Quick Reviews from Book Chat

The Last Night by Celia Major is the story of two women beginning with Irina, who immersed in her work restoring furniture, is trying to forget the past. The arrival of an old desk takes the reader to the story of Abigail and the 1950s. Abigail it seems has troubled secrets of her own. Lots of detail makes for an evocative read, with a paranormal element that adds a sense of foreboding.

Whispers Through the Trees by Susan Plunkett
Returning home to care for her sister after a devastating accident, noted ornithologist, Abby Stanton finds plenty to keep her busy on remote Sparrow Island. There are the birds of course, and soon she is trying to save an endangered pair of marbled murrelets. There’s also a mystery surrounding one of the nearby families that draws Abby towards her new calling of amateur sleuth. This is a cosily diverting read, the first in the Mysteries of Sparrow Island series.

Reykjavik Nights by Arnuldar Indridason
A prequel to Indridason’s popular mystery series, Reykjavik Nights features lone-wolf detective, Inspector Erlendur, as a young police officer investigating the death of a tramp found drowned in a ditch. He discovers a link with the disappearance of a woman last seen walking home from a nightclub. Although he has yet to join the ranks of CID, the young officer is obsessed with missing persons – something to do with a tragedy in his childhood. This is a moody, atmospheric crime read by one of the top Scandinavian writers of the genre.

The Solomon Curse by Clive Cussler
This is the seventh in the series featuring husband and wife treasure hunters, Sam and Remi Fargo. In this adventure, the pair are drawn to a bay off Guadalcanal, said to be the site of a lost empire and associated treasure. There are rumours of unpleasant happenings and weird disappearances. Quite an unusual story-line, this one, so to get the true Fargo flavour, try starting with Spartan Gold, the first in the series if you haven’t read Cussler before.

The House on Seaview Road by Alison Walsh
Set on the coast of Ireland, the story follows two sisters, beginning when they are teenagers left without a mother, their father silent and grief-stricken. Marie promises to take care of her flighty younger sister, but events one night at a school dance will have repercussions through the rest of their lives. A well-written, thoughtful novel that conjures up the time and place of Ireland in the 1980s.

Posted by Flaxmere Book Chat