bulphan

• Rated 4 stars

“The 11th book in the Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series, and still no sign of these characters running out of steam. This time Cole has to deal with all the issues stirred up by a man he once proved innocent of murder turning up dead with pictures of several dead girls in his hands...

Crais just keeps on turning out great books which move with great pace and plots that twist and turn all the way to the end. Loved this one and read it in just over a day.”

bulphan wrote this review Monday, February 23 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“I missed the first book in this series last year (I was going to buy it but didn't for some reason), but I didn't make the same mistake with this one. It was a half price book of the week somewhere, so I snapped it up.

And I'm glad I did, as it was an interesting little story. I'm in two minds as to whether it would have been better to read the first book before this. Part of me says its unnecessary, since it largely stands alone, whilst helpfully referencing the important events of the previous book. But part of me says that there are things I probably missed in this story by not reading the previous book.

It's not perfect, and I've struggled to believe a few characters' actions but it all holds together pretty well. I'll be looking out for more, and reading the first one when I see it cheap again.”

bulphan wrote this review Friday, February 20 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“The fifth (and so far last) book in the Evan Delaney series. I've read the first three (although not in order) in the last 18 months and really enjoyed them.

This time around Delaney (part time writer, part time legal eagle, part time PI) gets tangled up with her father's past, and 2 characters that appeared in a previous book in a game of cat and mouse with serious consequences.

As with the other books in the series, I really enjoyed this. The Delaney character is a mixture of amateur and professional, and there's some great dialogue and some fast paced action with twists and turns. If only Kinsey Millhone was as streetwise as Delaney... A good book.”

bulphan wrote this review Tuesday, February 17 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Yet another fast paced romp from Kernick, very much in the same vein as his previous works and just as good. This book rattles along at a very swift pace and is packed with nice little twists and turns that keep you going right to the end. There are some recurring characters from Kernick's previous two Dennis Milne books, but you don't need to have read them to enjoy this one. Recommended.”

bulphan wrote this review Monday, February 16 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“For those that don't know, William Jefferies is Jeffrey Deaver. And I think I can see why he wrote this book under a pseudonym, as it's not a classic piece of Deaver. I've enjoyed previous stand alones such as Speaking in Tongues but this one doesn't bear any of the hallmarks of Deaver's writing for me. The attention to forensic detail is reminiscent of the Lincoln Rhyme series, but that's where the parallels end, as the excitement and tension of those books is sadly lacking. Pick up another Deaver book instead of this one unless you get it free.”

bulphan wrote this review Monday, February 16 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“The eleventh book in the consistently brilliant Harry Bosch series. I've read the series out of order more by luck than judgement, but it hasn't spoilt my enjoyment.

Another cracking Bosch tale from Connelly. You know that you're going to get a good story, well written with plenty of action, a well thought out plot and some sharp dialogue. Bosch is tempted out of retirement with the chance to work on open/unsolved cases, as part of the cold case team with his old police partner Kiz Rider. The job is in his blood and soon Bosch's instincts are working overtime trying to solve a mystery from the past whilst battling the politics of the present.”

bulphan wrote this review Monday, February 16 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Another brilliant Tom Thorne story from Billingham, who has fast become one of my favourite authors. The character of Thorne has been brilliantly built up over a series of books, and this one is no exception. If you haven't heard of this series or author then I highly recommend both. You might want to start at the start though (Sleepy Head was the first book) to ensure you don't miss anything.”

bulphan wrote this review Monday, February 2 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“A collection of the first 7 months of stand up comedian Richard Herring's blogs. The blog was a way of trying to get something written every day, in order to help with the writing of a book and other projects like a script. But he's been doing it ever since and it's built up a large following.

The book collects together the best entries from the start of this project, as well as filling in various bits of background information which help to explain some things that happen.

If you're a fan of Herring's work (e.g. his various stand up shows also available on DVD from GoFasterStripe.com) then you will enjoy this collection of writing. You may have read them on the web at the time or since, but it's still good to have this collection of random utterings in print.”

bulphan wrote this review Monday, February 2 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“The first book in the Kate Brannigan series.

Kate Brannigan is a private investigator from Manchester, and she is assigned to find a rock star's former writing partner. What she doesn't really think about is what might happen if she manages to track her down.

Another very good story in the series, some nice twists, and some good humour too. There are obvious parallels with a later book in the series, Star Struck. Anyone who enjoys McDermid's writing or private investigator stories will enjoy this one. As I've said before, this is what Grafton's alphabet series should have turned out like!”

bulphan wrote this review Thursday, January 22 2009. ( reply | permalink )

2 of 2 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 5 stars

“Former attorney Scott Pratt brings us his debut novel which explores the legal and political world of Tennessee.

Reverend John Paul Tester, a preacher, is murdered after visiting a strip club called the Mouse's Tail, and using the church collection plate to fund his fun little night out. A young waitress at the club is accused of killing him, and the club's owner (the streetwise Erlene Barlowe) hires the almost-but-not-quite-burnt out attorney Joe Dillard to defend her. Dillard sees this case as his last chance saloon, his retirement job, finally representing an innocent client and earning enough to quite the day job.

As if the case itself wasn't enough for Dillard, his mother is losing her battle against Alzheimer's and his damaged and drug-addicted sister is also a constant thorn in his side. And the preacher's son is also looking to avenge his father's death, in the name of the lord.

This is a great debut novel. The obvious, lazy journalistic comparison is with John Grisham, the king of the legal thriller, and this book holds up well in such exalted company. The plot moves along at a fairly good pace throughout and nothing sticks out that annoys you. The characters are all developed to about the right level and there's plenty to hold your interest throughout.

Looking forward to reading the next book in this series (surely there must be one in the pipeline!)”

bulphan wrote this review Wednesday, January 21 2009. ( reply | permalink )