Reading Challenge 2024

[Paladin]

1. Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch. 7/10.
2. The Racketeer - John Grisham. 5/10.
3. Orphan X - Gregg Hurwitz. 9/10.
4. The Longest Kill - Craig Harrison. 8/10.
5. Notes on an Execution - Danya Kukafka. 8/10.
6. The Satsuma Complex - Bob Mortimer. 7/10.
7. The Garderobe of Death - Howard of Warwick - 6/10.
8. A Village in the Third Reich - Julia Boyd, Angelina Patel - 9/10.
9. Three Days in June - James O'Connell - 9/10.
10. The Guv'nor - Lenny McLean - 10/10.
11. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen - 7/10.
12. The Rescue - Andy McNab - 7/10.
13. Hunting the Hangman - Howard Linskey - 8/10.

Reinhard Heydrich was tipped to be the successor to Hitler. He had been entrusted by the Fuhrer to devise and carry out the Final Solution. In 1942 he was based in Prague, overseeing the conquered Czechoslovakia.

This is the story of how two Czech nationals, trained by British SOE, were inserted back into their homeland to carry out the audacious assassination of Heydrich.

The attempt was successful. It led to severe recriminations, and ultimately to the betrayal of the two agents and their support network. The two were unable to flee their homeland, and were hunted down and killed.

This is a well researched book, written in the style of a thriller. Characters are nicely depicted, and there is plenty of jeopardy and tension in the story.

 

[RobMCFC]

1. Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch. 7/10.
2. The Racketeer - John Grisham. 5/10.
3. Orphan X - Gregg Hurwitz. 9/10.
4. The Longest Kill - Craig Harrison. 8/10.
5. Notes on an Execution - Danya Kukafka. 8/10.
6. The Satsuma Complex - Bob Mortimer. 7/10.
7. The Garderobe of Death - Howard of Warwick - 6/10.
8. A Village in the Third Reich - Julia Boyd, Angelina Patel - 9/10.
9. Three Days in June - James O'Connell - 9/10.
10. The Guv'nor - Lenny McLean - 10/10.
11. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen - 7/10.
12. The Rescue - Andy McNab - 7/10.
13. Hunting the Hangman - Howard Linskey - 8/10.

Reinhard Heydrich was tipped to be the successor to Hitler. He had been entrusted by the Fuhrer to devise and carry out the Final Solution. In 1942 he was based in Prague, overseeing the conquered Czechoslovakia.

This is the story of how two Czech nationals, trained by British SOE, were inserted back into their homeland to carry out the audacious assassination of Heydrich.

The attempt was successful. It led to severe recriminations, and ultimately to the betrayal of the two agents and their support network. The two were unable to flee their homeland, and were hunted down and killed.

This is a well researched book, written in the style of a thriller. Characters are nicely depicted, and there is plenty of jeopardy and tension in the story.

Isn’t the film Operation Crossbow (from the 70s/early 80s) about the same subject?

EDIT - not far off, it was Operation Daybreak (1975)

 

[Paladin]

1. Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch. 7/10.
2. The Racketeer - John Grisham. 5/10.
3. Orphan X - Gregg Hurwitz. 9/10.
4. The Longest Kill - Craig Harrison. 8/10.
5. Notes on an Execution - Danya Kukafka. 8/10.
6. The Satsuma Complex - Bob Mortimer. 7/10.
7. The Garderobe of Death - Howard of Warwick - 6/10.
8. A Village in the Third Reich - Julia Boyd, Angelina Patel - 9/10.
9. Three Days in June - James O'Connell - 9/10.
10. The Guv'nor - Lenny McLean - 10/10.
11. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen - 7/10.
12. The Rescue - Andy McNab - 7/10.
13. Hunting the Hangman - Howard Linskey - 8/10.
14. The Easy Day was Yesterday: The extreme life of an SAS soldier - Paul Jordan - 4/10.

I feel cheated. Look at the book cover - it looks like a classic biography of a former Special Forces soldier. Extreme life. Yesterday was easy, compared to today. SAS. The book just doesn't live up to expectations. Maybe I should have researched it a bit more.

I don't often fail to finish a book once I've got through a few chapters, and I persevered with this one. It didn't really grip my attention though. I read it on my Kindle, and this also meant it prevented from starting On Wings of Eagles, which is annoying.

The title comes from something Paul Jordan heard during the training phase for the SAS. His life story didn't accurately reflect the title.

There is a chapter about Australian SAS selection. There is a very long chapter about how the author supported the United Nations in Rwanda during the civil war. (This is the most interesting chapter in the book, and it is enlightening). That's it in terms of SAS action. The rest of the book covers the author's work in protection, and some family history. But the book is predominantly about when the author accidentally crossed the Indian border, and spent 24 days in an Indian prison as a consequence.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone looking for elite forces war stories, but if you want to avoid getting banged up in prison in India, this is essential reading.

