Review: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was my favourite in the trilogy, and brought together everything which had been set up in the previous two novels. It's hard to go into detail without spoilers, but suffice it to say that I enjoyed the way the story unfolded and I felt the ending tied up most of the loose ends in a satisfying way.

Review: The Girl Who Played With Fire

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I enjoyed this more than the first in the series, and found that everything was starting to come together by the end. I've started reading the next one straight away as I didn't want to leave it hanging open.

Review: Agents of Treachery

Agents of Treachery by Otto (ed) Penzler

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I picked this book up in the Kindle sale, and I think I'm glad I didn't pay full price. There were a couple of really good stories, and the collection as a whole was mildly diverting, but it was a real mix of quality and I was disappointed too many times. However it was an interesting taster of a genre I don't really read, and I may look for longer works by the writers of my favourite pieces.

Review: Sylvianna

Sylvianna by Keryl Raist

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I put off starting this book; it's really long, and long in fantasy novels is seldom a sign of an easy read. But once I got going, I was immediately sucked in by the mystery of the characters' pasts and the intriguing situation at Sylvianna, and I finished it in two days. If anything, the ending is a bit too quick, and the final couple of pages left me wishing the next one was already available. I really enjoyed the mix of magic, theology, and adventure.

I should probably also mention the sex. I didn't notice until after I read it that the book is categorised as erotica as well as fantasy adventure... but you certainly couldn't miss the sex scenes. I'm not used to reading such graphic description, and I certainly felt strange about reading it on the train, but it did suit the storyline and the characters.

Review: Be Careful What You Wish For

Be Careful What You Wish For by Sibel Hodge

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is another cute, silly mystery in the Amber Fox series. If you enjoyed The Fashion Police then I suspect you'll be as happy as I was to spend a little more time with Amber and her friends, as they investigate a boxing mystery this time.

Review: Glass House

Glass House by Patrick Reinken

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


With a setting split between a US courtroom battle and a South African diamond mine, as this book starts out it isn't quite clear how the disparate storylines will come together. A lot of characters are introduced at almost dizzying speed, while conversely there are several passages simply laying out facts, whether about the diamond industry or the legal process. This is an odd combination, but somehow it just works, balancing out as a quick read with a very detailed setting.

One minor niggle is that the chapter headings read like the kind of notes an author might make to describe the contents to himself; as such, there were spoilers there that I would have preferred not to read. I tried to skip over them towards the end, but that's tricky to accomplish! However it didn't stop me from enjoying the book, and I definitely want to see more from this author.