Suspect - Robert Crais

courtesy: hachette.com.au

An interesting thriller set in the police world.

I have never read Robert Crais and would not have picked it up if left by myself. Thanks to Goodreads, I got the chance to try him and discover a liking for his writing.

As the jacket suggests, the man and the dog are the main characters in the story. Before you start conjuring up ideas of a sob story about bonding and loyalty, the tagline suggests otherwise and well, that is what is different about this story. But you need to delve into the story to find out what is the big deal and believe me, it is worth your time.


Gist

A policeman, Scott James goes through a bad time when he and his partner were shot by late at night, while off duty. A traumatised Crais is then transferred to a platoon that trains dogs for police work. Maggie, too has a similar history. She was shot while detecting explosive devices and saw her handler die by her side. Considered unfit for work, James and Maggie have a last chance of making it when they are paired off together. Each has a healing effect on the other and together they try to find out what happened on the fateful night when James' work partner was killed and he was left for dead.

What works:

• A cracking story. Maggie's and James' voices are done very well and their slow bonding is done in a subtle and succint manner instead of overdoing it.
• The story is weaved beautifully and the depiction of the police world sounds authentic.

What doesn't:

• The workings of the police system sometimes seems too coiled for my liking
• Even the way the detection is made is slightly complicated for the layperson. I had to read it twice to make sure that I got it.

In a nutshell, a great book for crime lovers who like the detection more than the violence associated with a crime thriller. Good writing style that is easy to read and keeps you hooked. What else does one need?

Unearthing Venus - Cate Montana

courtesy: watkinspublishing.co.uk

An honest and fascinating memoir.

Thanks to Goodreads, I get to read books that I would be normally be sceptical about and I am glad to have had the chance to explore new horizons through this one.

Cate Montana's memoir is something like a spiritual quest to understand the feminine, the concept of a woman. Well, that is good but when I first read the jacket my immediate thought well, here comes another sob story.

To give you an idea, Unearthing Venus instantly reminds one of Eat, Pray and Love (EPAL). There, you get the gist of what this one is all about now. This one though similar, in the sense it is a life story but also interesting one, mainly because of the way it has been handled. To be honest, though I liked what I read of EPAL, I couldn't bring myself to stick to it to the end.

But where Eat, Pray and Love was about a divorcee who was trying to make sense of her life by going to Indonesia, India and Italy (what soured it for the reader that apparently she was commissioned to these places to write a book). However Montana here traces the concept of the role of woman and applies it to her personal life and upbringing and explores it through her experiences.

Gist:

Montana begins by saying that what she wanted to write a book about being a woman and then flashes back to her background, growing up in the 50s and 60s, the kind of society she lived in. What makes it personal is her narrative about her female role model, own mother and seeing the role of women through her. Years later, she makes a career for herself in the cut throat world of television and takes us through her personal relationships but her mother still plays a pivotal role.

Her quest for the spiritual begins after she decides, when in her mid 40s, she gives up her job and begins the journey for "spiritual upliftment". The reason why I put it in quotes is that, that is something that I can't relate to. I could understand the personality traits when growing up, the need to excel in her career, her attempt at her marriages but then the spiritual bit alienated me. However, she does manage to make it immensely readable and credit to her for making an abstract and obscure concept of spiritualism into an engaging narrative.


What works:

• Great style. Very fluid and effective. Keeps you hooked
• Interesting the way she has talked her mother and put into perspective the role of women in western society in the 50s
• Spiritual experiences can be a bit off putting but she makes it readable

• What doesn't:

Well the second half was a bit of a ramble, maybe because the spiritual aspects left me a bit cold. Maybe it is because I have been unable to experience a similar thing.

However, kudos to her for coming up with a book that is impossible to put down. I mean you can relate to some bits, you may fail to connect with the rest, but the point is you can't ignore it. You can't leave the book half way saying well, this stuff is boring, because Montana is a good storyteller. She makes it her business to see to it that we keep going till we get to the end.

I don't hesitate to give up if the going gets boring. But Montana ensures that I stuck to it and I did because I admire the book as a fantastic piece of storytelling. The style and narrative are effective and is a great read without being heavy.

