Book Review: Fox Evil

From Goodreads: When elderly Ailsa Lockyer-Fox is found dead in her garden, dressed only in nightclothes and with bloodstains on the ground near her body, the finger of suspicion points at her wealthy husband, Colonel James Lockyer-Fox. A coroner's investigation deems it death by natural causes, but the gossip surrounding James refuses to go away. 
Friendless and alone, James and his reclusive behavior begins to alarm his attorney, whose concern deepens when he discovers that his client has become the victim of a relentless campaign accusing him of far worse than the death of his wife. James is unwilling to fight the allegations, choosing instead to devote his energies to a desperate search for the illegitimate granddaughter who may prove his savior as he battles for his name-and his life.

Thoughts: It's rare to find a crime writer who doesn't seem to end up repeating themselves. Minette Walters is one of that rare breed. I think the fact she doesn't write a series with reoccuring characters has a lot to do with it. Her books are stand alones which allows focus on the events in that story rather than getting intertwined with history from previous cases. I also like the fact that she tells her tales from third person point of view. In a crime novel it feels more objective, like you are an observer and are not having what you see tainted by only one persons view.

As with many of her books, Minette Walters has a whole raft of characters you need to keep track of. Some are highly important, some not so much. Half the challenge is working out who you need to keep tabs on and who you can let go. I know some readers find this distracting and difficult, but I love the complexity it adds to the story. As a British writer Walters also uses the psychological aspect of the crime to drive the story a lot more than the non stop action you get in American crime novels. For me it makes the story more complex, more compelling and a lot less formulaic. Walters is an author I need to remember the next time I hit a reading rut. The holes her characters dig for themselves only serve to lift me out of mine.

Fox Evil gets 4 stars

*        Did not like it
**       It was OK
***      Liked it
****    Really liked it

*****   It was amazing 

Book Review: Mrs Sinclair's Suitcase

From Goodreads: Forgive me, Dorothea, for I cannot forgive you. What you do, to this child, to this child's mother, it is wrong...
Roberta likes to collect the letters and postcards she finds in second-hand books. When her father gives her some of her grandmother's belongings, she finds a baffling letter from the grandfather she never knew - dated after he supposedly died in the war.
Dorothy is unhappily married to Albert, who is away at war. When an aeroplane crashes in the field behind her house she meets Squadron Leader Jan Pietrykowski, and as their bond deepens she dares to hope she might find happiness. But fate has other plans for them both, and soon she is hiding a secret so momentous that its shockwaves will touch her granddaughter many years later...

Thoughts: I'm sure I came across this book on another blog, but I can't remember which one! It sounded interesting enough to request at the library and then wait ages for it to come in. 
While nothing to set the world on fire, Mrs Sinclair's Suitcase was a good read. The story moved along at a reasonable pace, the premise was believable. Walters doesn't clutter her story with unnecessary characters. All the characters in this book play an important part in supporting and moving the story along. Walters also jumps from modern day back to WW2 without the clunkiness this transition can sometimes be handled with. 
I'd recommend this book for those who are looking for a well written easy read. 

Book Review: Acid Row

From Goodreads: Acid Row - a no-man's land where angry, alienated youth controls the streets. Sophie Morrison, a young doctor, is trapped at the centre of a terrifying siege with a known paedophile. Young Amy is missing and the mob want retribution, no matter what.
  
