Reading Challenge 2024
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threespires
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The Axeman's Jazz 8/10
Using the story of a real life New Orleans serial killer, Ray Celestin does a really good job of evoking a time and a place in this book. Initially you are sucked in by the (real life) transcript of a bizarre letter send to the New Orleans newspapers supposedly from the Axeman, in which he offers the people of New Orleans an unusual way of avoiding his axe. Thereafter Ray Celestin creates a book that is mostly crime thriller, but also part history and part musicology with the latter two never getting in the way of the core story and most of the time enhancing it. There's the occasional cliché here and there but nothing that can't be forgiven in the scheme of things as the writing is pretty solid overall.
For me it combined some of my favourite things and it's a book that's intelligent and informative as well as being entertaining. Happily it's the first of a quartet of books and the second seems to be living up to the same standard. Thanks for the recommendation @RobMCFC, definitely a series for anyone who enjoys a good crime novel.
Using the story of a real life New Orleans serial killer, Ray Celestin does a really good job of evoking a time and a place in this book. Initially you are sucked in by the (real life) transcript of a bizarre letter send to the New Orleans newspapers supposedly from the Axeman, in which he offers the people of New Orleans an unusual way of avoiding his axe. Thereafter Ray Celestin creates a book that is mostly crime thriller, but also part history and part musicology with the latter two never getting in the way of the core story and most of the time enhancing it. There's the occasional cliché here and there but nothing that can't be forgiven in the scheme of things as the writing is pretty solid overall.
For me it combined some of my favourite things and it's a book that's intelligent and informative as well as being entertaining. Happily it's the first of a quartet of books and the second seems to be living up to the same standard. Thanks for the recommendation @RobMCFC, definitely a series for anyone who enjoys a good crime novel.
RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
Glad you enjoyed it and you're already onto book 2!
I like to leave a bit of time between books in a series, and I'll be reading book 3 early next year.
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.
17. The Mystery of Edwin Drood - Charles Dickens - 6/10.
As with all Dickens novels, this was serialised and intended to be published in twelve parts. The author only managed to write six of these parts before he died, in 1870. Dickens didn't leave any notes about how the story would continue, so the mystery will always remain just that.
Shame really, as the characters had been nicely drawn by the half way point, and the remainder of the book promised to be an intriguing story.
Drood breaks his relationship with Rosa, then disappears. Some of his belongings are found beside a river, and there is speculation as to whether he has been murdered, but his body isn't found.
There are a number of suspects with motives to kill Drood, but Drood had also expressed a desire to travel. Suspicion falls upon John Jasper, Drood's uncle, yet only a few years his senior. Jasper, a choir master with a secret addiction to opium, and Neville Landless, whom Drood fights with, both love Drood's former fiancé, Rosa.
So that's the scene set, and that's as far as it goes, unfortunately. But despite the disappointment of not being able to know the ending, it's a worthwhile read, with plenty of supporting cast, brilliantly characterised by Dickens. I've resolved to read all Dickens' novels before I die, and I'm pleased to chalk this one off. The only reason I downgrade my rating is because it is incomplete.
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.
17. The Mystery of Edwin Drood - Charles Dickens - 6/10.
As with all Dickens novels, this was serialised and intended to be published in twelve parts. The author only managed to write six of these parts before he died, in 1870. Dickens didn't leave any notes about how the story would continue, so the mystery will always remain just that.
Shame really, as the characters had been nicely drawn by the half way point, and the remainder of the book promised to be an intriguing story.
Drood breaks his relationship with Rosa, then disappears. Some of his belongings are found beside a river, and there is speculation as to whether he has been murdered, but his body isn't found.
There are a number of suspects with motives to kill Drood, but Drood had also expressed a desire to travel. Suspicion falls upon John Jasper, Drood's uncle, yet only a few years his senior. Jasper, a choir master with a secret addiction to opium, and Neville Landless, whom Drood fights with, both love Drood's former fiancé, Rosa.
So that's the scene set, and that's as far as it goes, unfortunately. But despite the disappointment of not being able to know the ending, it's a worthwhile read, with plenty of supporting cast, brilliantly characterised by Dickens. I've resolved to read all Dickens' novels before I die, and I'm pleased to chalk this one off. The only reason I downgrade my rating is because it is incomplete.
stoneblue
Well-Known Member
26/23 A Creak on the Stairs - Eva Björg Ægisdóttir
&
27/23 Girls Who Lie - Eva Björg Ægisdóttir
After reading a few Aussie noir books this year, I decided to head for colder climes.
These are the first two books (of 5) in the Forbidden Iceland series. The author uses the same approach in both books of having two narratives, the first set in the present day (or near enough) and the second some time in the past. The second narrative in each story moves forward in time towards the present, generally revealing more about the individual at the heart of the crime.
The secondary narrative in both books is italicised, for why I’m not sure.
In the first book it soon becomes clear whom the secondary narrative concerns but in the second it quite cleverly deceives you into thinking it’s another party.
The first book involves a murder in the small port town of Akranes which is about 25m from the capital, Reykjavik. The victim is a woman who had lived in the town up to the age of 8 and had never returned to the area until recently.
The central character in the investigation is a detective who has also returned to the area following the end of a relationship (the nature of this becomes clearer throughout the book).
The second book concerns the discovery of a body of a woman who had gone missing some 6 months earlier. Initially suicide is suspected but it soon becomes apparent that it is a murder. The police investigative team are the same as in the first book with the same detective as the main focus.
Overall a couple of good but not great thrillers.
