Bookreview: The Whisper Man by Alex North

The Whisper Man by Alex North
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Having literally stumbled over this at the library, I was instantly taken by the blurb and started reading, only to realize that I could in no way put this book down.

Been a while since I found a book that good! Seriously.

Intriguing. Dark. Multiple PoVs. Brilliantly written. And certainly not something I could fathom out within the first 25% of the story – which is what usually happens when I read tales of this kind.

Psychologically twisted, and highly creative, this tale is just enough to hook you in and keep you turning the pages. I like that very much.

The ending was just a little bit overcooked for my taste, but certainly not as distracting as it could’ve been.

Excellent stuff for a random find on library day!

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Book Review: The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston

The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of those stories that makes you question the reality of ‘all those things you think you know because you read them somewhere’.

A compelling read that ends with a terrible truth.

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Book Review: The Fifth Gospel by Ian Caldwell

The Fifth Gospel by Ian Caldwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Intrigued by the premise of this book, I came at it with an open mind and wasn’t disappointed.

I starts at a dramatic and unrelenting pace and pauses just long enough for some eloquently lyrical moments of reflection into the human condition, from the loss of parents, the relationship between siblings, failed marriage, longing, reconciliation, and finally the recognition that God is at work in all of it.

Very well done, with just one or two moments required for that ‘willing suspension of disbelief’ that all good drama needs.

Actually, I would’ve mistaken this for Dan Brown with it’s twist on science and faith, and especially from the pace at which I had to keep turning the pages.

Superb stuff.

Highly recommended as a challenging and rollicking read.

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Book Review: Fierce Patriot: The Tangled Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman by Robert L. O’Connell

Fierce Patriot: The Tangled Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman by Robert L. O’Connell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve been fascinated with Grant & Sherman for most of my adult life.

The friendship that won the Civil War.

This book was an interesting insight into William Tecumseh Sherman, detailing all aspects of who he was: West Pointer, banker, husband, Uncle Billy, and General Sherman. It showed so much of his strategic thinking, in and out of the military, and how is life led him to the March through Georgia.

Sherman is either loved or vilified, there really is no in between. He also didn’t care. He did what had to be done.

Reading this will tell you more about the man, how he became the legend, and how he made sure the myth would live on.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking into studying Sherman, to learn more about his career, the war, and his life long battle with Catholicism.

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Book Review: Claude Monet by Nina Kalitina

Claude Monet by Nina Kalitina
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Forever and always my favorite painter.

I adore Impressionism.

And this book is a good look into Monet’s life, inspirations and ambitions.

Ahhh… to paint like that!

Highly recommended for anyone who’s interested in but as yet knows little or nothing about Monet.

Nicely written, easy style.

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Book Review: The Professor (McMurtrie and Drake Legal Thrillers, #1) by Robert Bailey

The Professor by Robert Bailey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading The Professor. I always enjoyed John Grisham, so diving into a Court Room style book series, sounded fun and interesting.

I liked Tom McMurtrie (The Professor) instantly. He is a very real character, facing real issues and dealing with getting knocked down and trying to find his way back up. While Rick Drake is just starting to find his way in life. Their own personal history, clouds their professional lives yet, it has brought them together to take on the greed of one man.

The female characters in this weren’t two dimensional, though I would’ve loved to see Dawn take on Tyler, but maybe in the next book. He beautifully showed symmetry, while contrasting how the two star witnesses to the case handled themselves under pressure, and what they were willing to do for their kids.

I’m looking forward to the next book (already downloaded on my Kindle). Especially as it’s about Bo – who out of all the side characters was the one I wanted to get to know.

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Book Review: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Deserves more than 5 stars!!!

Every now and then, you find a book that changes the way you think about certain elements of life, the world and everything.

This is one of those books, and it impacts the reader on THAT level.

Told from the point of view of Patroclus, lover of Achilles, this story retells the famous myths of the life and death of the greatest hero in Ancient Greece, making it accessible for a modern audience who might not be too inclined to read The Iliad etc..

The LGBT themes running through this aren’t too heavy or angsty either, and the author has woven them in such a way that they draw on the issues that are being faced today by the LGBT community and how the world views LGBT issues.

Brilliant, exciting, and a highly recommended reading.

I’m going to be enthusing about this book for a very long time!

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Book Review: Enter the Saint by Leslie Charteris

Enter the Saint by Leslie Charteris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Who hasn’t heard of The Saint. You may have seen the TV Show with Roger Moore, or the film adaption with Val Kilmer (which we won’t talk about) … though you might not know exactly who The Saint was, you have had heard of him.

I picked this book up on my Kindle Unlimited, and was like okay lets go for it. I enjoyed these three smaller novellas thoroughly. I laughed, snorted, rolled my eyes, and had a great time while reading them. If you’re expecting more, you won’t get it with the Saint.

I wouldn’t recommend the whole series as over time there were many author’s writing The Saint, but I would recommend picking up one or two from the earlier years. You’ll fall in love with Simon Templar instantly, and his crew of Saints.

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Book Review: The Fencing Master by Arturo Pérez-Reverte

The Fencing Master by Arturo Pérez-Reverte
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a truly remarkable book that hooked me from the first paragraph (which so rarely happens that I actually bought it without a second thought!).

Highly recommended!

Slow burning, brilliantly executed, stunningly graphic and beautiful, emotive and powerful.

I seriously want to hug the Fencing Master himself right now…

*sigh*

This piece caught me most of all, because YES!:

“We find ourselves in the last of the three generations history chooses to repeat every now and then. The first generation needs a god, and so they invent one. The second erects temples to that god and tries to imitate him. And the third uses the marble from those temples to build brothels in which to worship their own greed, lust, and dishonesty. And that is why gods and heroes are always, inevitably, succeeded by mediocrities, cowards, and imbeciles.”

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