Ha! This will probably be the worst round up I have ever posted as life has seen me flying by the seat of my pants this month. I have been juggling some home stuff with exciting new responsibilities at work, and grappling once again with the peculiarities of my misbehaving laptop (adds to Christmas wishlist), so although I have been reading steadily, the reviewing aspect has rather gone out of the window. I did have a series of disappointing reads so, in a rather ham-fisted attempt to catch up with myself and let the world know that I haven’t disappeared entirely, here is a quick round up of some of the books I’ve been reading- the good, and the meh…
Officially on the blog this month, I managed the grand total of two reviews…hangs head in shame…
John Le Carre- The Little Drummer Girl
So moving swiftly on I also read the four below, plus the start of a few others that fell quickly by the wayside…
Although widely reviewed and praised already, C. J. Tudor- The Chalk Man, was as brilliant as everyone has proclaimed so far. With its split timeline, shades of Stephen King, and one of the best endings I have read for some time, this was a real almost in one sitting job. I loved the authenticity of the character’s voices as youngsters, and Tudor’s building of suspense and tension was just nerve shredding. An absolute dream for booksellers across the land to recommend, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Soon, it will be announced why I’m reading so much Scandinavian crime in a compressed time, but until that point, here is a trinity of Nordic thrillers. I thought Ane Riel- Resin was superb, again with an authentic child’s voice, in a claustrophobic tale of the lengths one man will go to in order to protect his family. With its fairytale quality, this was creepy and macabre in equal measure, and with its encroaching forest setting, the landscape used seemed to perfectly mirror the dark tale that unfolds. Unfortunately, Karin Fossum- The Whisperer, proved a little disappointing, although the build up in the beginning recounting the lonely life, and subsequent arrest of the whispering woman of the title for a slowly revealed crime, promised much. I did enjoy the head-to-head interrogation by Fossum regular, Inspector Konrad Sejer of the seemingly mouse-like suspect, Ragna Riegel, but it was all a little too ponderous and drawn out- about 100 pages too drawn out. Shame. Susanne Jansson- The Forbidden Place was not without its charms, particularly in the very atmospheric use of the remote Swedish wetlands, and the rather likeable main character of the young female biologist returning to her childhood community and caught up in a crime mystery with supernatural overtones. Again though, I found myself drifting off as those little annoying clichés rose to the surface, but luckily the setting, and back story of bodies discovered in peat bogs through the ages appealed to my more ghoulish fascination…
But fear not, Raven followers, I have just read three brilliant, once of which I posted a review for today Margaret Millar- Vanish In An Instant and two more that I will hopefully get my bottom into gear and post soon- one of which has catapulted straight into my top three of the year. Yes indeed.
Have a lovely month of reading everyone, and if you are starting your Christmas shopping, just remember that books (bought from proper bookshops) make the best gift.
Yes they do.
Raven Crime Reads 
I loved The Chalk Man. It was so reminiscent of Stephen King without being derivative.
It was brilliant, and woah, that ending was gorgeously creepy!