The Reluctant Assassin (W. A. R. P. #1) by Eoin Colfer

The Reluctant Assassin

W. A. R. P. #1

Eoin Colfer

Front cover

Date read: 1 - 8 March 2021

Length: 321 pages

Published: 2013

Chevie Savano is send to England on the most boring FBI mission ever. But when the deadliest magician escapes Victorian London, it turns out to be not so boring after all. Can Chevie stop this mad man and save London as we know it?

The FBI has a secret hideout.

A place no one would ever look.

The past.

This is an interesting concept for time travel, using keys and what appears to be a worm hole sort of thing. A machine is still needed, so I guess it's an adaptation of a time machine.

I'm a bit indifferent to Savano. I didn't really feel a bond with the character, although I don't dislike her. She's got a bit of wit, but sometimes a bit too much attitude for my liking.

I do like Riley and I think he's funny. He's a bit younger than Savano so he still has that child-like charm. He takes to being in the future quite well actually, and it ready to help save the day.

Albert Garrick is power mad, and wants to take knowledge from the future back to the past in order to become more powerful. He doesn't care who he has to kill to get what he wants. A horrible man.

This book seems to be well tied up so I'm left wondering what the next one will be about! I guess I will have to read it to find out.

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Howl's Moving Castle (Howl's Moving Castle #1) by Diana Wynne Jones

Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle #1

Diana Wynne Jones

Front cover

Date read: 21 - 28 February 2021

Length: 329 pages

Published: 1986

Sophie works in her father's hat shop until one day The Witch of the Waste comes in, takes a disliking to her and puts a curse on her, turning her into an old lady. Now Sophie needs to reverse the witch's spell, but she doesn't know how. She goes to Howl's moving castle and makes herself at home, but gets more than she bargained for. Will she get back to her young self?

I like Calcifer, the little fire demon is probably my favourite character. He acts like he doesn't care about them, but he really does. Howl is weird. Sometimes he can be really nice, but other times he's actually quite nasty. I feel like poor Michael is often neglected by Howl. He is expected to do a lot and he's just sort of left to get on with things.

Sophie actually helps them in many ways. Even apart from the fact that she cleans up the 'castle' for them, she helps them to open their hearts and become better people. As much as she needed them, they needed her.

I was given Howl's Moving Castle by a friend, as was sad that I didn't like it as much as I wanted to. I'd heard of it before but didn't know what it was about. I still liked the story though, and will continue to read the rest of the series!

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Belfast Confidential (Dan Starkey #7) by Colin Bateman

Belfast Confidential

Dan Starkey #7

Colin Bateman

Front cover

Date read: 11 - 20 February 2021

Length: 410 pages

Published: 2005

After the death of his best friend Mouse, Dan is asked to take over the popular magazine Belfast Confidential. But while compiling the Power List, many of the contenders find themselves dead. Will Dan figure out what's going on, and stay alive long enough to do so?

I liked Mouse. He didn't appear very often but he was always there to help Dan out. He was the only really consistent friend Dan had and I'm not sure how Dan will be in the subsequent books with him gone.

Dan has so many close calls, one day he's not gonna be so lucky! In every book he almost dies at least once, and I'm pretty sure in the last book, he will actually die. I mean, he comes so close every book, it would be strange if that wasn't what happened! I still have a few more books to read before we find out though!

Another book where he doesn't cheat! This must be some kind of record. I hope that Dan can remain faithful because him and Patricia are just so much better when they're together.

I feel like the ending was a bit rushed. The rest of the book had a slower pace and then it felt like everything just sped up at the end. I'm not sure if that was intentional or if it was just rushed.

Looking forward to more Dan soon!

Colin Bateman

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Through the Looking Glass (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland #2) by Lewis Carroll

Through the Looking Glass

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland #2

Lewis Carroll

Front cover

Date read: 7 - 10 February 2021

Length: 173 pages

Published: 1872

Alice goes on another adventure, this time through the looking glass into a world of chess pieces, nursery characters, and talking insects and flowers. On a quest to go from pawn to queen, she meets many interesting characters and hears a lot of poetry. Will she become Queen?

The poems are interesting and a nice way to break up the narrative. 

I like Tweedledee and Tweedledum, they are very friendly and entertaining. They want to help Alice on her quest but do it in a fun way!

Alice is sympathetic and understanding to all creatures. She seems a bit more mature here and she is willing to help any creature in any way she can.

I preferred the first one, although that could be because I'm more familiar with it, but the second is still good. These were a nice read for a bit of nostalgia!

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The Fall of Troy by Peter Ackroyd

The Fall of Troy

Peter Ackroyd

Front cover

Date read: 1 - 6 February 2021

Length: 215 pages

Published: 2006

Sophia marries Obermann, an archaeologist obsessed with discovering the lost city of Troy. But strange things keep happening to their discoveries, and Sophia begins to learn Obermann has not been honest about his past.

