The Pride by Tony Park

 

Sonja Kurtz returns in Tony Park’s twentieth novel. Sonja’s body is beginning to feel the effects of the various punishments it has taken over the years but her spirit is still undaunted.

Sonja is holidaying in Cape Town with her daughter, Emma;  Hudson Brand, Sonja’s long time, on again-off again lover, is temporarily managing a luxury safari lodge in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. 

An incident on a beach in Cape Town not only throws Sonja’s switch to full protective mother mode but also alerts her to the insidious practice of abalone poaching in South Africa. Meanwhile, Hudson gets into a spot of bother in Zimbabwe which sees Sonja, together with Emma, flying to his aid. 

Sonja throws herself headlong into her investigation of the abalone smugglers but questions are hanging over her actions; is she suffering from PTSD and is she going too far this time? 

This book has everything Tony Park’s readers look for: stunning depictions of the African bush; heart-stopping action scenes; highlighting of a serious environmental issue, in this case abalone poaching; and, of course, the larger-than-life Sonja Kurtz. Emma, too, plays an important part in the story;  she is strong and brave like her mother and, although trying to lead a quiet, trouble-free existence, she  is prepared to meet dangerous situations when they arise head on, if that is required. 

No spoiler alerts here but watch out for new developments!

This is Tony Park in rare form and his legion of fans will not be disappointed. Top marks, Tony!!

Published by Pan Macmillan

Picture You Dead by Peter James

 

Picture You Dead is the latest in Peter James’s Roy Grace series of crime novels set in Brighton and Hove in beautiful Sussex and it is just as gripping as all of its predecessors. Roy Grace and Glenn Branson are working as well together as usual, sharing their deep friendship and interest in each other’s personal lives and putting all their efforts and those of their supporting team into solving the cold case murder of an art dealer in 2015.

The case takes the Major Crime unit into the world of fine art, its collectors and its traders. The villain of the story, who bears a weird resemblance to an extremely sinister looking Clive Owen (Mr James, how could you?), lives in the kind of opulent splendour that can have been achieved honestly only through inheritance or by ‘rock stars or tech gazillionaires’. Co-incidentally, things  start happening in the present time which appear to relate to the cold case of 2015.

The terrible sorrow in Roy Grace’s life is somewhat alleviated by his and Cleo’s joy as they await the birth of their second child. Glenn Branson’s marriage plans are looking uncertain and Norman Potter’s health issues are worrying. The personal lives of the detectives are always immensely interesting and illustrate the difficulties police officers face in trying to maintain an acceptable work/life balance. 

Away from the main story, Peter James has introduced the scourge of the revolting practice of puppy farming which, I hope, means more will be heard of this in a future book. Another matter is also raised right at the end of the book, so it looks like we lucky Peter James fans have a treat in store, again!

Congratulations to Peter James on another brilliant novel.

Published by Macmillan 

The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan

 

The plot of The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan is filled with stunning twists and turns which make for a terrifically good mystery story. Hannah is a young woman on a mission to right a wrong and find justice for her mother, Laura.

The way in which Hannah goes about getting herself accepted into the Innocence Project is quite ingenious and the story takes off from there. It is wonderfully refreshing to read something totally new and different in the crime/mystery genre. Hannah’s course of action emanates entirely from what she has learned from her mother’s diary, the contents of which are revealed in alternating chapters with the third person account of Hannah’s progress. Hannah’s investigations involve risks and at times danger to herself and others as she discovers all is not  necessarily as it seems.

This is such a well written book that it was an absolute pleasure to read. It is full of surprises, tension and moments of heart-stopping action. It deserves all the accolades which I am sure are coming its  way!

Published by Harper Collins

The House of Fortune by Jessie Burton

 

This charming book is a sequel to The Miniaturist which I haven’t read so I was at a slight disadvantage but was able to fill in the blanks, or at least enough to get the gist of the story. A family is living in a splendid mansion in Amsterdam in the year 1705, staring down rumours about their mysterious past and trying to keep afloat as their wealth is dissipated.

Otto, Nella and Cornelia have been caring for Thea since she was born, eighteen years ago. Their collective focus is always on trying to do what is right for her but Thea is anxious to leave childhood behind and experience the world outside.

Jessie Burton brings to life a time and a place where a young woman can be used to consolidate her family’s fortune and place in society by being married off to the right contender with the hope that she will be able to adjust to her new life, knowing she is seen as a commodity whose thoughts and opinions, her love of the theatre and art, are of no value.

Without prior knowledge I didn’t quite know the story behind the miniaturist but I think she was a guiding force, leaving messages in the form of tiny sculptures for the recipient to interpret.  I imagine anyone who read and loved The Miniaturist would be very happy to see how the lives of Nella, Otto, Cornelia and Thea are turning out. The end of the book, while complete in itself, leaves a door open to future happenings. It’s a powerful story, contrasting the lives of the rich and the poor of eighteenth century Europe and the lengths to which people were willing to go to ensure their survival, with lots of interesting, vividly portrayed characters. 

Fans of The Miniaturist are sure to be satisfied! A winning point for me was that Lucas, the cat, was shown such love and respect by Thea’s family. 

Highly recommended for lovers of historical fiction and brilliant writing generally.

Published by Macmillan