Book Description
The leaders of the free world descend on Scotland for an international conference, and every cop in the country is needed for front-line duty...except one. John Rebus's reputation precedes him, and his bosses don't want him anywhere near Presidents Bush and Putin, which explains why he's manning an abandoned police station when a call comes in. During a preconference dinner at Edinburgh Castle, a delegate has fallen to his death. Accident, suicide, or something altogether more sinister? And is it linked to a grisly find close to the site of the gathering? Are the world's most powerful men at risk from a killer? While the government and secret services attempt to hush the whole thing up, Rebus knows he has only seventy-two hours to find the answers.
Customer Reviews:
Boring Dribble.......2007-10-09
This was the first book I read by Ian Rankin and was really disappointed. The characters are very plain, the detective seems to need a drink of coffee or booze on every page, and there was no climax to the story. I couldn't find anything interesting in this book and had to put it down after reading a few pages. Eventually I finished the book, but had a hard time getting through it.
Inspector Rebus Goes It Alone Again.......2007-09-19
Ian Rankin's Scottish Detective Inspector John Rebus drinks too much, smokes too much, is a loner, defies his higher-ups and the Special Branch London spooks, but has a moral compass that can't be tampered with. The G8 world leaders are meeting near Edinburgh, and Rebus is, as usual, a loose cannon, going his own way, defying orders, investigating four murders. The scenes of protest in the streets are vividly drawn and form a backdrop for the story. In this book Rebus's sidekick Detective Sergeant Siobhan Clarke comes into her own as a character and shares center stage. She'll be up for her own series soon.
The book at 452 pages is too long, is replete with scores of red herrings, implausible events, coincidences, and an overcomplicated plot, but Rankin is still sharp, original, almost brilliant in his storytelling--better than most crime writers out there. Rebus is "obsessed and sidelined, cranky and mistrusted." The book has wry and sardonic humor; Rebus even causes President Bush to fall off his bike during an exercise ride.
The ending is unsatisfactory. You may feel as if you've been taken for a circuitous ride to nowhere and forced to fall off your bike. We've met a lot of rogue maverick homicide cops in crime fiction like Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, but who would want to always read about a "go by the book" copper like Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford? Rankin keeps turning out clever, absorbing books about his misfit, drowning detective who's gnawing away at the bad guys on both sides of the law.
Nine Lives Too Many
The Daemon in Our Dreams
The Rice Queen Spy
there are a lot better mysteries around!.......2007-09-04
I was disappointed in the book, the plot rambles on and on and doesn;t really tie into the story plot and the two main characters are not very bright.. the only thing good about the book was the ending.. 20 pages...
A late bloomer to the series, I still found a thrilling Mystery .......2007-08-06
Just as I leaving to take a long airline trip, my neighbor gave this book to read. Unfortunately, she forgot to tell me that this book was part of a series and that it was best that I read the earlier novels by Ian Rankin. Still, I struggled through "The Naming of the Dead" and finished it three days later. If you are a fan of this author and have read the series you probably are thrilled with the character Detective Inspector John Rebus, but coming in cold with this character I found myself trying to comprehend exactly who he was. One thing, I never found him to be boring and the plot kept my interest. I was hoping for an exciting mystery to unfold and by mid point in the story it did. The author's writing is style flows easily and he has a knack for describing in detail the scenes, police procedures, crime scenes and the traits of the characters. Overall, in my opinion this is a wonderful mystery novel, even though it is clouded by coming in late to the series. I'll definitely try another novel by Mr. Rankin that revolves around the Rebus character.
A fine crime novel, even in translation.......2007-08-02
This covers a set of interlocking events, including several murders, around the 2005 G8 Summit in Scotland. It is a fine read as a murder mystery, but much of the fun comes from Rankin's study of the darkly cynical Detective Inspector Rebus's interactions with a wide range of G8 visitors and with the local troublemakers they bring out.
I was a student at Edinburgh and I enjoy the way Rankin captures the feel of the city, not just in the physical locations but in the mood and style of the locals. Unfortunately this flow is sometimes undermined by changes made for the American edition. In several places everyday British words are replaced with jarringly out-of-place American equivalents.
If you aren't familiar with British English then these relatively minor translation changes will probably be invisible and you should happily enjoy the American edition. But if you are accustomed to British English and prefer a more authentic style, you might want to consider buying via amazon.co.uk. (I plan to do that for other Rankin novels.)
In either version, it is well worth a careful reading!
Book Description
The latest mystery in Andrea Camilleri's internationally bestselling Inspector Montalbano series
Winning fans in Europe and America for their dark sophistication and dry humor, Andrea Camilleri's crime novels are classics of the genre. Set once again in Sicily, The Patience of the Spider pits Inspector Montalbano against his greatest foe yet: the weight of his own years. Still recovering from the gunshot wound he suffered in Rounding the Mark, he must overcome self-imposed seclusion and waxing self-doubt to penetrate a web of hatred and secrets in pursuit of the strangest culprit he's ever hunted. A mystery unlike any other, this emotionally taut story brings the Montalbano saga to a captivating crossroads.
Customer Reviews:
Tiny Puzzles Bother Montalbano as He Recuperates.......2007-08-23
Inspector Montalbano was wounded in Rounding the Mark, and The Patience of the Spider begins with Montalbano being on leave to recuperate. Livia has even returned to his side to take care of his, banishing the ministrations of his housekeeper and marvelous cook, Adelina Cirrincio. Montalbano is concerned that the doctors will find out that he has a heart condition, but that doesn't happen. Except for occasional love-making (which Livia isn't anxious for), Montalbano is leading a circumscribed life . . . even eating healthy, low-calorie foods. Bah!
Naturally, it is a relief when Montalbano is called temporarily back to duty as a kidnapping overwhelms the local force. But the case is not to be his; a colleague comes from a place where kidnappings are common events.
The kidnapped woman, Susanna Mistretta, is a pretty young university student . . . and her family doesn't have any money. Everyone fears the worst, that this is a sexual crime rather than extortion. And initially, there's no news from the kidnappers.
