pages: 352  published: 2014

Sam is writing a book about "the Butcher" a serial killer active in the Seattle area in the 1980s but shot down by police in 1985. She is convinced that the wrong person was killed, that the Butcher is still on the run, and is in fact responsible for her mother's death in 1987. Sam's boyfriend, Mat is an up and coming chef. His grand-father, known as the Chief, is a retired detective, famous for leading the case against the Butcher. When Mat moves into his grand-father's home, the Chief having move to a retirement home, he makes a gruesome discovery in the backyard. 

This book is not a thriller. No supsense. Everything is revealed in the first few pages and then it's just a question of reading on to see how it plays out. The characters lack depth. Not even an interesting beach read.

page: 278  published: 2014

A story about loss. All the characters in this novel have lost something, or are losing something... the wall of their house, their sense of direction... tangible or metaphorical, regardless...

Pretty, poetic book, but maybe a little bit too much for me to handle. I wouldn't particularly recommend it.

pages: 204  published: 2014

A compilation of poetry and prose, about abuse, love, heartbreak and feminity.

A very touching read, don't pick up this book for your beach reading. This is a book that will push to reflect on issues that are close to everyone.

pages: 320  published: 1992

The story of four people who's lives are brought together by the second world war in Italy; a young English nurse, an Indian sapper, an English thief and a burnt, possibly English, patient. They all live in an abandoned makeshift war hospital, torn apart by bombshells.

Too many flashbacks and changing from one character's story to the next, without clear separation. The stories blur into one another, very confusing. I had to force myself to finish.

pages: 352  published: 2015

Leonora wakes up in a hospital bed, with a police officer guarding her door. Little by little she jogs her memory to piece back together the last 24 hours and figure out whether she is a murderer.

The story is told as a dual timeline - the present, where Leonora is in her hospital bed, and the recent past, where Leonora heads up to the hen weekend of a friend she has had no contact with since high school. I enjoyed the book while I was reading it, so I give it a good rating, but it's definitely not one of the best mystery/suspense reads. It's more of an easy, holiday read. Not really scary as the title and cover suggests. 

pages: 227  published: 1953

A dystopia set in the late 21st century. Firemen no longer put out fires but instead are in charge of starting them, and burning things to "keep the peace".

Interesting read but at times quite confusing as little is explained of this "new" society that the reader has to try to work out on his own. Didn't get attached to the main character, didn't feel I had enough information to really understand the society in which the book is based.

pages: 321  published: 2006

Enzo is a dog; an old, dying dog. He is also the narrator of this beautiful book. Enzo is a special dog, who has learned much of the human condition from his master Denny. So much so that he is ready to die and be reincarnated as human. That's what he's learned happens to dogs when they die, if they are ready to "transition".

I devoured this book. Could not put it down. Amazingly well written, beautiful and touching. Did shed a couple of tears!

Major recommendation from me.

pages: 386  published: 2012

A re-take on an old fairy tale: an ageing couple who can't have any children build a snowman one winter. The snowman turns into a child, putting the light back into their lives. But no matter the different endings of the fairy tale, the story always turns to tragedy.

The story was captivating but too long. It took me a long time to get to the end, and I skipped over quite a few descriptive passages of snowy landscapes.

pages: 64 published: 2014

A short story about a woman who earns her living through minor fraud. Her life is turned upside down when a woman walks into her palm reading room one day, claiming that her house is haunted.

You've got to hand it to Gyllian Flynn, she knows how to write a good suspense with a twist. And boy does this short story have a twist to it... or two, or three.

pages: 273  published: 1955

Tom Ripley is an extremely smart youngman, earning his life as a miserable con artist. His latest scam involves tricking the elderly into addressing cheques to cover "overdue taxes" directly to him. He is sent to Italy to bring home a friend who seems unkeen to come back to a more serious way of life, following in daddy's footsteps and taking over the family company. His fondness for his friend and his lavish lifestyle quickly starts turning to obsession, leading him to jealous desires.