The Devil Stone by Caro Ramsay

 DCI Caplin is a troubled detective from Glasgow, she is a complex character with family issues and a past that is only hinted at in this, her first outing...

I did struggle with keeping tabs on the many characters, particularly the various detectives....good cops bad cops became a juggling act of remembering which was which!

So in a nutshell this is an engaging tale but not particularly straightforward, meaning if you prefer an easy read this one might frustrate you a little.

Having said this, I will be interested to see what Christine Caplin gets up to next...

The Library Enthusiast & Souls...

Lying Beside You by Michael Robotham

 

Once again I am totally mesmerised by both Cyrus and Evie, I absolutely love that Robotham allows us to not have to choose between these characters, we get to  back both of them as he cleverly gives us both of their points of view.

 In Cyrus and Evie we have two strong and captivating humans, however both of them are equally flawed...

I think I also got to understand a little more of the Elias character, Robotham gives us Cyrus's feelings and understandings of schizophrenia and so doing his acceptance of his brother.

I think this is my favourite book series at the moment, thank you Mr Robotham for allowing my affection for these characters to continue to grow...

The Library Enthusiast & Relatable Facts...

When We Fall by Aoife Clifford

 This book delivers what it promises on its front cover blurb...

...offering us complex relationships in a small seaside town community.

Clifford gives us an assortment of characters, whilst inviting us to take note of a history that wasn't always 'perfect'...the practice of forced adoption.

Whilst we don't get all the answers we might like, but then that's what makes this book believable...

The Library Enthusiast on Authors...

Are You Awake? by Claire McGowan

 Not the psychological thriller it has been hyped up to be...disappointingly mediocre tale of two insomniac neighbours who think they witness a violent attack.

The Library Enthusiast and Being Needed...

Her Last Holiday by C.L.Taylor

 This is what I call an easy breezy read, for those readers who don't want to get too bogged down with over complicated characters or complex plot-lines...

so not really my cup of tea or ideal read!

The Library Enthusiast on Perfect Combinations...

Tea and Books

The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly

 Set amidst the cane fields in north Queensland, Cuskelly manages to give us a real sense of menace and unease, offering us a small town community with all its imperfections...

...racism towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

...the values given to 'traditional' gender roles

...the indiffence to events happening outside their own rural community.

The tale is told through a variety of narraters, offering different perspectives which feel very authentic...

You can almost smell the cane ash.!

The Library Enthusiast on Bookish Problems...

A Heart Full of Headstones by Ian Rankin

 This is classic Rebus, a witty, interesting and well put together tale with all the twists and turns we have come to expect. 

Having said this, it did have a 'Come to Jesus' momentum about it, focusing on Rebus refections on the endless cycle of corruption and violence throughout his career....we get a real sense of his moral dilemmas as he faces the wake up call of ill health and growing old.

The ending will keep us eagerly awaiting the next instalment...

The Library Enthusiast on Release Dates...