 

[ob]

Got Red Dirt Road for 99p on Amazon

Just finished this and enjoyed it. Found it easy to read and skips along nicely. If murder in the outback is your thing I'm sure there are worse books to read than Red Dirt Road. A bargain at 99p

 

[Paladin]

1. Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch. 7/10.
2. The Racketeer - John Grisham. 5/10.
3. Orphan X - Gregg Hurwitz. 9/10.
4. The Longest Kill - Craig Harrison. 8/10.
5. Notes on an Execution - Danya Kukafka. 8/10.
6. The Satsuma Complex - Bob Mortimer. 7/10.
7. The Garderobe of Death - Howard of Warwick - 6/10.
8. A Village in the Third Reich - Julia Boyd, Angelina Patel - 9/10.
9. Three Days in June - James O'Connell - 9/10.
10. The Guv'nor - Lenny McLean - 10/10.
11. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen - 7/10.
12. The Rescue - Andy McNab - 7/10.
13. Hunting the Hangman - Howard Linskey - 8/10.
14. The Easy Day was Yesterday: The extreme life of an SAS soldier - Paul Jordan - 4/10.
15. The Visitor - Lee Child - 7/10.

This is the fourth Jack Reacher book by Lee Child, written in 2000, and going by the title Running Blind in the USA. I've read a few Reacher novels and always really enjoyed them, and this one didn't disappoint in terms of action and excitement. The dialog is convincing too.

In this one, Reacher links up with the FBI to solve a case involving a serial killer targeting female US Army veterans. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way, and Child ties up all the loose ends nicely at the conclusion.

It's a real page turner, taking me just five days to complete. (I'm on a beach holiday). But there were a couple of points that let it down for me. Neither a cop on guard outside, or a criminal in the house heard Reacher kick the front door down. Also, none of the FBI experts worked out the method used by the killer, which was so obvious, I had it sussed after a few chapters?

Good book, could have been better.

 

[RobMCFC]

Books

1. Cunning Folk – Adam L.G. Nevill - 8/10
2. Bad Apples – Will Dean – 7/10
3. The Winter Road – Adrian Selby – 6/10
4. The Dark Place – Damian Vargas – 9/10
5. Act of Oblivion – Robert Harris – 7/10
6. The Tyranny of Faith – Richard Swan – 7/10
7. The Game – Micah Richards – 8/10
8. The Ticket Collector from Belarus – Mike Anderson and Neil Hanson – 8/10
9. The Satsuma Complex – Bob Mortimer – 6/10
10. Notes on an Execution – Danya Kukafka – 9/10
11. And Away … – Bob Mortimer – 7/10
12. Dead Man's Blues - Ray Celestin – 8/10
13. On Wings of Eagles – Ken Follett – 8/10
14. Priest of Gallows – Peter McLean – 8/10
15. Quantum Radio – A.G.Riddle – 3/10
16. The Maleficent Seven – Cameron Johnston – 6/10

This was good fun for the most part, but I prefer my fantasy books to be closer to the real world, with just a little bit of magic to keep them interesting. During the climax of this book, there’s a fight between two Gods, and I never enjoy fights where there’s two all-powerful beings – it just isn’t interesting to read.

However, for most of the page count, there’s enough to keep me invested in the story. The refreshing point of view here is that the story focuses on a band of evil villains who get together to fight off an army of holy knights. The book is basically in three parts – in the first, we meet each of the villains as their old captain gets them back together. In the second, they make a stand in a town as the holy knights attack and in the third, it all gets a bit much as the gods turn up.

The best aspect of the book is the characters. Amongst the villains there’s an old pirate captain, a orc intent on making a name for herself in battles, a fiendish alchemist who devises horrendous war machines and best of all, Lorimer Felle – a vampire who has sworn to win back his town from the conquering knights. Whilst these characters aren’t quite up with the best in the genre, they are at least well written and three dimensional.

 

[ell]

1. Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch. 7/10.
2. The Racketeer - John Grisham. 5/10.
3. Orphan X - Gregg Hurwitz. 9/10.
4. The Longest Kill - Craig Harrison. 8/10.
5. Notes on an Execution - Danya Kukafka. 8/10.
6. The Satsuma Complex - Bob Mortimer. 7/10.
7. The Garderobe of Death - Howard of Warwick - 6/10.
8. A Village in the Third Reich - Julia Boyd, Angelina Patel - 9/10.
9. Three Days in June - James O'Connell - 9/10.
10. The Guv'nor - Lenny McLean - 10/10.
11. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen - 7/10.
12. The Rescue - Andy McNab - 7/10.
13. Hunting the Hangman - Howard Linskey - 8/10.
14. The Easy Day was Yesterday: The extreme life of an SAS soldier - Paul Jordan - 4/10.

