April in Paris (Michael Wallner)

Corporal Michael Roth, a translator, is sent to Paris to help the Germans in dealing with resistance fighters. He tries to separate his life from his work by wandering around Paris in civilian clothing. His impeccable French allows him a freedom few others can enjoy. When he falls in love with a bookseller's daughter, he has to choose between duty, life and destiny. This love story will haunt you long after you finish reading it.

Catalogue entry for April in Paris

Belly dancing for beginners (Liz Byrski)

Though not quite as optimistic as her earlier novels, this is still a great read; warm-hearted, moving and often funny. Gayle, Sonia and Marissa meet at a hen party. Marissa is a belly dancing teacher. Gayle and Sonia impulsively join a class and find that much more than muscle tone changes. The men in their lives also face challenges!

Catalogue entry for Belly dancing for beginners

Careless in red (Elizabeth George)

I really enjoyed this novel after not enjoying or even ignoring the 4-5 previous works by this talented author. I got tired of the titles where most of the action was undertaken by Sgt. Havers and then the books dealing with Helen's death were bypassed altogether.

This title sees Lynley walking a coastal Cornish track trying to come to terms with Helen's death. The discovery of a body at the base of a cliff catapults him back to his former life as a New Scotland Yard Superintendant who provides assistance to the local inspector during the murder investigation. Seeking assistance, he breaks into the nearest cottage which belongs to Daidre Trahair who denies knowing the dead youth. This is the first in a series of lies that plague the investigation, requiring both Lynley and the local DI Hannaford to dig deep into the community memory. Whilst there is no shortage of suspects for who is guilty of cutting Santo Kerne's climbing gear everyone has a secret - ex-lovers, a disappointed father, rival surfers, former school mates and an unstable mother.

Sgt Havers is despatched from New Scotland Yard to provide assistance in the investiagtion and also to convince Lynley to return to the job. Her character is much more 'in your face' than I had remembered from earlier novels and her dress sense certainly hasn't improved. However, her strong values, unstinting police work and ostentatious note taking are features of the plot.

The plot zips along uncovering an 18 year old unsolved murder and a great deal of family angst within the community including the strained family relations of DI Hannaford. There are sub-plots that concern the life of 'travellers' and also interesting glimpses in to the world of surfing and surf board making.

Its good to have Lynley back and I'm looking forward to the old team joining forces once again!

Catalogue entry for Careless in red

Dark of the moon (John Sandford)

This is the first book in a new series that features Virgil Flowers, a colourful character from the better known Lucas Davenport books.

Virgil has been sent to the small town of Bluestem to investigate the unexplained death of an elderly couple. As he is arriving in town late at night he sees a blazing house and soon he has a third murder to investigate. The case becomes more complex when the bodies of Bluestem's former sherriff and his wife are found in their home.

Virgil decides that the motive for the murders might lay deep in the past and begins to dig into the backgrounds of the townsfolk. Along the way he discovers some dodgy dealing in the local funeral parlour, recollections of wild parties up at the Judd house, now a pile of ash, and a forensic accounts trail pointing to some serious money laundering in the small community. Whilst unravelling the threads of the case Virgil mixes with the locals, renews some old school acquaintances and keeps in touch with Lucas Davenport back in 'the Cities.'

This is a very good read that keeps you guessing right to the end, even though Virgil is 'sure' he knows the identity of the killer.

Catalogue entry for Dark of the moon

Doors open (Ian Rankin)

This is a crime novel featuring the heist of several art works from the National Gallery of Scotland on Edinburgh¿s annual Open Doors Day, when the city¿s institutions open their doors and let members of the public into back rooms and work areas in a giant public relations exercise.

There is a strong cast of characters in this novel ¿ the bored millionaire seeking an adventure, the forger and his ambitious girlfriend, the nervous bank executive, the gangster and the respected art professor to say nothing of the Scandanavian Hells Angel enforcer. The city of Edinburgh and its many moods and faces is also a major character of the novel.

The reader can easily identify several weak links in the plot devised by the new middle class ¿crims¿ who are out of their league when pitted against the hard-nosed gangster or even the dedicated police officer who has been trailing the gangster hoping for a conviction. Unfortunately for the newbies the gangster they invite to join their gang is already of person of interest to the police which concentrates official attention onto their own na¿ criminal escapade. The planned heist rests on the gang¿s ability to steal the art works whilst making it appear that nothing is missing. Enter Westie, the impoverished art student with a talent for copying masterpieces, new creations that contain his own signature image, a used condom unobtrusively added to the canvas. As things go from bad to worse, it seems that someone in the gang has taken the newcomers for a ride, but who?

This is a new crime novel without the enigmatic character of John Rebus or any of the characters from the Rebus series. There is an oblique reference to him when someone remarks that ¿Gayfield Square is much quieter since you know who retired¿ and Gayfield Square Police Station gets a couple of mentions.

Catalogue entry for Doors open

Readalikes:

The riverman (Alex Gray)

The distant echo (Val McDermid)

Garden spells (Sarah Addison Allen)

An enchanting debut novel about a homecoming, a magical garden and love.

The Waverleys have always been outsiders especially in their hometown, Bascom, North Carolina. Their garden has a reputation, famous for the apple tree that bears prophetic fruit, and its edible flowers, imbued with special powers.

Claire Waverley, a caterer prepares dishes made with her mystical plants. Her elderly cousin, Evanelle distributes unexpected gifts whose uses become uncannily clear. Claire's rebellious sister, Sydney, had fled Bascom, abandoning Claire as their own mother had years before.