Thoughts: No one does crime fiction like the Brits and Minette Walters is one of the best. Acid Row is the nickname given to a run down council estate which descends into chaos when it becomes known that a paedophile has moved in. On the surface you can read Acid Row simply as a crime novel, trying to work out who actually has the child who has gone missing and how the police are going to get the situation under control. On another level you can view it as a piece about the dangers of partial information and whether or not the public should be informed if a paedophile is living in their area.
 Personally I have very mixed views about public registration of sex offenders. I read many years ago (and I so wish I could find the article now!), that studies in America showed that in states that had public notification of sex offenders (and that's all sex offenders, not just child sex offenders), only 60-70% of offenders reported to police when they moved or changed jobs. In states where the register is available to law enforcement only, over 80% of offenders complied with the requirement to notify when changing address or place of work. In my mind, I would rather the police know where over 80% of offenders are and me not know at all as opposed to knowing where only 60-70% of known offenders are. The other reality for me is recidivism rates for sex offenders is low - around 2%  and the majority of arrests for sex offences - 96% - are the first arrest for the perpetrator - ie. They were not on the register and therefore an unknown threat. (Source: http://theparson.net/so/#no%20effect) The reality is, your child has a more of a chance of being abused by a family member or friend than by a random person in your street. More and more studies are showing that laws such as Megan's Law in the US are not effective.In my mind nothing beats vigilance and teaching your children how to protect themselves.
Anyway, back to the book! I enjoyed Acid Row - it's fast paced, the characters are engaging and while it doesn't tax your brain, it does give you something to think about. Whether you support a public register or not, Acid Row highlights the importance of having all the information before acting. Things are not always as they seem.

Book Review: The Shape of Snakes

From Goodreads: Mrs. Ranelagh has never stopped thinking about the dead body she found in the gutter twenty years ago, during Britain’s Winter of Discontent. “Mad Annie,” as she was known, was the only black resident of her West London neighborhood and openly despised by the community. The police called her death an accident, but Mrs. Ranelagh has always suspected it was murder. However, her pleas for an investigation were met with a vicious hate campaign that drove her and her husband from the country. Now, determined to uncover the truth, Mrs. Ranelagh has returned to England, where she quickly discovers a sordid trail of domestic violence, racism and adultery that shockingly could lead back to her own family.

Thoughts: Once again Minette Walters writes a fantastic book that simply keeps you turning the pages.I truly believe she is one of, if not the best crime writer around.
In this, M (you never find out her first name, just M or Mrs Ranelagh) is trying to prove that "Mad Annie", a black woman who suffered from Tourettes, was murdered 20 years ago and not killed by an accident as claimed.
Walters leads us through many twists and turns as M does what the police didn't - unravel the stories of those in the street - many who did not like having a black woman in their neighbourhood.
Walters uses a lot of characters - some of which are red herrings, others that play a larger role than you first imagine. The plethora of characters can be confusing, but as the net narrows on the guilty, there are less to deal with. None of the characters are perfect - in fact none of them are even truly likable, even M, whose motives you find yourself questioning. In fact, frequently throughout the book I questioned her mental stability and wondered what she was really looking for. In the end the mystery is solved, but the outcome is not necessarily satisfactory. A really good read.

Book Review - Innocent Victims

From Goodreads: Chickenfeed - As part of World Book Day 2006, Minette Walters took part in the Quick Reads initiative, designed to encourage developing readers and adult learners as they explore the exciting world of books. Chickenfeed, Walter's contribution, is a crackling tale based on the true story of the 'chicken farm murder' that took place in Blackness Road, Crowborough, East Sussex in December, 1924.
Although Norman Thorne never confessed to killing his girlfriend Elsie, he was tried and hanged for the crime. Minette's fictionalised account of their relationship is told from the points of view of both Elsie and Norman, from the time of their first meeting at chapel when Norman is 18 and Elsie is 22, until the eve of Norman’s trial for her murder just over four years later.
In the real-life case, an exchange of letters between the lovers, in which Elsie told Norman that she was pregnant, formed part of the evidence that suggested Norman's motive for murder. When the lovers grow apart, Elsie creates a fantasy to replace the reality of their fractured relationship. Meanwhile Norman has fallen for another woman yet cannot bring himself to tell Elsie that he no longer wants to marry her. Burrowing deep into an English legend, Walters creates a suspenseful tale of fiction based in fact, leaving it to the reader decide whether Norman was guilty of the heinous crime.

