The Surrogate by Louise Jensen Lisa's words are imprinted on Kat's mind : 'We always get what we deserve.' But do we? Do the not so nice things we do sometimes come back and bite us in another form? Whilst not precisely a theme of The Surrogate, there is a hint throughout the story that …
When the moon was made …
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman 'I just looked up at her, all grown-up and blonde, in her grey and pink dress, and I was scared.' This is only the second of Gaiman's novels that I've read. The first was Stardust (see review here). I'm really enjoying his writing; it's …
It's That Girl Again!
The Girl Who Takes An Eye For An Eye by David Lagercrantz (trans. George Goulding) 'A wave of hatred rippled through the cell and Benito lunged towards Salander, knife raised. Faria never understood what happened next. A punch was thrown, an elbow jabbed, and it was as if Benito had run into a wall …
The Count of Monte Cristo
by Alexandre Dumas '...the whole of human wisdom is summed up in just two words: Wait and hope.' I read the other day an excellent review of Dumas' masterpiece. See https://critiquingchemist.com/2017/09/29/the-count-of-monte-cristo-by-alexandre-dumas/ It included suggestions about the questions that might be posed in a sequel, for example, how would Maximilian and Valentine deal with her family …
The Great Escape
Katharina: Deliverance by Margaret Skea (a review) [The publisher kindly provided me with an advanced reading copy of Margaret Skea's new historical novel, due to be published on October 18th.] 'It is very shameful that children, especially defenceless young girls, are pushed into the nunneries. Shame on the unmerciful parents who treat their own so …
The Last Tudor
by Philippa Gregory A Review '[Katherine] turns to me and her blue eyes blaze with the Tudor temper. She has pride, just like me. "You don't deserve my love for you," she says, with her own silly logic. "But you have it anyway, when you least deserve it. Because I see the trouble you are …
In Wine Is Truth
The Critic by Peter May A Review I had previously read two of this author's books, one a detective story set on a Hebridean Island, the other a mystery coming of age story set in Glasgow and London. I enjoyed both. 'With great apprehension she leaned over to smell the fermenting juice and felt her …
Little Star
by John Ajvide Lindqvist A Review (trans. Marlaine Delargy) 'The child screamed and screamed, and its crying sounded like nothing Lennart had ever heard before..... Lennart had a good ear, and he didn't need a tuning fork to tell him that it was an E' Little Star is a delicious, satirical horror story by the …
Pareidolia
[Pareidolia: - defined as the mind's ability to form images of things that aren't really there] The Nature of the Beast by Bryan Sykes A Review For a mainstream scientist, especially one as distinguished as the geneticist Bryan Sykes, to apply his knowledge and talents to a fringe study is unusual to say the least. …
How to Love a Vampire
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist (trans. by Ebba Sederberg) 'Hakan lay down in the leaves, close to the dead man, pressed his forehead against the ice-cold stone. Why? Why do this ... with the head? The risk of infection. You could not allow it to reach the nervous system. The body …
Magda Green Books 