That set of circumstances seems strange to Montalbano. As he investigates, more little things bother him. Why is her motorbike facing in the wrong direction? Where is her helmet? As time passes, the little things seem to suggest of shadow of something else. What could it be?
But it's annoying to work on the case, because Livia alternately berates him for not doing enough . . . and for not telling her about every little development.
Will the young woman be saved? Will she get back in time to say good-bye to her dying mother? Your heart will be wrung as you consider those elements.
The story lacks the usual Montalbano zest for several reasons. He isn't able to indulge his gourmet and gourmand tendencies so the food side of the story is thin. The kidnapping's complications also reveal themselves in a very transparent fashion. I think you'll figure out the puzzle pretty early in the book. Montalbano also has fewer humorous interludes with the other members of the police. The energy, humor, and suspense are just at a low ebb. It's a pleasant mystery, but it's one that won't kick yourself if you don't read it.
The indirect development of the character of the kidnapped woman is quite well done. That was obviously the writing challenge that appealed to Mr. Camilleri as he wrote this book.
The Eighth Inspector Montalbano Mystery by Andrea Camilleri - La pazienza del ragno - The Patience of the Spider.......2007-08-21
What Montalbano should have been doing was resting, keeping the love nest warm with Livia tucked up against him, his official reason for withdrawing from society had something to do with the gun shot wound he received from his pervious job, but there was no doubt about it, this morning he could hear the telephone ringing. There were two options; the first, if he ignored the ringing he could carry on with his natural blissful way of life with Livia! Or secondly if he picked up, work, it only meant trouble, Montalbano reached for the phone.
One hour later he was standing at the scene of the crime, a kidnapping they said. A very pretty girl Susanna Mistretta, who lived with her father and mother in a country villa three miles outside of Vigata town. Susanna had gone to study at friends during the day but had not returned home as usual that evening. Her father of course was worried, time became late and he went searching for his daughter, but it was Susanna's boyfriend Francesco Lipari who finally spotted her abandoned moped about two hundred yards from her parents house. Montalbano was quite certain something had happened to the girl, as he made a closer inspection of the scene, it was the front wheel of the moped that clinched it, why was it facing towards Vigata? Backwards! It looked like it cared it was going the wrong way! As far as Montalbano was concerned this was his case, he'd just seen foul play.
This would be the Eighth book in the series and Camilleri has made a few slight changes with this one, which is charming and crafty. His given to us direct clues of which suspect could have done this crime and his done so quite blatantly, his thrown predictable right at us, but what Camilleri does not give away and therefore keeps us guessing till the last is the Psychology behind the crime, his showing how Montalbano forms his ideas quietly and goes about gathering evidence to support his facts and only then will he let us have the final verdict.
Some may also be disappointed that this time around Camilleri has left out some of that mouthwatering great-flavored foods but instead has spent more time on another intriguing passionate ingredients, Livia and Montalbano's relationship. Livia's presence and character begins to form nicely throughout this storyline remaining Montalbano's rock. Always happy to adjust her life to take care of her man, they argue but in a healthy way of dealing with one another, she takes the no nonsense approach in his darker moods but does understand what his trying to achieve in his world. Their relationship has the up's and down's of a long distance love, Nec tecum nec sine te - Neither with or without you.
Inspector Montalbano character is just fantastic to read, for his questionable brainstorms and unorthodox subversive opinions. Montalbano, a man approaching the end of his career, the rebel, the thinker, not afraid to explore all areas even into obsession. Sorting through a web of lies to find logic, searching for truth.
Andrea Camilleri has written a wonderful Montalbano mystery series. Having read all in the translation series, I love the characterization and language the usage of dialogue that has been kept real with sharp wit and ironic comedy moments, the sly comments on Italian life and culture keep things for me interesting and amusing.
A special mention to poet Stephen Sartarelli, I'm thoroughly enjoying his clear translation of each book and for the informative notes given at the back on wording. Thank you.
A Wonderful Read.
Andrea Bowhill
The Patience of the Spider.......2007-07-19
As always, Andrea Camilelri is a wonderful writer! This series is top notch and i have read every book in it. I can't wait for the next one.
Good.....but not as good.......2007-07-05
I always enjoy the Inspector Montalbano mysteries and will read them and enjoy them regardless of the reviews they get. I have to admit that I did not think this was one of Camillier's better efforts. The plot was not as interesting as most and there was not enough about the food!
Back on Track.......2007-06-27
Camilleri's newest book returns to what I had enjoyed in his first three books--more focus on character and less focus on what might make a good TV show.
Book Description
Inspector Chen Cao of the Shanghai Police Bureau is summoned by an official of the party to take the lead in a corruption investigation - one where the principle figure and his family have long since fled to the United States and beyond the reach of the Chinese government. But he left behind the organization and his partners-in-crime, and Inspector Chen is charged to uncover those responsible and act as necessary to end the corruption ring. In a twisting case that takes him from Shanghai, all the way to the U.S., reuniting him with his previous cohort from the U.S. Marshall's service - Inspector Catherine Rhon.At once a compelling crime novel and a insightful, moving portrayal of everyday life, The Emperor's Sword is the next installment in the critically acclaimed, award-wining Inspector Chen series.
Customer Reviews:
Great series, but this is not the strongest book in it.......2007-10-19
I've enjoyed all of the books in Qiu's Inspector Chen series, but it's clear from this book that Qiu's long residence outside China (he's been in the US since 1989) is starting to diminish his "feel" for his homeland. In particular, the beginning of this book is slow, with the characters giving each other long speeches about the deeper meaning of corruption in China. For readers just discovering the series, I recommend "A Loyal Character Dancer" or "When Red is Black" instead.
Bit of a struggle getting through it.......2007-05-13
My wife is from Shanghai. I have read the Inspector Chen series aloud to her over the past few years. She enjoys hearing about and explaining to me the various Shanghai expressions that Qiu Xiaolong uses. She also enjoys hearing and then back-translating much of the Tang dynasty poetry that is included in the stories.
However this time, I'm finding the story heavy going. Qiu is not a native English speaker and he's no Joseph Conrad. The language is pretty pedestrian and the story lacks drama.
