The Fallen by David Baldacci

Small towns which have seen better times are not unusual. But the mysterious events in Baronville, Pennsylvania, are raising the highly-tuned antennae of agent Amos Decker and his FBI partner, Alex Jamison. What was supposed to be a relaxing vacation turns into a murder investigation when two bodies are found in a nearby deserted house.

With the body count rising, Decker and Jamison dig deep to uncover a sinister truth in Baronville, which could be the canary in the coalmine for the rest of the country.

But even the duo's skills and Amos Decker's infallible memory may not be enough to save this town, or them, from becoming the next victims.

A well plotted, interesting and challenging crime thriller. Unique, awkward Amos Decker is a great character with a lot of heart.

9/10

The Lost Love Song by Minnie Darke

In Australia, Arie Johnson waits impatiently for classical pianist Diana Clare to return from a world tour, hopeful that after seven years together she'll finally agree to marry him. 

On her travels, Diana composes a song for Arie. It's the perfect way to express her love, knowing they'll spend their lives together . . . Won't they?

Then late one night, her love song is overheard, and begins its own journey across the world.

The journey of the song, told by way of a series of interludes, is a delightful story. I don't like when a a main character dies though, especially not in the first few chapters.

7/10

Told in alternating story lines.The first is the story of Lou, a burned-out doctor who finds herself in the abandoned and toxic asbestos town of Wittenoom, where she meets Dave, the son of a former miner. Dave has come to the town seeking to make peace with the impact the town had on his father's life, and indirectly on his own life. Lou's investigations reveal the sad history of the town persisting into the lives of the present.

The second strand is the story that Lou begins writing, partially in response to Dave’s desire to see the story told, and partially to find her own answers. It is the story of a doctor who flees England to start again in the remote town. This narrative is amusingly sprinkled with aptronyms and other marks of literary construction. It allows room for the more intensely romantic aspects of the story and allows a depiction of the working conditions and attitudes while the town was still occupied.

It was well written, very sad and depressing. I would have liked to see Dave and Lou end up together.

7/10

Weighed In The Balance by Anne Perry

It's 1859 and throughout Europe tremendous upheavals have taken place. Hester Latterly is nurse to the sick son of a German Baron and his family, who have moved to London from one of the many small principalities between Prussia and Bavaria - and the Baroness tells Hester about her kingdom's famous royal family...

Handsome Prince Friedrich was one of just two heirs to the crown, considered the perfect match by every woman of the land. But during an affair with Countess Zorah Rostova, he meets the alluring and sophisticated Gisela - with whom he falls deeply in love. He can have Gisela or the crown, but not both. He chooses Gisela, marries her in Venice and, after many years, tragically dies in England.

Now, Countess Zorah, having accused the widowed Princess of murdering Friedrich, is being sued in the biggest slander trial of the century - and the only way that she can defend herself is to prove that Gisela is indeed guilty. But in doing so she must sully the greatest love story that the country has ever known, and that is enough to put her lawyer's career in jeopardy, too. That lawyer is Oliver Rathbone, who calls on Investigator William Monk to help...

A bit too political for my taste. An unnecessary coincidence to bring in Hester's latest patient. The resolution was unexpected.

7/10

Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch

There is a world hidden underneath this great city...

The London Silver Vaults - for well over a century, the largest collection of silver for sale in the world. It has more locks than the Bank of England and more cameras than a celebrity punch-up. 

Not somewhere you can murder someone and vanish without a trace - only that's what happened.

The disappearing act, the reports of a blinding flash of light and memory loss amongst the witnesses all make this a case for Detective Constable Peter Grant and the Special Assessment Unit.

Alongside their boss DCI Thomas Nightingale, the SAU find themselves embroiled in a mystery that encompasses London's tangled history, foreign lands and, most terrifying of all, the North!

And Peter must solve this case soon because back home his partner Beverley is expecting twins any day now. But what he doesn't know is that he's about to encounter something - and somebody - that nobody ever expects...