The Tinder Box - In the small village of Sowerbridge, Patrick O'Riordan has been arrested for the brutal murder of elderly Lavinia Fanshaw and her live-in nurse, Dorothy Jenkins. As shock turns to fury, the village residents form a united front against the O'Riordan family, while friend and neighbour Siobhan Lavenham remains convinced that Patrick has fallen victim to a prejudiced investigation. Jeopardizing her own position within the bigoted community, Siobhan stands firmly by his family in defense of the O'Riordan name.
Yet when terrible secrets about the O'Riordans' past are revealed, Siobhan is forced to question her loyalties. Could Patrick be capable of murder after all? Could his family's tales of attacks be devious fabrications? And if so, what other lies lurk beneath the surface of their world? As the truth unravels, it becomes clear that beneath a cunning façade, someone's chilling ambition is about to ignite
  
What I Thought: I really enjoyed these pared down stories by Minette Walters. As with many of her stories you are forced to look at things differently and realise things are not always what they seem. Chickenfeed in particular was excellent. Written specifically to encourage developing readers and adult learners, the language was kept simple and straightforward, adding to the feel of story. These two short books would be a great introduction for anyone wanting to read more crime fiction or Minette Walters. 

 

The Breaker

Title: The Breaker
Author: Minette Walters
Genre: Crime Fiction
Audience: Adult
Format: Book - library

From Goodreads: When she revisited, always with astonishment, what had happened to her, it was the deliberate breaking of her fingers that remained indelibly printed on her memory . . ."

Twelve hours after a woman's broken body is washed up on a deserted shore, her traumatized three-year-old daughter is discovered twenty miles away wandering the streets of Poole.
But why was Kate killed and her daughter, a witness, allowed to live? And why weren't they together? More curiously, why had Kate willingly boarded a boat when she had a terror of drowning at sea?
Police suspicion centres on both a young actor, whose sailing boat is moored just yards from where the toddler is found, and the murdered woman's husband. Was he really in Liverpool the night she died? And why does their daughter scream in terror every time he tries to pick her up?

What I thought: Another book to cross off my library challenge and my quest to read all of Minette Walters' books! My goodness, but I am being productive.
I'm not sure what I can say about this that I haven't said about Minette Walters before. Great writing, great story, original so you don't feel like you are reading the same book again. If I have a critism of Minette Walters it is that her books have a lot of characters and I often have trouble keeping them straight. Not sure why, but I managed to keep control of them a lot easier than I normally do with this one. Either way, thoroughly enjoy it!
 
Challenges: Library Challenge

The Echo

Title: The Echo
Author: Minette Walters
Genre: Fiction
Audience: Adult
Format: Book – Library

Synopsis: Billy Blake, a homeless vagrant, turns up dead from starvation in Amanda Powell's garage. For reasons unknown to anyone, she pays for his fuenral. Michael Deacon, a hardened journalist, decides to look into why a wealthy single woman would pay for the funeral of a homeless man. Why is Amanda Powell so interested in finding out who Billy Blake really was?

What I thought:   enjoyed this as I do most Minette Walters books. Once again, her story line is fresh and not simply a rehash of something written before. I did find myself getting a little lost though with all the characters and their connections to each other. In the end, all questions are answered, but the tangled web weaved to create the story left me feeling that I might have missed something.

Recommended for: lovers of quality crime fiction and Minette Walters fans.

Challenges: 100+ Challenge,

The Dark Room

Title: The Dark Room

Author: Minette Walters

Genre: Crime Fiction
Audience: Adult 
Format: Book - Library

Synopsis: Jinx Kinglsey wakes in hospital after what appears to be a suicide attempt. The problem is she can't remember the last two weeks and her best friend and fiance have been killed in circumstances similar to her husband's death 10 years earlier. The question is who killed them - her millionaire domineering father, one of her half brothers or possibly Jinx herself.

What I thought: Walters is my current go to author when I want a good thriller/ murder mystery to read and this one fit the bill perfectly. Once again I was not able to pick the killer, although I did pick it wasn't one of the obvious suspects. But even then, in the end you are left with questions unanswered and mysteries left up in the air. I like the fact that Walters had intelligent police and characters. Too often in these books I find the police  especially be either bumbling idiots or major chips on their shoulder types who get very boring very quickly. It is nice to come across police characters who seem to have a brain and use them!