With Chen's visit to the USA, I was hoping for similar poignant descriptions of culture shock to what Martin Cruz Smith used in Polar Star when he had his Soviet fishing crew come ashore in Alaska for a shopping spree.
I will continue following the story of Chief Inspector Chen but only because of my particular "China interest".
A Case of Two Cultures.......2007-03-16
Inspector Chen's world is one worth visiting. His character is becoming fully fleshed-out in the later volumes, even as his able assistants take on more crucial roles and more challenging tasks. I learned as much about Chinese culture from Chen's foreign jaunt in the United States as from his adventures in Shanghai. Qiu Xiaolong is one of the few authors whose books I make a point of reading as soon as they are published (even in hardcover), and A Case of Two Cities did not disappoint.
Qiu explores culture through crime; an intriguing portrait of modern China.......2007-02-06
Like Martin Cruz Smith's Arkady Renko in Moscow, Qiu Xiaolong's Shanghai-based Inspector Chen Cao illuminates the darker corners of a political culture very different from our own, while maintaining a precarious balance in his work between principle and practicality.
Rapid change in urban China, particularly the contrast between new rich and ordinary poor, provides the backdrop for a case involving high-level corruption.
A wealthy businessman, Xing, has absconded to America with millions in stolen wealth. Assigned the unenviable job of finding and exposing the tentacles of Xing's vast smuggling operation, Chen, naturally, is as leery as he is zealous. With good reason, as a valuable witness is promptly murdered.
And shortly thereafter Chen is appointed head of a literary delegation to the U.S., though his poetry career is outwardly defunct. Is he being shunted out of the way or is he expected to go after Xing in America?
Using all the pull he can muster, Chen leaves the case in the capable hands of his assistant Yu, who is in turn assisted ably by his father and wife, quirky and resourceful characters who seem to be moving into more prominent roles.
Feints and counter feints keep everything from being too brightly illuminated as Chen continues his investigation in L.A. and St. Louis (meeting up again with U.S. Marshall Catherine Rhon), while communicating with Yu in an unwieldy code by cell phone.
The plot has a resolution, sort of, but the real meat and pleasure of this book is the cultural context, from Chen's use of ancient poetry and the literary delegations' clashes with American academics, to descriptions of food, daily life and the odd little differences in the way cultures think.
Long on poetry, short on action and drama.......2007-01-19
I've enjoyed all his books, but this one faltered. It had a classroom, somnolent feel, lacking genuine conflict and risk. I looked forward to the contrast between America and Shanghai and to the reunion of Chen with the CIA's Catherine. Neither fulfilled the potential of heightened drama. The familiar characters were just that--familiar. Nothing advanced.
Book Description
Against the backdrop of a totalitarian North Korea, one man unwillingly uncovers the truth behind series of murders, and wagers his life in the process.
Sit on a quiet hillside at dawn among the wildflowers; take a picture of a car coming up a deserted highway from the south. Simple orders for Inspector O, until he realizes they have led him far, far off his department’s turf and into a maelstrom of betrayal and death. North Korea’s leaders are desperate to hunt down and eliminate anyone who knows too much about a series of decades-old kidnappings and murders---and Inspector O discovers too late he has been sent into the chaos.
This is a world where nothing works as it should, where the crimes of the past haunt the present, and where even the shadows are real. A corpse in Pyongyang’s main hotel---the Koryo---pulls Inspector O into a confrontation of bad choices between the devils he knows and those he doesn’t want to meet. A blue button on the floor of a hotel closet, an ice blue Finnish lake, and desperate efforts by the North Korean leadership set Inspector O on a journey to the edge of a reality he almost can’t survive.
Like Philip Kerr’s Berlin Noir trilogy and the Inspector Arkady Renko novels, A Corpse in the Koryo introduces another unfamiliar world, a perplexing universe seemingly so alien that the rules are an enigma to the reader and even, sometimes, to Inspector O. Author James Church weaves a story with beautifully spare prose and layered descriptions of a country and a people he knows by heart after decades as an intelligence officer. This is a chilling portrayal that, in the end, leaves us wondering if what at first seemed unknowable may simply be too familiar for comfort.
Critical Acclaim for The Corpse in the Koryo
“This is a fine, intelligent, and exciting story that takes us into the netherworld of contemporary North Korean communism. It evokes the gray milieu without ever overstepping its mark, allowing us to see it from the inside rather than the outside, wherein the humanity of all the characters, both good and evil, is apparent. Inspector O is a particularly wonderful creation, a true mensch attempting to hold on to his humanity in a world where humanism is under constant attack. Subtlety is the method, and the result is fantastic work that should mark the beginning of a brilliant career for James Church.”
---Olen Steinhauer, author of Liberation Movements
“For over fifty years Americans have tried to understand the world of North Korea. James Church does a better job of describing the isolated, impoverished, corrupt, and out- of-touch life in the North than anything I have seen. This novel is a must-read for anyone who would understand how precarious the dictatorship is.”
---Newt Gingrich, author of Winning Back the Future and Never Call Retreat
“A gripping story of mystery and intrigue. The laconic Inspector O follows in the traditions of Inspector Arkady Renko, operating in a world of complexity and danger we’re meeting here for the first time.”
---Don Oberdorfer, author of Tet!
“Church’s debut thriller breaks new ground. O is an original. This is an expert take on a complex, brutal, and mystifying society. Immerse yourself in it.”
---Marshall Browne, author of Eye of the Abyss and the Inspector Anders series
“The Corpse in the Koryo is a spellbinder. Bloody and chilling, yet subtle in its psychological detail, with an amazing understanding of North Korea.”
---Ezra F. Vogel, Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences, Harvard University Asia Center
“The (pseudonymous) author, a veteran intelligence officer, has intimate knowledge of Asian life and politics, and it shows: He gives the North Korea setting a feeling of palpable reality, depicting the nature of daily life under a totalitarian government not just with broad sociopolitical descriptions but also with specific everyday details. . . . There is also a little of Martin Cruz Smith’s early Arkady Renko novels here. The writing is superb, too, well above the level usually associated with a first novel, richly layered and visually evocative.”