One does not have to have an interest in spiritualism to read it. Montana has had such an eventful life, that it is fun reading through it just to find out what happens to her next.

The Poets' wives - David Park

Some books are read for their stories, whereas some are savoured for their vivid imagery. David's Park's The Poets' Wives belongs to latter category.

The gist:

The poets in question are William Blake, Osip Mandelstam, a Russian revolutionary poet and an unknown Irish poet. These are three separate stories which are told from their wives' point of view.

Blake's reputation as a madman yet a genius in the eyes of his wife as he breathed life into words and turned them into poetry is very effective although a bit abstract. Park makes a great connection between Blake and his poetry by inserting lines at appropriate intervals.

The second account is that of Nadehzha Mandelstam and the how his rebellious poetry cost him his life and turned into a fugitive.

The third is that of an unknown contemporary Irish poet, how his poetic sensibilities restrained him from reaching out to his wife and children.  Each account is different for the era and society separates the poets but they are bound by the common thread of fighting a society that wants them to tame them.

What works:

The language is beautiful and the moving images

What doesn't:

Although there is a bit of background, often the stream of consciousness gets a bit taxing for the reader to stay on board with the text.

The voices though they are poignant feel a bit incomplete, leaving the reader wanting for a more comprehensive account

The writing style is brilliant and the descriptions are evocative. However it is a taxing read and requires perseverance to enjoy it.

Just one evil act - Elizabeth George

Elizabeth George redeems herself with her new book.

After a disappointing read in Believing the Lie, George's new novel brings her back with a bang. This one has it all, exotic locale, a situation that points fingers closer home to the main characters thereby flummoxing the reader. What else can the reader ask for?

George excels in using the crime thriller genre to her best advantage. It is not a simple case of who dunnit and why but how did the crime happen, the far flung repurcussions and the retribution. A bulky read, it sweeps through the traffic ridden london streets to the lush green countryside of Italy. Also, Barbara Havers here enjoys a dominant role while Lynley though pivotal, takes more of a backseat this time.  I can't help gushing enough and well the tall praise isn't because it is a free copy as some may be led to believe. It was a library copy and this just proves time and again at how Elizabeth George is a master in this game.

I loved Barbara Havers' love to hate persona who does all the wrong things for the right reasons. That is what George is good at. Creating these layers where the end does not justify the means. The plot is an example of how desperation can cloud one's sensibilities forcing them to take rash decisions which prove detrimental.

The gist:

The story takes off where Believing the lie ended with Hadiyaah's kidnapping. Barbara takes it personally and risks professional hara kiri to get the girl restored to her father, also her love interest. In the process, Barbara incurs the wrath of her superior Ardery who is determined to stall her. Lynley steps in as the liason officer after it is learnt that the girl could be in Italy. But events take a sinister turn as Barbara throws caution to the winds and desperately tries to get to the bottom of it all in a race against time in a foreign country.

What works:

• George's brilliant portrayal of kidnapping of a foreign national
• Her tight grip on how the tabloid journalism works
• The clash of cultures especially when it comes to communication
• A terrific plot which keeps the reader on the edge
• A beautiful setting to lay the story out

What doesn't:

It is a bit of a bulky read but then George's novels are always elaborate, well set stories which work great as a standalone read even if you are unfamiliar with the regular characters.

A satiating read.

Bloody Ham - Brian Kavanagh

I got this book through the firstreads giveaway. 
At a glance, the menacing jacket cover and the blurb had me intrigued. A self confessed crime thriller buff, it was enough for me to get started right away. 

Bloody Ham features two women Belinda and Hazel who play detectives in Kavanagh's stories and solve murders. This is their third mystery and since this is my first book about them, it took me a while to get the hang of it although there is background to fill in the reader about their past and present.

The Gist:

Bloody Ham gets its name from a English country manor called the Ham House with a sinister past currently in use as a setting by a film crew. The place is the setting for the murders to happen and the amateur duo who are involved in the film making take it upon themselves to investigate when a starlet is murdered on the set.

