Categories
Observations

Books I Have Read: October 2018

Some contemporary murder mysteries, a fascinating historical novel and a rather odd, but very pleasing series set in a near-future Europe. This month’s reading.

As far as I’m aware, I’ve read nothing but fiction this month. Actually, that isn’t true; I’ve started a good theology book, which I should finish and review next week and I’ve also started a fascinating, but very long, book about Napoleon. I should finish that one next month, all being well.

Still Waters (Sandhamn Murders Book 1) is one of those books that I picked up for next to nowt on Kindle. I wasn’t expecting a great deal from it, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a murder mystery set on an island in the Stockholm archipelago with good characters and a pleasing twist at the end. I’m sorely tempted to actually pay for the other books in the series.  Sticking with the Scandiwegian theme, I have a feeling that I might have read other books in the same series as The Wanderer, but I can’t be sure. It’s a diverting enough mystery set on Iceland and Greenland with a bit extra interest for anyone interested in the Vikings or who watches Time Team. Well worth a read. THE RAILWAY MAN is a bog standard murder mystery set in a rather stereotypical “it’s grim oop north” setting. I don’t know why it has capital letters for the title, but it’s not a bad read. I can’t imagine seeking out others in the series though.

I have to thank a friend for suggesting that I read An Instance Of The Fingerpost and I’m very glad I did. It’s an absorbing novel set against the events of the Restoration, which isn’t quite a murder mystery. The same events are told from four very different standpoints, each both adding to and contradicting what has already been said. It is complex, fascinating and very definitely worth a read.

Europe In Autumn (The Fractured Europe Sequence Book 1) started off as a fascinating and rather quirky novel set in a near future, dystopian Europe. It was mildly amusing and had some interesting ideas, so I kept reading. Then, about 75% of the way through, it changed into a rather different and much better book about multiple universes. It’s hard to do it justice without giving too much away, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one, so much so that I bought the next two novels in the series Europe at Midnight and Europe in Winter. I’ve also pre-ordered the fourth (and final?) book in the series which is released this month.

I also read my thesis more times than I care to remember in October. I could read it every day until I retire and still find a few typos, but I think it’s time to print and submit it now.