---Booklist (starred review)
Customer Reviews:
Raymond Chandler in Pyongyang???.......2007-09-27
A remarkable and unexpected book, featuring the most unlikely of protagonists in Inspector O, a latter-day Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe. Except that Inspector O is North Korean, a servant of the world's last Stalinist state and a government that makes Idi Amin's Uganda seem rational and enlightened.
Somehow, the hard-boiled Inspector O rises above it all, a knight errant seeking to maintain and assert his own integrity amidst the madness.
The plot here is riveting, and the setting, by definition, is flat-out fascinating, eye-opening. This is not your father's Charlie Chan or Mr. Moto: James Church (nom de plume for a Western intelligence officer with wide-ranging field experience in Asia) is committing some of the best detective fiction extant. The fact that a new Inspector O novel is forthcoming is a cause for celebration.
Terrific and enlightening.......2007-09-16
A Corpse in the Koryo (Inspector O Novels)
A "must read" for anyone who loves a great mystery and chance to learn revealing insights into the world of North Korea!
O my goodness, did this stink.......2007-08-25
A murder mystery that takes place in North Korea. Caught my eye when I read a positive review of the book in the Washington Post by one of their intelligence reporters (either Pincus or Kessler. Can't remember which). But this book was so darned slow that I began to think I was the murder victim - or wished that I was. Worse yet, if I was the victim, I didn't care to know who killed me. I always believed that living in North Korea really sucked. Now I am convinced of it.
A bit disappointed........2007-07-06
One author reviewing another's book is probably not good "common sense." That being said, I found the book very readable; but, at the same time, it left me a bit empty. When I read the Washington Post's write-up on this book, I knew I had to buy it. I love books about Korea. I love a good mystery. I love a thriller. I found very little of any of this. There was just not enough "meat and potatoes" to the book. Honestly, I just did not find any real visual pictures of North Korea. When I found out who was the culprit, I just didn't get that "wow!" feeling. Maybe it just was not believable.
Over-rated and disappointing.......2007-06-19
After the glowing reviews in the NY Times and other publications, I had high expectations. Unfortunately this is not really a mystery or suspense novel -- it's a modest first effort without much in the way of plot, story, or suspense. The author trades off of his familiarity with an exotic, unfamiliar locale, but at the end of the day he has nothing much to say.
Book Description
Internationally bestselling author Häkan Nesser makes his U.S. debut with this riveting tale of murder and suspense that reveals the deep humanity of the characters portrayed even as it sends chills up the spine.
Chief Inspector Van Veeteren is called to the sleepy coastal town of Kalbringen to assist the local police in the investigation of two recent ax murders. Soon the case turns from bad to worse when another body turns up and one of Van Veeteren’s colleagues, a young female detective, disappears without a trace. Now Van Veeteren must find the killer, and, it is hoped, his colleague, before anyone else comes to harm. Riveting and intellectually satisfying, Borkmann’s Point unfolds like a chess match where each move could prove deadly.
Customer Reviews:
This was a World of Words July Choice.......2007-08-29
My reading group, a World of Words, chose this book for the July meeting. It was a fun and fast read, not that the pace was necessarily fast, but it was quick to read. This may be due, in part, to the fact that we had just finished Blindness and A Dictionary of Maqiao, both which were quite different from the Van Veeteren Mystery. The members of the group agreed with me that we could not put the book down, but one of the members commented that he liked to follow the clues, and he found no clues to follow in this book. I have no reference for other Swedish mystery, detective novels, but I can reference several I've read that are American, and I enjoyed this one more than some American detective novels. I liked the fact that I did not know who did the crime on the first or second page. I felt as though I might have been missing something, though, when it came to the characters. I've read other books out of order, and many of them can stand on their own, but I felt as though I needed to have read the earlier book, if there was one, to get to know Van Veeteren better. Perhaps the following book in the series may shed more light for me. The inclusion of chess in the book was quite interesting. I am not knowledgeable about chess, but I imagine that there were some clues set forth in the game. I look forward to reading more books by this author. I'm not sure that the book kept me, as the San Francisco Chronicle claims, "on the edge of your seat," but I enjoyed the lighter reading and the mystery. It was not a book I wanted to put down. I read it in only a couple of days.
slow read.......2007-08-13
Ordered several books by this author.
Based on reviews.
I found the books, slow, mild plots. More involved with the inspectors drinking and chess.For the first time, I will be returning books I ordered.
Interesting story, obvious conclusion.......2007-06-21
The author continues the recent trend in police procedurals of whatever nation to flesh out the personal lives of the several police personnel involved, not just the chief protagonist. This grounds the story and makes it more believable. But is there anyone who doesn't figure out "who dunnit" before the first third of the book is over? I hope to read some of Nesser's other books to see if the conclusion is always so obvious--I understand it isn't--so will give him another chance. But still, a good read.
The author beguiles the mind.......2007-05-12
In this well-reviewed mystery, Nesser introduces an inspector of solid character and an acute intellectual presence. Yet, the plot does not fit the denoument--there is just a bit too much slipperiness between clues held back and the final solution. The character and the evocative writing are enough for me to try another one, though.
Sweden's export trade in crime novels continues.......2007-05-02
According to the trade statistics I have seen, the Swedish economy is almost completely driven by exports. In 2005 export trade accounted for almost 45% of Sweden's gross domestic product. Although I'd always thought this export trade was dominated by manufactured and primary goods I'm now coming to the (lighthearted) conclusion that the export of crime novels from Sweden must be one of its emerging export sectors. I've spent a good deal of time in recent months reading the Inspector Martin Beck series by the team of Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo (including "The Laughing Policeman" and "Roseanna") and the Inspector Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell (including "The Dogs of Riga" and "The Man Who Smiled"). Just when I thought I'd explored the entire body of Swedish crime fiction I came across Hakan Nesser's "Borkmann's Point" which is styled as "An Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery" and felt compelled to see how it measured up to the other series. Although I enjoyed "Borkmann's Point" I found it somewhat less enticing then either the Beck or Wallander series.
