassas. Adding to the intrigue Stacey and Pelle have a history that makes the battle very personal. What a cracking read, action packed, intense and an intriguing battle of wits between two very different men. There is a lot to like about Flanagan’s Grey Raider. Flanagan has done his research and he seamlessly takes you into this wonderful nautical world. You re...

Dangerous Lies - Becca Fitzpatrick Kindle Edition, 400 pages Expected publication: November 10th 2015 by Simon & Schuster Becca Fitzpatrick has a bit of a following as young adult writer with her ‘Hush. Hush’ series. In her latest offering of Dangerous Lies, Fitzpatrick will certainly keep her legion of fans glued to the pages. Having witnessed a brutal crime Estella is renamed Stella and finds herself bundled into witness protection, cut off from a life she loves and ripped away from Reid her true love. Stella is not sure things could get much worse until she finds herself stuck in Thunder Basin, Nebraska which is a backwater town. What is meant to be a safe haven becomes a world of trouble for Stella who finds that she continually swimming against the tide. Not only does she have to contend with a criminal trying to ensure she does not testify, a local town bully takes an instant dislike and then there is Chet Falconer. He makes Stella question all she believes is true an...