What works:

• It is a very tightly knit fast paced story 
• An interesting overview of how the film making industry works
• Well written with some great descriptions such as the prologue 

What doesn't:

• Although the story is well edited and fast moving there are times when the reader finds it difficult to keep a track of who is doing what
• Too much focus on action
• Rushed ending

Review:
Loved the way film making process has been explained and Brian's background obviously holds him in good stead. His writing style is admirable evident in the witty exchanges and beautiful descriptions.

However, the books sometimes dwells a bit too much on style and pace. This means that the narrative tends to take the reader for granted and does not make sure that the reader is on board with the events. 

The format although effective feels more like a film rather than a book. But in a film we can see what is happening and do not need to be told but in a book, every movement needs to be described for its audience. 

Perhaps I am old school, but I like to ease into the story after having synced with the characters and their minds. Maybe I should have come to Bloody Ham after reading the previous books. Also, the ending could have panned out a bit instead of rushing the reader through and then focussing more after the revelation.

What I am struggling with is about striking a harmony between the characters and the pacing of the plot which perhaps could have taken it to a whole new level other than an enjoyable read.

I guess my high expectations let me down. But then the plot holds such promise and with such an admirable writing style I couldn't help building on it.

Final word:
Well written and its slim volume means it can be easily finished in a sitting. Good story for those who like a quick who dunnit.

The Murder Room - PD James

goodreads.com

One of my reasons for picking up PD James is the consistent pattern of her novels. Once you get used to her style and the narrative, you pretty much know what to expect and well, get it. It is like cuddling up on the couch to watch a movie by your favourite director. You are prepared to like something or everything about it.

In a nutshell:

The setting is a small elite museum in London, devoted to inter war years founded by a war veteran and carried forward by his children who act as trustees. However, when one of the trustees is murdered, suspicion falls on the siblings, volunteers and as investigation goes on, it brings to fore, the lives and motives of the characters.

But what is interesting is the how James has used this platform to show the class differences in her characters, in their thoughts and also their lives and use it as a dimension to the story. The character portrayal and keen observations make all her novels fascinating and well, this one falls in the same category.

What works:

• A great setting and characters 
• Good suspense

What doesn't:

• Limited use of direct speech could mean that reading it could get a bit monotonous at times.

I have never been able to guess the killer in her novels. The day I do, I may stop reading her. But that is unlikely to happen.

The Lowland - Jhumpa Lahiri

manbookerprize.com

I approached The Lowland with scepticism after my Bengali friends (her ardent fans) said they were disappointed. Steering clear of it for a while, I couldn't resist when it turned up at my library. Perhaps their disappointment stemmed from the hype around its booker prize nomination. Devoid of expectations, and anticipating an average novel, I was pleasantly surprised to discover otherwise.

Lahiri has always based her books on the Bengali immigrant experience and this is no different. But what is refreshing is the way she has used the naxalite movement as the background to unfold the story and take her complex characters through it.

In a nutshell:

Subhash and Udayan are two boys growing up in the 60s and find themselves in the brink of the naxalite movement. Udayan becomes a naxalite supporter whereas Subhash travels to the US in search of better prospects. Their paths diverge, as they move on with their lives. However, though their ideology, priorities and persona differ, they end up marrying the same girl. Gauri elopes with Udayan to marry him and later as events unfold, leaves for the US as Subhash's wife.

The story takes a turn from then as the focus turns on Gauri as she tries to adjust and forge her own way with a helping hand from Subhash. However, their relationship built on shaky ground is under constant threat and their daughter Bela is the casualty of their fragile marriage.

What works:

Lahiri's main strength lies in the way she delves into the minds of her characters. Subhash's relationship with Bela their daughter is beautifully described. The changes in their relationship as Bela grows from a young girl to the reticent teenager and later the strong willed woman is beautifully portrayed.

• The characters are strong and diverse and she paints in them various shades.

• The story is well plotted as the ending sheds light on the behaviour and the morally questionable actions of the characters.

Read it as a standalone novel without the hype surrounding the book and its author and you may find it worth your time.