"Borkmann's Point" is set in the coastal town of Kaalbringen. The protagonist, Inspector Van Veeteren, has been sent to help the (presumably) less-skilled local police in its investigation of two brutal axe murders. The victims appear to have no connection to each other. The story lines follow two parallel paths: Van Veeteren's investigation and his relationship with the local police force. Each story line is developed competently but neither the evidence-gathering nor the development of Van Veeteren's relationship with the locals really captured my imagination.
What I found most interesting in Borkmann's Point was the setting. Unlike Sjowall/Wahloo and Mankell, "Borkmann's Point" is not set in Sweden but in a fictional city, Kaalbringen, in a country in which the characters appear to have Dutch, German, Swedish, and Danish names. In other words, Nesser seems to have created a generic European country for purposes of his fiction.
On the plus side, "Borkmann's Point" is a well-written, thoughtful novel. Despite the gruesome murders that propel the story, "Borkmann's Point" is focused more on the process of police work, the art and arduousness of investigation and detection, rather than on a pillar-to-post thriller. The very title of the book, once it is explained about halfway through the book, is in itself a clue for both Van Veeteren and the reader as to the process of crime-solving. It is a fascinating point and one that should intrigue many readers.
On the minus side, I never really felt vested in the lives of the main characters in the books. I enjoyed the interplay between Van Veeteren and the local police force, particularly his evening spent drinking wine and playing chess with the local police chief but it wasn't so engaging that I hung on every word.
I'll probably give the next book in the series a look to see if Van Veeteren grows on me or not. Until then, I can give "Borkmann's Point" only a modest "thumbs up". L. Fleisig
Average customer rating:
- Nice intro to Rebus and the series
- Couldn't get through it
- First Rebus novel...x 2
- Good, But Not Very
- Excellent start to the series
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Knots and Crosses (Inspector Rebus Novels)
Ian Rankin
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
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ASIN: 0312956738 |
Book Description
Detective John Rebus: His city is being terrorized by a baffling series of murders...and he's tied to a maniac by an invisible knot of blood. Once John Rebus served in Britain's elite SAS. Now he's an Edinburgh cop who hides from his memories, misses promotions and ignores a series of crank letters. But as the ghoulish killings mount and the tabloid headlines scream, Rebus cannot stop the feverish shrieks from within his own mind. Because he isn't just one cop trying to catch a killer, he's the man who's got all the pieces to the puzzle...
Knots and Crosses introduces a gifted mystery novelist, a fascinating locale and the most compellingly complex detective hero at work today.
Customer Reviews:
Nice intro to Rebus and the series.......2007-07-16
This detective/mystery novel is a great intro to the detective Rebus series. This books moves along quickly and Rankin develops interesting characters and a sense of urgency along the way. I'm glad I heard about Rankin and this Rebus series.
Couldn't get through it.......2007-06-16
I would give it zero stars but 1 is the minimum.
I was horrified and sickened by the unnnecessary descriptions of the murders, and could not make it past the first third of the book.
I felt no empathy with the main character Rebus.
I won't be reading any more by this author.
First Rebus novel...x 2.......2007-06-11
I first heard of Rankin on an NPR interview a few weeks ago and decided to read one of the Rebus novels. I decided to start at the beginning, as Rankin said his character aged in "real time." The book is short and simple with excellent prose and a very realistic conversational tone in the characters' voices. Rebus is human, flawed and believable as someone who holds the most important piece of the puzzle but cannot see it through his damage psyche. A good read...I am looking forward to the second.
Good, But Not Very.......2007-06-11
There's a scene in this book where Detective John Rebus' boss says that Rebus is "not a very good policeman, just a good one." Well, this book is not a very good book, just a good one. And barely that. Rebus is not a very well-developed character, in my estimation. He's not very credible and, as his boss says, he's barely a good cop. The plot of this novel is uneven and unexceptional. About half way through the book you know where it's going and the ending is unexciting and pedestrian. This is my second try at Rankin. I stopped reading the first one half way through, and I wished I hadn't wasted my time on this one. Adieu, Detective Rebus.
Excellent start to the series.......2007-02-16
This was a top start to the Inspector Rebus series. Ian Rankin wrote an excellent little book that I found to be highly interesting and readable.
It was the kind of book that one can read and while you know it isn't a masterpiece in the vein of a Michael Connelly or James Lee Burke, you can see that the author has all the makings of being a top writer.
Highly recommended.
Book Description
Hampton Regis is a small harbor town on the southern coast of England, a place with an ancient history but long since passed over by its larger neighbors. There, in the year after World War I has ended, a tragedy is in the making – a woman's husband has been attacked and badly injured and the suspect, the man she loved before he left to go to war, has taken the wife and her maid as hostages. The desperate man, Stephen, threatens to kill the hostages unless the local police bring in a man he knew in the trenches – Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge.
Rutledge, still struggling with his own demons from the war, fears that in stepping into the emotional struggle of these three people, he can't be objective. Their situation in a sense mirrors his own. As a result of Rutledge going off to fight, he too lost the woman he loved to another man.
If, as Stephen claims, he didn't try to kill his lover's husband, then who did? And what has happened in this little town that is worth killing for? Once again, Charles Todd has placed the tormented, yet brilliant policeman into a situation that, while it brings back his haunted past, must be solved before a killer strikes again.
Customer Reviews:
Solid but uninspiring.......2007-10-01
As has become usual for the Ian Rutledge series, this is a well-written mystery that evokes the time period well and tells a good story. That said, this entry is not one of Todd's best. It's complex and ultimately not very satisfying as a story, and takes far too long to unwind and develop. If you've read the rest of the series, it's worth reading. But I wouldn't recommend it on its own unless you have a specific interest in 1920s Britain or police procedural mysteries.
SERIOUS DISAPPOINTMENT.......2007-09-17
I have enjoyed this series and read each of the previous installments. Trying to wade my way through this one was like slogging through mud. The narrative drive so satisfying in the previous books bogged down here in an unlikely plot, silly characters, and constant repetition. I wanted to shout at the characters to DO SOMETHING! I'd say the book is overlong by 50 - 100 pages, and it certainly dampened my anticipation for the next Rutledge, due out in January. "Charles Todd" -- mere et fils -- seem to have lost the plot, as they say in England. Or at least the energy of the previous books. Maybe it's just me, but I don't care as much about Rutledge and Hamish after reading this book as I once did.