I feel cheated. Look at the book cover - it looks like a classic biography of a former Special Forces soldier. Extreme life. Yesterday was easy, compared to today. SAS. The book just doesn't live up to expectations. Maybe I should have researched it a bit more.

I don't often fail to finish a book once I've got through a few chapters, and I persevered with this one. It didn't really grip my attention though. I read it on my Kindle, and this also meant it prevented from starting On Wings of Eagles, which is annoying.

The title comes from something Paul Jordan heard during the training phase for the SAS. His life story didn't accurately reflect the title.

There is a chapter about Australian SAS selection. There is a very long chapter about how the author supported the United Nations in Rwanda during the civil war. (This is the most interesting chapter in the book, and it is enlightening). That's it in terms of SAS action. The rest of the book covers the author's work in protection, and some family history. But the book is predominantly about when the author accidentally crossed the Indian border, and spent 24 days in an Indian prison as a consequence.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone looking for elite forces war stories, but if you want to avoid getting banged up in prison in India, this is essential reading.

I got done by the same book a few years ago, crap.

 

[stoneblue]

24/23 Bournville - Jonathan Coe



Bournville tells the story of a family growing up in the Birmingham suburbs from the end of WW2 through to 2020. The story is told around 7 key events in modern British history, starting with VE day in 1945 and ending with its 75th anniversary in May 2020.

The story focuses on different family members and their relationships through the years and the narrative maps our changing attitudes towards a number of issues including race and homosexuality.

Older Blue Mooners will recognise and reminisce about memories of days gone by such as England’s World Cup win in 1966 and events such as the Royal Wedding (Charles & Diana).

I have read a couple of Coe’s books before (The Rotter’s Club series) and he is a supreme chronicler of the ordinariness of daily life.

This is an easy read with some genuinely funny elements.

 

[Paladin]

1. Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch. 7/10.
2. The Racketeer - John Grisham. 5/10.
3. Orphan X - Gregg Hurwitz. 9/10.
4. The Longest Kill - Craig Harrison. 8/10.
5. Notes on an Execution - Danya Kukafka. 8/10.
6. The Satsuma Complex - Bob Mortimer. 7/10.
7. The Garderobe of Death - Howard of Warwick - 6/10.
8. A Village in the Third Reich - Julia Boyd, Angelina Patel - 9/10.
9. Three Days in June - James O'Connell - 9/10.
10. The Guv'nor - Lenny McLean - 10/10.
11. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen - 7/10.
12. The Rescue - Andy McNab - 7/10.
13. Hunting the Hangman - Howard Linskey - 8/10.
14. The Easy Day was Yesterday: The extreme life of an SAS soldier - Paul Jordan - 4/10.
15. The Visitor - Lee Child - 7/10.
16. Jamaica Inn - Daphne Du Maurier - 8/10.

I made a start on this two years ago, before embarking on a four day campervan holiday to Cornwall which included a visit to the eponymous hostelry. The holiday was pretty full on, and I didn't get past the first chapter, so I decided to start afresh this week.

Following the death of her mother, Mary Yellan takes residence with her aunt, at Jamaica Inn on the desolate Bodmin Moor. Her uncle, Joss Merlyn is the landlord of the inn. He has a reputation as a drunkard, a dangerous villain, such that nobody visits the inn any more, except the landlord's criminal associates.

Mary meets Joss's younger brother Jem, also a villain, and falls in love with him.

Within a few months of her arrival at the inn, Joss becomes involved in one final desperate act that has devastating consequences on him and his gang. But who is the criminal mastermind behind all the nefarious activity? Could it be the drunkard, Joss himself? Could it be his younger, more astute brother, Jem? Or could it be another?

Written in 1936, set in the 1820s, the book has definitely stood the test of time as a significant gothic thriller. It has danger, suspense, some unexpected plot twists and turns, and a romantic element. It's one of those books you need to read before you die that actually justifies being in such a list.

 

[stoneblue]

25/23 Paradise - Patricia Wolf



This is the 2nd book in the series from this author and I read and enjoyed the first, “Outback”, earlier this year. Again it features DS Walker as the central character. As this story starts he is in the Gold Coast to recover from injuries received at the end of the first book and he’s also awaiting the outcome of the Review Board into his actions at that time.

This book has two main story threads, the first a home invasion in which a young mother is murdered and her child badly injured. The second is the presence in the area of the leader of a drug gang and his associates.

Although he is supposed to be on light duties, DS Walker soon finds himself embroiled in the murder investigation and is also drawn into the activities of the drug gang.

A decent addition to the Aussie noir genre.