I did not like Obermann AT ALL! He's very single minded, he only wants to see Troy and as a result is very dismissive of facts that contradict his ideas. Despite the fact he could be discovering something else wonderful; if it's not related to Troy in any way, he's not interested. Even in his personal life he dismisses anything that gets in the way of what he wants and doesn't tell the truth.

I feel sorry for Sophia and especially the way she finds out the truth about Obermann's past life. I'm not sure if my hatred of Obermann made me feel more sympathetic towards Sophia, but I'm glad she got away from him regardless.

I wonder about what happened in the cave. It's very mysterious and the events aren't fully explained, it's just kind of swept under the rug and left there. I think that would have been interesting and I wish there was more detail there!

I don't know much about Troy and I'm not sure if that had an impact on my appreciation of this novel. Or it could be my hatred of Obermann that got in the way. If I rated in halves I would have given The Fall of Troy 2.5 stars, but I did like some parts of the story and I liked Sophia, so I've rounded up to 3.

Peter Ackroyd

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Driving Big Davie (Dan Starkey #6) by Colin Bateman

Driving Big Davie

Dan Starkey #6

Colin Bateman

Front cover

Date read: 23 - 31 January 2021

Length: 357 pages

Published: 2004

After the death of Joe Strummer from The Clash, an old friend gets in touch with Dan. On the pretence of going with Davie on his honeymoon after his almost-wife leaves him, they spend 3 weeks in sunny Florida. But that's not the sole reason for their visit, Davie has something else in mind for Dan. Will he go through with it?

I'm glad that Dan and Patricia are back together. Things just seem better when they're together, especially for Dan. Without Patricia he loses focus and has very little motivation for anything.

This is the first book in the series where Dan doesn't sleep with someone else! Almost, but he didn't! He's clearly growing up and realising that even though his relationship with Patricia is far from perfect, on the most part it works for them and they do love each other.

Bateman clearly doesn't like village mentality. He portrays them as a bit mad and quite secluded. I know there must be some weird ones out there but I'm pretty sure they're not all like that!

Dan always manages to get himself in very tricky situations! Even when it just seems that he's going on holiday! I guess we should know by now that nothing is as it seems!

Bring on the next one!

Colin Bateman

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland #1) by Lewis Carroll

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland #1

Lewis Carroll

Front cover

Date read: 19 - 22 January 2021

Length: 152 pages

Published: 1865

After Alice follows the white rabbit down the hole, she finds herself in a world where nothing makes sense. She can talk to animals, change her size, and plays the weirdest game of croquet of her life. A pack of cards are alive and the Queen of Hearts really likes beheading people. Can Alice keep her head?

This is a good children's story full of nonsense. There's so much imagination here, nothing is impossible!

I liked the songs and poems, especially the mouse tale. The formatting made it even better because it looked like a tail! The songs and poems were a nice way to break up the narrative too.

Alice is stubborn which is good in Wonderland. Many of the creatures are very bizarre and ask Alice to do some strange things, but because she has a pretty steady head she knows which thins are just ridiculous. She's not afraid to tell them no!

So many more creatures than I remember. It's been a while since I've read any version of Alice, or seen a cartoon or film. I just don't remember there being so many different creatures, so either they weren't included or I only remember the 'main' ones such as the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire cat.

I'm looking forward to the next one, which I'm pretty sure I've neither read nor seen any version of!

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The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time #2) by Robert Jordan

The Great Hunt

The Wheel of Time #2

Robert Jordan

Front cover

Date read: 1 - 18 January 2021

Length: 681 pages (721 including prologue and glossary)

Published: 1990

Rand is on a mission to find the Horn of Valere and return it to King Agelmar. Nynaeve and Egwene go to the White Tower to train to become Aes Sedai. But when they leave to help Rand, they find themselves trapped by Seanchan sul'dam. Will the Horn be reclaimed?

It's been a while since I read The Eye of the World but I was excited to get to this one! It took me a little while to remember some of the things from the first one but no time at all to get right back into it! 

This time I liked reading more about the girls than Rand. I was so drawn in to their story and just wanted to keep on reading about them!

I didn't like the Seanchan, and I felt angry for the girls but specifically Egwene. They were pretty much treated as slaves and it was an awful experience for them. They handled very well though!

Ingtar betrayed Rand, but died for a good cause. He knew he had done wrong and wanted to make amends.

I still like Mat and Perrin. They compliment Rand, and honestly, I think they make him a better person. When they're not round Rand can be a bit reckless, but when they're there he stops to actually think about things, and how his decisions will impact them.