Not even mediocre!!!.......2007-09-16
I can't believe all the five star reviews for this book! As an Ian Rutledge fan, I found it sadly disappointing. Nothing in the book is believable. The so-called hostage situation is absurd, especially after a murder takes place in the hostage house. The motive given by the killer when he recites a full confession that is of course overheard is ridiculous. Rutledge advises the doctor to place a guard and lock doors to protect an unconscious victim, and when the doctor declines, simply shrugs his shoulders and does nothing about it. The red herring is glaringly obvious, and I don't often spot them. Even Hamish is getting predictable and boring. The previous books were so good, this is a shame.
Another Winner in This Series.......2007-08-02
This is the ninth in this wonderfully complex and well-written series. In this outing, Stephen Mallory, accused of severely beating a local man, is holding the man's wife hostage. He specifically asks for Ian Rutledge of Scotland Yard. Rutledge and Mallory served together in the trenches of WWI. When the severely injured man disappears, and there are two murders, Rutledge must peel back layer after layer to discover who would want to kill the former diplomat and why.
If you want an intelligently written procedural try this series, but start with the first book to understand the complicated and damaged Ian Rutledge. This series has some of the best writing done in the mystery genre. The author is often compared to P.D. James.
great reads.......2007-07-04
As always Charles Todd writes a great mystery. He keeps you interested from page one to the last page. I can't wait to read the next book. His characters are always interesting. Very well written!!
Book Description
Dr. Tony Hill and Detective Chief Inspector Carol Jordan return in the award-winning series that is the basis for the hit show on BBC America.
In a small grim room, the body of a woman is discovered, panic and pain etched in her face. The scene matches in every detail a series of murders two years ago-murders that ended when irrefutable forensic evidence secured the conviction of a deeply disturbed young man named Derek Tyler.
But there's no way Tyler could have killed the latest victim. He's been locked up in a mental institution since his trial, barely speaking a word. So is there a copycat?
All his years of experience tell top criminal psychologist Dr. Tony Hill that there isn't-but that would make the murders literally impossible. While Hill tries to crack Tyler, DCI Carol Jordan and her team must mount a desperate undercover operation to trap the murderer-a decision that will have terrible consequences.
As the tension mounts, a mixture of psychological insight and dogged detective work leads inexorably to a terrifying climax where Tony faces one of the most perverse killers he has ever encountered.
Customer Reviews:
High Five.......2007-06-01
It's always a pleasure when I take a chance on a new novelist and it pays off as well as it did here. Val McDermid is, I now know, one of our best writers and I won't hesitate to buy any book in the future with her name on the cover. In The Torment of Others, you'll get everything you want from a thriller and more : intelligent characters, gripping imagery, a powerful plot, clever pacing and just entertainment all round. The lead characters Jordan and Hill are very much individuals whose personalities and concerns are so well described that we almost feel that we know them; the key point is that we can easily believe in them. The side-plot of their 'relationship' is actually intriguing, dealt with subtle aplomb by their creator and cleverly left unfinished within the context of this story so that we can carry on where they left off in the next one. The main story line of this book is quite daringly graphic in its description without being gory for its own sake. It just leaves you wondering "Jeez, what a way to go"...and I'm not a woman! This is a writer of high intellect, vivid imagination and the bringing together of those rare skills makes for very enjoyable reading. Call me a fan.
Another great McDermid book........2007-01-24
This author just keeps doing it. How she can write book after gripping book and sound fresh, suspenseful and compelling is a wonder in today's crime fiction scene. Just read it!
McDermid is always gripping ..........2006-09-15
... and this title is no exception. The continution of the Tony and Carol saga. I highly recommend!
A lot of good can be said about this police procedural.......2006-01-23
I had not read any of Val McDermid's work before this. It seems that a lot has transpired in previous novels that were alluded to time and again, so if there is a novel that proceeds this, you might want to check out that one before starting in on `The Torment of Others'. That aside, I was immediately brought into McDermid's world as a reader. The characters Tony Hill and Carol Jordan have so many demons that are being exorcised that this does not read as though it were just another in a long line of sequels.
There are two mysteries unfolding here. Carol is found at the start of the book taking control of an elite crime fighting force and these are the two first cases that fall under her sphere. Both of these stories are complex enough that you will be left guessing and not quite sure as to where things are going until near the end. Along the way several other side characters are introduced. I think that the plurithura of first person characters that stride through this novel was a bit of a drawback. In my opinion, the fact that McDermid mines not two, but at least six (that I can recall off the top of my head) points of view is a real momentum killer. You never really get to the point where you are on the edge of your seat with this book. I always felt like a disengaged viewer lording over this unfolding event rather than as an immediate participant.
The mood that I gleamed from this book... the over all aura... was sort of like a Patricia Cornwell novel. If you have not read her yet, you are in for a treat. I would highly recommend her work and suggest that you start with her first novel. Otherwise, this book is worth reading, though by no means the best of this genre that I have come across.
Extremely gruesome and extremely hard to put down!.......2006-01-07
I read WIRE IN THE BLOOD and loved it and just finished TORMENT and will have to get everything by McDermid.
This novel is VERY gruesome but the characters and "secondary cases" are so interesting and well-written that you really can't help turning the pages.
Good stuff-- but creepy!
Product Description
Andrea Camilleri's novels starring Inspector Montalbano have become an international sensation in eight different languages. This funny and fast-paced Sicilian page-turner will be a delicious discovery for mystery afficionados and fiction lovers alike.
Early one morning, Silvio Lupanello, a big shot in the village of Vigàta, is found dead in his car with his pants around his knees. The car happens to be parked in a rough part of town frequented by prostitutes and drug dealers, and as the news of his death spreads, the rumors begin. Enter Inspector Salvo Montalbano, Vigàta's most respected detective. With his characteristic mix of humor, cynicism, compassion, and love of good food, Montalbano goes into battle against the powerful and the corrupt who are determined to block his path to the real killer.
