Well, the week went belly-up last Sunday when I lost my broadband connection. I couldn’t get my daily fix of blogs, discussion boards and the like. This should have worked positively – all that extra time for book reading …. except that the book I started last week did not grab me greatly.
Instead of reading, I finally got round to finishing my January reviews. I don’t know why but I can’t sit down and review a book immediately – I think my subconscious has to mull on the input to distill my thoughts into coherent form. So once the broadband was fixed, I finally posted my reviews of Edith Wharton’s The Touchstone and Sharon Blackie’s The Long Delirious Burning Blue. The latter published tomorrow.
Despite 7 5-star Amazon reviews, last week’s book still didn’t enthrall. So I abandoned it and decided to palate cleanse. This means time out indulging in my not-so-guilty non-secret reading habit – a good crime novel.
Except that I didn’t read it – I listened to the unabridged audio of the first in Alex Gray’s DCI Lorimer series, Never Somewhere Else. There’s not a lot to say beyond the fact that it ticks most of the crime-reading boxes: a chilling serial killer, a competent DCI and a forensic psychologist whose mind games keep up with those of the criminal. It is worth mentioning that this series is set in Glasgow, the green parks and flats of middle-class art students and business professionals. Now that there are 4 in the series, with a 5th due later in the year, it looks as though Edinburgh’s Rebus has a rival from the western side of Scotland. Never Somewhere Else is competently written and has set the scene nicely for further criminal indulgence. Yes, I’m going to read them all!
It worked as a palate cleanser too. I’m glad to say that I’m now totally absorbed by Ann-Marie MacDonald’s Fall on Your Knees.
Inkheart - Cornelia Funke
Emil and The Detectives - Erich Kastner
Three Bags Full - Leonie Swann
Mystic Pig - Richard Katrovas
The Blue Fox - Sjon
The Enchanted April - Elizabeth von Arnim
The Latin American Challenge
1. The Blue Fox 
I love MacDonald’s work. I’ve probably asked you this before, but have you read ‘The Way the Crow Flies’? If not then do go on to it. Although probably not straight away. You’ll need a break from the emotional wringer ‘Fall on your Knees’ will put you through before embarking on another such read. Thanks for the tip about Grey, not a writer I’ve come across, but I’ve added him to the list.
The Way The Crow Flies accompanied me on my tour of the Rockies 3 years ago. I have wonderful memories of both the book and the tour. I think I’ve delayed reading Fall on Your Knees for so long because I can’t bear to think there are no more MacDonald novels after that!
Alex Gray is female! I knew there was something I forgot to put in my post.
It often seems to happen that way, doesn’t it? You are able to make more time for reading, but the book you’ve selected to read just doesn’t entice you the way you had hoped.
I am glad Alex Gray’s novel was able to cleanse your palate. A good crime fiction story can do that for me too most of the time.
I haven’t yet read Fall On Your Knees. I read the author’s other book, The Way the Crow Flies, which I loved.
Have a great week!