I like this series, it's always entertaining, the mystery a bit different and the humour is very clever. This one didn't keep my attention quite as well as pervious books in the series have though.

7/10

Defend and Betray by Anne Perry

After a brilliant military career in India, General Thaddeus Carlyon finally meets death not in the frenzy of battle, but at a London dinner party, in what appears to be a freak accident. But the General's beautiful wife readily confesses that she killed him - a story she clings to even under the shadow of the gallows.

Investigator William Monk, nurse Hester Latterly and Oliver Rathbone, counsel for the defence, work feverishly to break down the silence of the accused and her husband's proud family; and with the trial only days away they inch towards the appalling heart of the mystery.

I liked the portrayal of Victorian aristocracy as aloof from the rest of society looking after their own interests and needing to have their secrets broken down slowly and with utmost patience by Monk and Hester. 

It was a bit drawn out. I had guessed why she killed her husband well before the big reveal, he was abusing their son.

7/10

The Rabbit Hunter by Lars Kepler

There’s a face at the window.
A stranger wearing a mask stands in the shadow of a garden. He’s watching his first victim through the window. He will kill him slowly, make it last – play him a nursery rhyme – make him pay.

A killer in your house.
There’s only one person the police can turn to – ex-Detective Joona Linna – but he’s serving time in a high-security prison. So they offer him a chance to secure his freedom: help Superintendent Saga Bauer track down the vicious killer known as the Rabbit Hunter, before he strikes again.

Only one man can stop him.
Soon another three victims have been murdered and Stockholm is in the grip of terror. Joona Linna must catch a disturbed predator, whose trail of destruction leads back to one horrific night of violence – with consequences more terrifying than anyone could have imagined…

A complex, fascinating story that is impossible to put down.

8/10

Whispers of the Flesh by Louisa Burton

 Hidden in a deep mountain valley in rural France is a castle known only to an exclusive few. Here, four exquisitely beautiful immortals who thrive on carnal energy captivate and ravish their human visitors, fulfilling their darkest fantasies, their most secret hungers.

 While very hot and steamy it didn’t loose on the storyline and I was captivated by the stories of both the inhabitants and guests of the Chateau.

7/10

The Anchoress by Robyn Cadwallader

 Sarah, a young woman from a wealthy family, decides against marriage and instead chooses the path of an anchoress, not only giving her life to God as a nun but also allowing herself to be “buried alive” in a small cell attached to the village’s church for the rest of her life. This “living death” presented the ultimate sacrifice to God, vowing to lead a lonely existence devoted to prayer and worship. Why would anyone choose such a terrible fate of their own free will? We soon learn that Sarah’s sister had tragically died in childbirth shortly before Sarah’s decision to become a nun, her only way to escape being forced into marriage and suffer a similar fate.

An extraordinary, beautiful story. Much better than I had expected. But still not a good decision for a 17 year old to make.

9/10

Wild Asparagus, Wild Strawberries by Barbara Santich

"I drank Normandy farmhouse cider, ate strawberries dipped in red wine then sugar, and tasted truffles and soft goat cheeses for the first time. I returned to Australia inspired to become a food writer." France bewitched Barbara Santich as a student in the early 1970s. She vowed to return, and soon enough she did - with husband and infant twins in tow. "Wild Asparagus, Wild Strawberries" tells the story of the magical two years that followed. Buoyed by naive enthusiasm, Barbara and her husband launched themselves into French village life, a world of winemaking, rabbit raising, cherry picking and exuberant 14 Juillet celebrations. Here we see the awakening of Barbara Santich's lifelong love affair with food history. And also a lost France, "when the 19th century almost touched hands with the 21st". Shepherds still led their flocks to pasture each day and, even near the bustling towns, wild strawberries hid at the forest's edge.

The life in the small villages she stayed in seemed idyllic. The book was very slow going though.

7/10