Customer Reviews:
Marvelous Introduction to the Politics and Sociology of Sicily.......2007-09-01
As any Italian will tell you, Sicilians (or Sicilianos) are not Italians, and any Sicilian worth his salt will tell you thats a good thing. Camilleri who wrote this story back in 1994 has a feel for a part of his country that is remote and misunderstood by most of his countrymen. This is not the urbane Commissario Bruneti of Venice, Salvo Montalbano was born and bred on the island, and has contacts among all strata of society.
On the island of Sicily, one has three choices in life, 1)government and politics, 2) mafioso, and 3) leave. Montalbano is unusual in that he grew up there and stayed. He uses his connections to ferret out information as to things that happen on the seamier side of life.
The story itself is pedestrian, but must have been much more intense in 1994 (dealing with adultery, prostitution, bisexuality, homosexuality) so it will read as dated. But all in all it's a good introduction to the character of Inspector Salvo Montalbano.
A very Sicilian novel.......2007-08-21
Dottore Montalbano is urbane, intelligent, smooth, guttoral, well dressed, well read, well spoken, sharp as a tack, and as cynical as they come without resorting to bitterness. He is a detective in the Sicilian town of Vigate, a town seemingly overruned with crime, crooked politicians (is there another kind?), communists, fascists, over sexed and moneyed men and women.
The beauty of this book is not that the crimes are all that difficult to figure out. Plus the previous reviewers have delved into the intricacies of the plot. I will focus on the beauty of this book.
The beauty of this book is the tone of the conversations, the nature of the repartee and the give and take between friends and foes, the political, the literary, the profane and the profound. It is like a long drawn out lunch over a fine lunch al fresco, with an abundance of good wine and gossip. Food for the mind, body, and soul. It lets you into the conversations that Italian friends have with each other, all the laughs, conflicts, and resolutions. This book was an extended conversation with Camilleri and his views of everything Sicilian.
Fighting Stereotypes in Sicily?.......2007-07-24
Andrea Camilleri's police detective series, set in Sicily with his Inspector Montalbano, reinforces all of your stereotypes about crime, corruption, intrigue and double dealing on the island. This is an earthy story with sex as a leading element. The protagonist, an intuitive cop, questions why one does favors for those in power. A witness explains, "Inspector, you can't sail without a favorable wind."
A big shot is found dead in a compromising position in a distinctly bad locale. People in power seem determined to gloss over the details and put an end to the case. The Inspector smells something fishy so he wants to investigate.
The author has fashioned a complicated plot, but he hasn't made it very engrossing. He has sprinkled into his mix a lot of conniving characters, but hasn't made them very individualized or interesting. The book lacks spark and vitality. It is advertised as having a comic quality, but to this reader, it came over as rather glum and sodden. This is the first in Camilleri's series about the Sicilian police inspector, and I hope that the later ones are better.
The Daemon in Our Dreams
Nine Lives Too Many
The Rice Queen Spy
The Gentleman in a Savage Land.......2007-06-03
Inspector Salvo Montalbano is a gentleman: a gourmet and an esthete.
He is also a faithful lover to his Livia who waits for him in Genoa
while he toils as a police inspector in a mythical region of Sicily.
The Sicily of Andrea Camilleri's fiction is a savage place indeed.
Nothing and nobody is at it seems and layers of conspiracy underly
other layers.
In this context, when a prominent engineer is found dead in a trash-
filled dump where prostitutes ply their trade, Montalbano is
suspicious of the coroner's verdict of death by natural causes.
His investigation takes him through descending layers of depravity
which conclude with a long, surprise-filled monologue in which all
is revealed.
This is very cerebral detecting, even given the Maigret-like texture
of the narrative. Fans of rough-and-tumble may be disappointed.
Those who flinch at the social critique of the South of Italy may
find the portrayal of Sicilians to be a bit problematic too.
But I think these objections are misplaced. The real action in this
book is on the social and personal level. It is precisely the
quality of thought that the ever-humane Montalbano brings to the
proceedings that make them exciting. More importantly, his dim-eyed
view of Sicilan society and mores is an invitation to reflect on
its similarities to our own. Sicily here is not a stand-in for
some uncivilized 'other'. It's handled with a sympathy that
makes it a proxy for all of us.
--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the novel bang BANG. ISBN 9781601640005
Camilleri's a blockbuster author.......2007-05-25
I bought my first Camilleri novel a few weeks ago after reading a New Yorker piece on trends in European detection writing. They indicated that he was pretty good. The Shape of Water turned out to be so incredibly good that I quickly returned to Amazon to buy up everything Camilleri that was on offer.
I am a little biased because I know and love Italians so well.
Camilleri combines deep introspection on the part of gloomy Inspector Montalbano, his disgust with Sicilian and Italian corruption, the blackest of noir, commentaries on contemporary political events, intellectual and culinary asides with broad ethnic humor including well-rendered translations of local dialects that connote ignorance and peasantry. Think of Elmore Leonard at his best. Definitely five standing bravos. I can't wait for the movie. If any of his stuff has made it to the screen, please let me know.
Book Description
While on a field trip through the woods on the outskirts of Behren, a young girl stumbles upon a decomposing body wrapped in a carpet and lying in a ditch. The body has no hands, feet, or head, but this was not the work of wild animals. A brutal killer is on the loose--but who is the victim?
From the hospital bed where he is recovering from surgery, Chief Inspector Van Veeteren begins to piece together the fragmentary clues that involve a nun who hides a secret, a crippled woman, the murders of two other women, and a former track star who served two sentences for murder and has been missing since the date of his return to society.
No one is who they appear to be, and a sleepy village finds itself reopening cases long considered closed. With the assistance of his colleagues, Van Veeteren faces the prospect of taking the law into his own hands in the face of a flawed system of justice. This taut psychological thriller affirms Håkan Nesser's place in the landscape of international crime fiction.