Catalogue entry for Garden spells

A guide to the birds of East Africa (Nicholas Drayson)

This is a charming read full of quirky characters and an original plot that revolves around a bird-spotting competition between mild-mannered Mr Malik and the recently returned flashy Harry Khan whom Mr Malik remembers from school days and had hoped to never see again.

The Tuesday morning bird walk conducted by Rose Mbikwa of the East African Ornithological Society is a well established Nairobi institution. The regulars include Mr Malik, Rose, Thomas Nyambe a government driver and a number of Old Hands among them Patsy King and Jonathan Evans who have been conducting an ill-concealed affair for 2 years under the guise of the weekly bird walks. There are always a number of young ornithologists (YOs) most of whom are training to be tourist guides and lastly, a few visitors. The latest walk attracts Harry Khan and 2 Australian tourists keen to extend their bird watching experience. Thomas always gets a lift with Mr Malik to the weekly bird walk venue and the remaining space in the old green mercedes is offered to a number of the YOs.

Rose Mbikwa is a British ex-pat who holidayed in Kenya after finishing a law degree and fellin love with both the country and Joseph Mbikwa. Following his death, Rose has stayed on in her adopted country where she maintains an ex-pat lifestyle in an up-market suburb where she has more staff than she requires because it is expected, deals with correspondence and volunteers at the Nairobi Museum for 3 days per week.

The pace picks up when it becomes obvious that both Mr Malik and Harry Khan intend to invite Rose to the annual Hunt Ball and a wager is made at the Asadi Club that whoever spots the most birds in a week will be able to issue the invitation. Thus begins a lively week long birding competition that sees the green Mercedes have an adventure of its own, Mr Malik's shamba boy Benjamin reveals some hidden talents and Harry has a run-in with the military.

The plot has many elements and depicts the dust and grime of Nairobi and environs very well. There is also the mystery surrounding the authorship of a weekly birdwatching column in a well known newspaper - but is it really a natural history column or something else? The wagers conducted at the Asadi Club appear to be many and varied with the first clue about this pastime featuring another bird, the hadada ibis.

This is a great read and will appeal to fans of the No.1 ladies detective agency.

Catalogue entry for A guide to the birds of East Africa

A house in Fez (Suzanna Clarke)

This is a very satisfying read about two Australians, Susannah Clarke and Sandy McCutcheon (a radio broadcaster who lived in northwest Tasmania briefly during the 1970s) who purchase and restore a traditional Moroccan riad in the old medina at Fez. These two give a new meaning to commuting as they both opt to maintain Brisbane-based jobs whilst enjoying significant months in Fez.

The book evocatively describes life in the medina, Moroccan culinary adventures to say nothing of the frustrations and joys the couple experienced hiring local tradesmen. Eventually, a reliable crew of tradies with traditional building skills was assembled to restore the riad to its original glory and these characters are stars of the book.

Pets that include cats and chameleons feature in the book, together with a local donkey drama that threatens to halt the construction. Throughout the book the author continues to delve into Moroccan customs, food, overcome difficulties associated with Moroccan administration, hiring staff whilst making friends among the ex-pat community and within the medina.

During the restoration process a number of surprising treasures are discovered concealed in the walls of the riad that include an ancient pottery urn still sticky with the remains of the olive oil it once stored and a long forgotten antique basket. Sandy was particularly pleased to reveal an ancient cistern within a wall which was converted to a modern day hand basin.

I hope the author finds time to write a follow-up, as I would like to read more of their Moroccan life.

Catalogue entry for A house in Fez

Readalikes:

The olive season: amour, a new life and olives too (Carol Drinkwater)

The Africa house: the true story of an English gentleman and his African dream (Christina Lamb)

Call of the wild (Guy Grieve)

The accidental renovator: a Paris story (Barbara Biggs)

Silent predator (Tony Park)

This was a rewarding adventure novel, and an exciting find because there are not that many new writers moving into this popular genre.

DS Tom Furey is guarding a British Minister with a VIP status at a luxury game lodge on the edge of Kruger National Park. The first element of mystery is the disappearance of the Minister's former bodyguard, presumed missing and later thought to be dead. Having succumbed to the tarty charms of lodge manager Carla Sykes, Furey awakes to find the VIP is missing together with a Senior staffer. Furey's desperate search takes him through the rough country of Kruger where the presence of big game adds an extra frisson to the pursuit of the Minister and his captors. With the help of a local game guide Furey closes the gap only to lose the party deep in the African bush. Unauthorised, he and South African agent, Sannie Van Rensurg pursue the VIP into Mozambique where he is located in a beach house, but once again the rescuers arrive too late, foiled by a cunning plan devised by the captors.

Furey returns to the UK prepared to lose his job knowing he is to be the scapegoat for the ensuing investigation into the Minister's disappearance. However, he is unconvinced that the Minister is dead and begins a private investigation into the Minister's many trips to Africa, that includes an unofficial visit to the Minister's country house and contact with a journalist of dubious reputation. The final chapters reveal the involvement of an 'insider' on the South African police force and the reappearance of a ruthless character who will stop at nothing - including kidnapping children - to assure a comfortable future.

Predictably a romance develops between Tom and Sannie, yet the potentially 'happy ever after' ending is coloured by one final twist in tale.

Catalogue entry for Silent predator