Recommended for: fans of quality crime fiction

Challenges: 100+ Challenge,   A-Z Challenge

Scold's Bridle

Title: The Scold's Bridle
Author: Minette Walters
Genre: Fiction
Audience: Adult
Format: Book - Library

Synopsis: When Mathilda Gillespie is found dead in her bath tub, wrists slashed and wearing the scold's bridle (an old instrument used to shut up women or scold's), many assume it is suicide. Even if it was murder, she was not a well liked woman and won't be missed by many. But when it is discovered that the old woman left her total inheritance not to her daughter or her grand daughter, but her doctor, many questions are raised. Slowly secrets are uncovered and the life and death of Mathilda Gillespie turn out to be not so straight forward after all.

What I thought: This was a re read for me. I read this many years ago. I love Minette Walters. Love her. What I really like is the fact that when I read one of her books, I don't feel like I have read it before. I often find with crime writers, after the first 4 or 5, they go stale. Minette Walters seems to somehow avoid this and produces a great original piece of work each time.

Recommended for: who those who love a good, well written murder!

Challenges:  100+ Challenge, TwentyEleven Challenge

The Scold's Bridle

Title: The Scold's Bridle
Author: Minette Walters
Genre: Fiction
Audience: Adult
Format: Book (library)

Synopsis: When Mathilda Gillespie is found in her bath tub, her wrists slit, dosed up on barbituates and with the Scold's Bridle on her head, it is assumed she has committed suicide. However, some are not so sure and really, it's not like there is a shortage of susupects - she wasn't exactly well liked in the community. Then the reading of the Will drops a bombshell. Mathilda has disinherited her daughter and grand-daughter and left her whole estate to her doctor. So the question becomes why is the doctor set to inherit, did Mathilda commit suicide or was she murdered and if she was murdered, who did it and why?

What I thought: I truly believe Walters is one of the best crime writers around. I never read her stuff and think I've read it before. Each of her stories are orignial and interesting. I love that Mathilda was such an unlikeable chararcter, but the need to find out what happened to her was still important. Walters gives you enough to form some ideas on what you think happened, and releases you new information at just the right moment to make you doubt yourself after you are sure you have solved the mystery! It's another Walters I can cross off my list, allowing me to look forward to the next one.

Recommended for: those who love a well written mystery that will keep you guessing.

Challenges:  100+ Challenge,

The Sculptress

The Sculptress by Minette Walters

Way back in June, I added Minette Walters to the list of authors I wanted to read or reread the back catalogue of. Not long after I started with The Ice House, I (or more to the point, my husband!) put me on a book ban after discovering I had over 60 books to read.  So here we are, several months on and I have finally managed to read the second of Minette Walters books, The Sculptress.

Olive Martin was accused of and what's more, confessed to, killing her mother and sister is a most gruesome fashion. A long time social misfit and object of scorn and disgust due to her gross obesity, Olive has few friends and even fewer champions.

Rosalind Leigh is a journalist who has been given the choice of writing a book about Olive or unemployment. She is fighting her own demons, but the more she looks into Olive's story, the more convinced she becomes that there has been a miscarriage of justice. The problem is, Olive doesn't agree!

I really enjoy Walters writing. Her books move along at a wonderful pace. There are stories within the main story, but not so many or so overwhelming you lose track. To start with the reader is scared of Olive, like the other characters in the book, but the further you go, the more you start to pity and feel sorry for her. Rosalind becomes stronger as you go too, yet her flaws are obvious and believable. The ending was brilliant and leaves the reader not really 100% sure of anything! I'm looking forward to Walters next book on my list The Scolds Bridle.

The first five of Walters books have been adapted for TV by the BBC. I borrowed The Ice House from the library after I read it and plan to put The Sculptress on request tomorrow. It has the brilliant Pauline Quirke in it and will do nicely for Friday night when the husband is off playing volleyball!