Customer Reviews:
I have discovered that all human evil comes from this; man's being unable to sit still in a room. .......2007-10-14
It was an early morning in August; Leopold Verhaven walks free after serving twenty four years in prison for double murder. He feels the first rays of warmth from the sun on his face; his aim, to quietly return home. On a rainy day the following April a child on a field trip wanders off into the woods alone, frantically the adults and party of friends search for the young girl they find her safe but disturbingly sitting next to a mutilated corpse half wrapped in carpet.
A new case for Chief Inspector Van Veeteren or was it? His stubborn determination not to let a case go unsolved, even if it was from a hospital bed while recovering from surgery. The decomposing body is soon identified as a local man the murderer Leopold Verhaven or so they believe. Van Veeteren becomes rattled at this news, his quick to reopen the old cases for the killings of Verhaven two lovers. Could it be that Verhaven had been judged by character and not by evidence all those years ago, was it never on anyone lips he may have been innocent? Why did he not try to help himself while on trail? Why the silence for all those years? Who was Verhaven? Did anyone bother to find out. Maybe Verhaven really did commit those crimes and now this lastest killing is someone's act of revenge at long last. The only way to solve this present case was to rewind and go over old documentation with complicated history of what now could be a few near perfect murders.
I thoroughly enjoyed this, Van Veeteren character really shines through in this one, I also much preferred the darker plot line to the pervious book. In this one I really feel we see Van Veeteren for the first time, after his serious surgical procedure his in a lighter philosophical mood with more humor and irony surfacing; and with that wonderful no nonsense attitude that I just happen to love, he couldn't go wrong. He also faces the prospect in this one of taking the law into his own hands, as he realizes the flaws in the justice system. Van Veeteren overstepping certain boundaries is very intriguing to read.
Another reason I found The Return more enjoyable would be the jump back and forth in time to 60's, present day, 80's, present day and back again looking at different angles into a close-knit community with changes taking place and testimony from witnesses being broken down. We as the readers are let lose for a while, staying one step ahead of the police, the author gives to us a little extra piece of information on a certain date and time line, I found that very clever and interesting.
This Swedish series is coming to us translated out of order and quiet some years later. The Return (1995) is the fourth book in the series, second translated into English. When reading through the pervious book Borkmann's Point, Second Book, published in Sweden 1994, translated for ourselves 2006, there's a difference for me between the two (apart from plot line) I found myself feeling quiet detached from the characterization in the first and the storyline was dated. But in this novel I totally engaged with the central characters with a stronger darker plot line and wonderful piece of story telling. If anybody else had feeling of doubts I would say to certainly give this one a go, I for one was won over by this novel.
Håkan Nesser the Author worked as a teacher in Uppsala before turning his hand to writing Novels. In Sweden, his detective stories around Inspector Van Veeteren has received numerous honors. After reading this Novel I'm looking forward to future books in translation from this Author.
Wonderful psychological thriller. Recommended.
Andrea Bowhill
A double murder becomes triple.......2007-09-24
Hakan Nesser's "The Return" is another of the good Swedish police procedurals translated for consumption by the English speaking market. On the whole, the novel is a compelling read diminished only by Nesser's shallow development of his characters except for the victimized villain. The author has a penchant for commencing chapters with riveting plot action without identifying his characters. While this makes the action suspenseful, is can also cause confusion.
The storyline revolves around an inquest conducted by Chief Inspector Van Veeteren and his squad of detectives in the Maardam police department. A decapitated corpse also missing hands and feet was discovered wrapped in a carpet by a pre-schooler in a wooded area during a class outing. Immediately the investigation was two pronged. Exactly who was the victim and who was his murderer?
Adding depth to the storyline Van Veeteren was being operated on for a colon resection owing to cancer. He would conduct the investigation in part from his convalescent bed.
The detectives soon discover that the victim was one Leopold Verhaven. The notorious Verhaven, once a world class middle distance runner, had served two separate 12 year prison terms for the murders of two young women he was romantically involved with. As Van Veeteren looks back at the evidence from the previous killings he gets the feeling that Verhaven might hane been innocent.
Using unorthodox means, Van Veeteren and his minions take great pains to uncover the identity of Verhaven's murderer, speculating that this person also committed the crimes that Verhaven was implicated for.
A real policier.......2007-08-31
One of the great things that has happened in mystery publishing over the past few years, is the flood of translated books from overseas which has given American (and other Anglophone) readers a new world of social and political perspectives through the genre. Hakan Nesser is one of these recently translated authors and a very good one, he is. "The Return," part of his Inspector Van Veeteren series, has the feel of an authentic police investigation throughout. The reader is taken through many routine interrogations in a murder investigation which only very gradually add up to a solution to the case. The case itself is bizaare and convoluted, involving the murders of three people, including a convicted murderer recently paroled from prison. While the central figure in the book is Chief Inspector Van Veeteren of the Maardam police, his junior colleagues get most of the story space here and their characters are well developed and credible. Oddly, though author Nesser is a Swede, his story is set in a small city in The Netherlands.
This is classic detective story that will be appreciated by any fan of this domain of fiction.
Mankell Must Share the Spotlight.......2007-05-27
Inspector Van Veeteren is the real gem in this budding series of police procedural novels written by Swede Hakan Nesser. Van Veeteren is the classic chief inspector--crotchety, brusque, prone to flashes of insight gained from mundane life, and a soft spot for his junior partner.
Whether he's driving around listening to Monteverdi or grousing about his upcoming surgery, the inspector manages to make the book funny and interesting. Nesser somehow manages to write just a little bit differently about life and happiness, and he injects reality into his characters that make them endearing. The plot is not all that gripping, but Mr. Nesser moves the storyline along nicely without getting bogged down in meaningless descriptions or red herrings.
At the end of the day, however, the characters make the book. Van Veeteren is the center, but his coworkers and associates are ones you'd like to get to know. Using his native Sweden makes Nesser's books even more interesting to the US audience that is just learning to love this author worthy to share the table with Henning Mankell.
Nesser delivers again.......2007-05-12
This one is up with the best from any country but retains its Scandanavian
flavor. While Henning Mankell is perhaps the more famous author in this
country, Nesser deserves a place among the top international mystery writers.
A very good story with developed characters that make you care.
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