Book reviews, Mark Billingham - In the Dark, Will Adams - The Lost Labyrinth, Jon Fashman - Unpossessed City

I'm behind on book reviews so here is a catch up on the last couple.


Jon Fashman - Unpossessed City

I loved his first novel - Geographer's Library. This wasn't quiet as good but was intriguing as the plot switched back and forth and you weren't exactly sure who was who and what was what in it. It is set mostly in Moscow where an American finds himself after getting into debt and deciding that "run away" was an appropriate tactic. He then unwittingly finds himself caught up in a complicated plot to spirit ex-USSR scientists out of the country.

I'd recommend this as a good read - the description of Moscow and the life within it was excellent giving me a better insight the underlying plot than many novels do.

Will Adams - The Lost Labyrinth

This is his third novel I think, and with a similar plot and many returning characters. The main one is Dan Knox who is an archaeologist who has a knack of making the greatest discoveries of the century... book after book and this one is no different.

If you like Indiana Jones like stuff this is ideal. A reasonable read and one that I'd recommend although I think Mr Adams needs to stretch out for his next novel, but then some have made very good careers with the repeat character / plot thing...


Mark Billingham - In the Dark

First time I've read one of Mr Billingham's and basically I only got this in one of those buy one get another half price type deals in WHSmiths. I was impressed. This was a gritty crime drama set in modern London with bent coppers, young drug dealers and gang members, career criminals etc. all in the mix. A bit of a diversion for me in some ways but I enjoyed it and it reminded me of Martina Cole (I think that is her) who I read one book of a while back.

I look forward to getting more of his back catalogue so I can't say fairer than that can I.

Comments

  1. DILLIGAF9 December 2009 at 13:07

    Mainly read sci-fi, farces and biographies mesel.

    Just thumbed through a Status Quo biog by Parfitt and Rossi.

    Not overly well written - lots of 'then we did this' and 'then we did that' but quite interesting all the same. Read it on the loo which probably says enough...;-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mondo9 December 2009 at 21:12

    I don't know if I've mentioned it, but I struggle with fiction, although can chow down endless rock biog's. The Longest Cocktail Party was my last one, the end of The Beatles and Apple. It's like the last days of the Roman Empire for stoners ~ they should've called it Apple Crumble

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