I'm looking forward to the next one, even though I know it will be a while before I get to it!

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The Dark Side of the Sun by Terry Pratchett

The Dark Side of the Sun

Terry Pratchett

Front cover

Date read: 28 - 31 December 2020

Length: 159 pages

Published: 1976

Dom sets out to find Jokers World, believed to be on the the Dark Side of the Sun. No one knows the exact location, only that because of probability mathematics, Dom will find it. Is the 'mathematics' correct?

This is very early Pratchett. There's lots of ideas floating around, but I feel the book isn't long enough to fully explore them all. I think the plot could have flowed better and that some things should have had more details. His writing certainly did get much better!

It was interesting to see the ideas that would later form some parts of the Discworld series, such as Hogswatch and Small Gods etc. There are a few and it made me smile reading them.

I liked the Bank as the Godfather. Pratchett does have interesting ways of making things come to life that you would't have thought of! 

Dom's grandmother seems a bit controlling! She almost follows him about and pushes him in certain directions to try to make him do things. Dom seems to brush her off for the most part.

I quite enjoyed The Dark Side of the Sun but I didn't find myself getting as engrossed as I would of liked. Still, it was nice to read something from the early days of Pratchett!

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The Horse with My Name (Dan Starkey #5) by Colin Bateman

The Horse with My Name

Dan Starkey #5

Colin Bateman

Front cover

Date read: 20 - 27 December 2020

Length: 333 pages

Published: 2002

Dan's life is going nowhere. He's given up work, and all he does is drink. Things between him and Patricia have fallen apart after the loss of Stevie. Then Dan is approached by ex-journalist Mark Corkery, AKA The Horse Whisperer, to investigate Geordie McClean. What could go wrong?

Dan Starkey - international man of inaction -

rides again. How far can he fall this time?

Dan always seems to meet strong willed females, and usually ends up sleeping with them! It's no different here, surprise surprise. And no less that Geordie McClean's daughter Mandy. Tsk tsk, naughty Dan.

I feel a little bit sorry for Dan because he didn't have all the facts. There were things he should have been told before he went to investigate, but he ended up having to figure things out for himself. Things might have been easier and he might have actually done the job more quickly if people were just honest with him from the start.

It wouldn't be a Dan Starkey novel without at least one death! Hilda, McClean's ex-wife and Mandy's mother, is the unfortunate victim this time.

I don't know anything about horse racing but I still enjoyed the story. It's the people that make a story, and that's certainly the case here. Not my favourite Starkey novel, but still a good addition.

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Awaken (Abandon #3) by Meg Cabot

Awaken

Abandon #3

Meg Cabot

Front cover

Date read: 11 - 19 December 2020

Length: 343 pages 

Published: 2013

Just when Pierce thought the Underworld was safe, it gets over-run with the souls of the dead, and John is presumed dead. Can Pierce muster up the courage and strength to save not only her beloved, but the Underworld too?

DEATH HAS HER IN HIS CLUTCHES

It seems Pierce has really matured in this series finale. She takes the time to think about what she needs to do, but also the consequences of what she's doing. Before she would have just rushed in with an idea, and not considered the consequences. She thinks about what is best for everyone, and it's a level of maturity that I think suits her well.

I wish we knew why the diamond turns purple around Kayla. It's not properly explained and I guess it's up to us to make our own conclusions!

Glad Pierce made amends with her parents. It must be hard for them to know that they might not get to see their only child very often. It must he heartbreaking for them, but they're taking it very well, once they understand the full situation.

It was kind of an abrupt ending and I feel there could have been more. Maybe there will be a fourth book one day, or maybe not. 

Overall I really enjoyed the series. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it when I was a teenager, but even so it was still good.

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Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

Perfect Match

Jodi Picoult

Front cover

Date read: 2 - 10 December 2020

Length: 353 pages (368 with readers guide)

Published: 2002

Nina frost works as a prosecutor, specifically on child molestation cases, putting the abusers behind bars. But when her five year old son Nathaniel is sexually assaulted, she takes justice into her own hands. How will the Frost family cope?

What does it mean to be a good mother?

How far would you go in the name of love - and justice?

I didn't actually particularly like Nina. I found myself being annoyed by both her thoughts and actions most of the time! As much as she does do everything she can to protect her son, she gets a bit obsessive over a single idea at the time, without properly thinking things through.

Caleb, Nathaniel's father, is an odd character too. At times he seems unconcerned about everything and ready to just leave it all behind. I guess sometimes it seems as though he doesn't care.

Patrick, Nina's long time friend, is a bit pathetic. He's totally hung up on Nina, and acts like a love sick puppy dog. I think he makes a good decision at the end to move on with his life without her.