&
27/23 Girls Who Lie - Eva Björg Ægisdóttir
After reading a few Aussie noir books this year, I decided to head for colder climes.
These are the first two books (of 5) in the Forbidden Iceland series. The author uses the same approach in both books of having two narratives, the first set in the present day (or near enough) and the second some time in the past. The second narrative in each story moves forward in time towards the present, generally revealing more about the individual at the heart of the crime.
The secondary narrative in both books is italicised, for why I’m not sure.
In the first book it soon becomes clear whom the secondary narrative concerns but in the second it quite cleverly deceives you into thinking it’s another party.
The first book involves a murder in the small port town of Akranes which is about 25m from the capital, Reykjavik. The victim is a woman who had lived in the town up to the age of 8 and had never returned to the area until recently.
The central character in the investigation is a detective who has also returned to the area following the end of a relationship (the nature of this becomes clearer throughout the book).
The second book concerns the discovery of a body of a woman who had gone missing some 6 months earlier. Initially suicide is suspected but it soon becomes apparent that it is a murder. The police investigative team are the same as in the first book with the same detective as the main focus.
Overall a couple of good but not great thrillers.
RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
- Cunning Folk – Adam L.G. Nevill - 8/10
- Bad Apples – Will Dean – 7/10
- The Winter Road – Adrian Selby – 6/10
- The Dark Place – Damian Vargas – 9/10
- Act of Oblivion – Robert Harris – 7/10
- The Tyranny of Faith – Richard Swan – 7/10
- The Game – Micah Richards – 8/10
- The Ticket Collector from Belarus – Mike Anderson and Neil Hanson – 8/10
- The Satsuma Complex – Bob Mortimer – 6/10
- Notes on an Execution – Danya Kukafka – 9/10
- And Away … – Bob Mortimer – 7/10
- Dead Man's Blues - Ray Celestin – 8/10
- On Wings of Eagles – Ken Follett – 8/10
- Priest of Gallows – Peter McLean – 8/10
- Quantum Radio – A.G.Riddle – 3/10
- The Maleficent Seven – Cameron Johnston – 6/10
- The Second Sleep – Robert Harris – 8/10
- Flowers for Algernon – Daniel Keyes – 7/10
In many ways, this is a straightforward book: a man starts out with a “problem”, he gets the chance to change things, and then he ends up more or less where he started.
A bit annoying that the foreward basically told you what was going to happen. This book was written in the 50s as a short story, and expanded to a novel in the 60s, and it is considered a classic. Still, most people buying it are those, like me, who won’t have read it and maybe know little about it. So why spoil it? Put the analysis at the end or warn the reader so they can skip forward.
Anyway, this minor quibble aside, it was an fascinating read. The character of Charlie was well developed as we get to see his journey through his eyes as he changes. Everybody else in the book feels like a minor character with little development. I usually recoil from books that intentionally include wrong spellings and bad grammar, but there is a very good reason here, and I think the approach works well.
It was a fairly predictable plot arc and nothing surprising happened, but I enjoyed the read, nonetheless. I didn’t find it life-changing, it didn’t move me to tears as some reviewers have said, but I found Charlie’s journey interesting. And I did find the final line poignant.
stoneblue
Well-Known Member
I think one or two of us have read Scrublands by Chris Hammer...an Aussie thriller.
Just noticed that it's been serialised and part 1 is on BBC4 tonight.
Just noticed that it's been serialised and part 1 is on BBC4 tonight.
RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
Good spot. I enjoyed Scrublands so I’ll be watching this on the iPlayer.
journolud
Well-Known Member
Been reading more than usual recently as I’m restricted from my usual activities following a knee replacement. I’ve read the three novels by Sunjeev Sahita, being The Year of the Runaways which brings together the stories of four Indian immigrants in the UK ie their back stories plus how their fortunes, ir otherwise, connect in the UK. It’s a great read which I actually read while on my holiday to India recently.
Subsequently read the China Room and most recently Ours Are the Streets which tells the story from the first person of how a UK based Pakistani man becomes radicalised.
I was looking for something else to read and was going to check out the Booker nominations when I remembered this thread, one I ducked out of early this year, or was it last? Anyway just downloaded Flowers for Algernon, not my usual fare but will give it a go
Subsequently read the China Room and most recently Ours Are the Streets which tells the story from the first person of how a UK based Pakistani man becomes radicalised.
I was looking for something else to read and was going to check out the Booker nominations when I remembered this thread, one I ducked out of early this year, or was it last? Anyway just downloaded Flowers for Algernon, not my usual fare but will give it a go
stoneblue
Well-Known Member
28/23 The Axeman's Jazz - Ray Celestin
I bought this book several years ago but for some reason never got round to reading it. I wasn’t even sure that I still had it but when @RobMCFC and @threespires were discussing it recently I went looking for it and found it tucked away on a bookshelf.
I have nothing much to add to what has been said previously; it evokes the place and period brilliantly and I will certainly look to continue the remainder of series.
For those that have read and enjoyed this book I can recommend "Harlem Shuffle" by Colson Whitehead.
I bought this book several years ago but for some reason never got round to reading it. I wasn’t even sure that I still had it but when @RobMCFC and @threespires were discussing it recently I went looking for it and found it tucked away on a bookshelf.
I have nothing much to add to what has been said previously; it evokes the place and period brilliantly and I will certainly look to continue the remainder of series.
For those that have read and enjoyed this book I can recommend "Harlem Shuffle" by Colson Whitehead.