I was surprised by the twist near the beginning! I did not expect it at all and it changed how the whole book panned out. I was also surprised by the ending. I really thought it would go the other way! It worked out well for the family but Nina did a very bad thing, and it kinda feels like she didn't have to deal with the consequences of her actions.

Jodi Picoult

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Shooting Sean (Dan Starkey #4) by Colin Bateman

Shooting Sean

Dan Starkey #4

Colin Bateman

Front cover

Date read: 26 November - 1 December 2020

Length: 245 pages

Published: 2001

Dan has been asked to write about movie star Sean O'Toole, so he goes to the set of the controversial film he's making; The Brigadier. Only things get complicated, in true Dan fashion. Dan's wife and step-son get kidnapped by Michael O'Ryan, and now it's up to Dan to stop Sean, or lose his wife and child for good. Can he do it?

Yet again Dan can't keep it in his pants. This is becoming a recurring theme in the series, and honestly it doesn't even surprise me anymore. What is annoying though, is he always ends up grovelling to Patricia, saying he loves her and wants to make it work, etc. It's repetitive and I'm over it.

Alice is a piece of work! I actually feel a bit sorry for Sean because of what she's been doing to him, and behind his back. She doesn't really love him and it's a whole plot to get at him for doing the film. She really doesn't care one iota about what she's doing.

I didn't like the ending. Poor little Stevie! It actually made me so sad reading it and I just didn't want it to be true. It is one of the most devastating things a parent can go through, and even though Dan wasn't his real father, he still cared for him a great deal.

I'm just wondering what's going to happen next. Dan's life has been turned upside down and I wonder how he's going to handle it.

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Underworld (Abandon #2) by Meg Cabot

Underworld

Abandon #2

Meg Cabot

Front cover

Date read: 18 - 25 November 2020

Length: 309 pages

Published: 2012

John takes Pierce to the Underworld to protect her from the Furies. She might be safe for now, but what about the people she's left behind? When she realises her cousin Alex is in danger, she does everything she can to try to save him.

PIERCE ISN'T DEAD. NOT YET.

I'm enjoying getting to know more about John. He is a very mysterious character and it doesn't help that we only learn little snippets about him every so often! Pierce is keen to find out what she can about the life he had when he was alive, and I wan't to know too!

Pierce keeps doing things without realising the full consequences. She is very much led by her emotions and quite often acts on impulse. She cant still be a bit naive but she will do anything to save her family.

I'm enjoying the series so far, and looking forward to reading the last one. I'm hoping to learn more about John and also that diamond Pierce wears!

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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes #3) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes #3

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Front cover

Date read: 9 - 17 November 2020

Length: 365 pages

Published: 1892

Here we have a collection of shorter Holmes mysteries, all equally bizarre and interesting. With his trusty companion Dr Watson, they put to rest 12 cases, some more completely than others.

'It is an old maxim of mine that when you have

excluded the impossible, whatever remains,

however improbable, must be the truth.'

Sometimes I like reading the shorter cases like this because you're getting more stories at once. It is interesting to read how he solves each case, and a lot of the time I imagine myself as Watson while I'm reading, watching the mystery unfold before my eyes.

I enjoyed each story, but particularly The Red-Headed League, The Blue Carbuncle and The Copper Beaches. They are each different, one about theft, another about missing gems in a very interesting way, and the last about a poor woman needing to be saved!

One thing I miss about the collections, however, is that there isn't as much of the story between Holmes and Watson. I enjoy learning about their lives and seeing the interaction between them when they're not working on a case. 

Luckily this series has a good mixture of both!

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Turbulent Priests (Dan Starkey #3) by Colin Bateman

Turbulent Priests

Dan Starkey #3

Colin Bateman

Front cover

Date read: 2 - 8 November 2020

Length: 275 pages

Published: 1999

Dan takes his wife and Little Stevie to a cottage on the tiny island of Wrathlin to investigate reports of a new Messiah. But when they get there, there's a lot more going on that first meets the eye. Can Dan survive the island?

The father, the son and

the wholly unexpected"

I've enjoyed this one the most so far I think. I got into it right away and it was so easy to read. The other books have been great too, but this is the best so far!

The island is a bit strange and very disconnected from modern life. The church is the law, not the police. The island seems to be full of crazy people who want to maintain the idea of the messiah, and will do anything they can to stop any interference.

Moira seems to be one of the only sane people. She doesn't care what the other people think, even though the supposed messiah is her daughter.

I'm glad they managed to help the villagers. Some of them are only guilty by location and it's good that they were able to get off the island and get help.

Dan needs to keep it in his trousers! He's done so much work to repair his relationship with Patricia and then he goes and does something like this. It is annoying and very frustrating to read.

Looking forward to the next one.

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