The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt

review by Maryom

Five young men are going to be knighted by the King but first they must spend the night at a chapel outside the city walls, neither sleeping nor speaking but reflecting and praying for strength to acquit themselves as knights. They have locked the door behind them and it won't be opened till the King sends his knights for them in the morning, but in the middle of the night, the thoughts and contemplations of one of their number are disturbed. Tiuri, the youngest of the knights-in-waiting hears a noise at the door - someone asking for help. The other young men ignore the desperate whisper but Tiuri feels he can't. A knight is supposed to aid those in distress, isn't he? So against all the rules, he opens the door and goes to help. Before long he's setting off on a perilous journey, far beyond the land he knows, through dark forests and over precipitous mountains, to the neighbouring kingdom of Unauwen bearing a secret message that must only be delivered to the King himself.

Tales of knights and their quests are endlessly appealing and this is a story that will enthral children of all ages being action packed but not overtly violent - younger ones will wait with bated breath as it's read to them, their older siblings will carry on reading long after 'lights out'. Tiuri's adventures are many and varied - through unknown forests and over high mountain passes, pursued by enemies who would kill him to stop the letter getting through, but finding help when he least expects it. Of course, it isn't always possible to spot friend from foe at first sight..... Through out it all Tiuri tries his best to live up to the knightly expectations of honour, bravery and loyalty to friends and the King.

The Letter for the King is a Dutch classic tale, first published 50 years ago, but now translated into English for the first time and bound to make lots of new fans.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Pushkin Press
Genre - Children's Historical Fiction

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Tatiana by Martin Cruz Smith

review by Maryom

Moscow detective Arkady Renko is back  - this time trying to connect three seemingly unrelated deaths and solve an uncrackable code. Attending the funeral of murdered gangland boss Grisha Grigorenko, he's sidetracked by a protest about the death of reporter Tatiana Petrovna. With a record for exposing corruption and cover-ups in government circles, Tatiana had innumerable people who might have wished her dead - so the official verdict of suicide seems a little less than credible. When the clues lead him to the Baltic port of Kaliningrad, Renko finds another body - this time that of a translator with links within the government and Grisha Grigorenko's operations. The translator leaves behind a notebook that Renko believes would reveal the link behind the three deaths and all manner of dodgy dealings between the government, criminal gangs and foreign powers - if only someone could make sense of the translator's very personal indecipherable code.

I first discovered Arkady Renko through the film of Gorky Park and have been following him ever since
 - through the break-up of the old Soviet Union, the highs and lows of his personal life, his struggles with accepting any authority, and with shrugging off the ghost of his violent father. He's still the same rather dour, downbeat, glass-half-empty guy that he was back then - just maybe more disillusioned, if that's possible, with the passing of time. That doesn't make it sound like this book would be a barrel of laughs but the other constant in his life is his unerring ability to track down the truth, no matter how deeply hidden. So like a bloodhound, he's off on the trail from Moscow to Kaliningrad, searching for something, even though he doesn't yet know what it is.
In comparison to some crime novels, this is quite slight at 320 or so pages. It's not lightweight though - there are no long-winded descriptive passages, it's heavy on dialogue which carries the plot and develops character, and every word is made to count. The passages where Renko listens to Tatiana's taped reports of the Moscow Theatre siege, the Chechen school massacre or recordings from the doomed submarine Kursk are heart-stopping and better for not being over-worked. Scenes like these take this novel beyond mere 'crime thriller' status.
At it's heart though, is the mystery connecting these three dead bodies, a race to find and decipher the code book and save Russia from another disaster. The only very slight let-down was the rather simplistic drawing of the 'gangster' characters - they all seem just a little too cut from the same mould but fortunately they don't detract substantially from the overall impact.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Simon & Schuster
Genre - adult crime thriller

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Game by Anders de la Motte

review by Maryom

Henrik Petterson - HP to his friends - is a bit of a drug-taking, petty criminal sort of low life, so when he finds a shiny new phone his first thought is to turn it into some ready cash. Then he sees the message that keeps flashing up - "Wanna play a game?" Thinking he's being challenged by a mate, he plays along, stealing an umbrella. Then he realises there's more - a web-site devoted to The Game, cool video clips of his actions, praise from other Gamers and cash rewards. HP is easily hooked; it's more exciting than any computer game he's played! At first the tasks are more like pranks - a bit of spray-painting, the stopping of a public clock - but HP soon finds things becoming increasingly dangerous, for both himself and the victim. Getting out of the Game though could be as life-threatening as staying in, and once HP starts to see conspiracy plots, there's no end to them... 9/11? the murder of Swedish PM Olof Palme? and of course the big one, who killed Kennedy?

The Game is like a book version of all my favourite conspiracy-theory movies, from Z to JFK to Enemy of the State rolled into one with some added Die Hard-style action (and language) - so what's not to love about it? It's an excellently-written, rattling good read - and I gobbled up every page of it. The reader is there with HP every nerve-tingling, adrenalin-filled step of the way, can share his initial excitement and thrill at taking part, then his growing unease as events take a serious turn. HP isn't the most instantly charming of heroes but I soon warmed to him.Yes, his language is at times strong but it felt right and fitting for his character.

The plot is shared between sleazy HP and his conscientious sister, Becca, a policewoman with the prestigious bodyguard division - an ill-matched pair with an intriguing back story that unfolds along with the main action - both story-lines keeping their secrets till the very end. The reader isn't abandoned on a cliff-hanger finale but is left with a tantalising glimpse of what may come next... fortunately all three books of the trilogy are already published, so I don't have to wait months before the next instalment.

A thriller that conspiracy-theorists everywhere will love - and one that will alert everyone else to the hidden currents behind world events.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Harper Collins (Blue Door)
Genre - adult, crime

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Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin

Chocolate - NOT Vampires
Review by The Mole

The cover of this book heralds itself as from the bestselling author of Elsewhere and not as book 2 of her Birthright Trilogy which is a shame because book one is certainly the place to start. It's like coming in to the second half of a really good film - you enjoy it immensely but now the first half is spoiled for you.

I want to limit the amount I say about this book so as not to spoil anything for possible readers.

My immediate conclusion upon seeing the book is "vampires". And it wasn't just me- "Sooner you than me" was Maryom's reaction, again believing it to be vampires. But if you want vampires you will be disappointed (although there is blood!) If you don't want vampires and you don't pick it up you will also be disappointed because it's a very enjoyable read. Although it's aimed at the 11+ market this is easily of appeal to most of the YA market too (and we know how old that market stops at! Don't we?)

The plot for the trilogy has parallels in the American prohibition era. Anya is the daughter of the ex-head of a large chocolate company at a time when chocolate is an illegal substance (as is coffee and other products of that type). Following the death of her father (her mother is also dead) she is nominally the head of the company but still at high school. With internecine fighting, dealers, law enforcement agencies, murders, mutilations, poisonings and much more this story has a lot for everyone and is written in a style where the reader is pulled along, determined to read even though at times the plot is only scene setting - a very well written story!

But PLEASE start at book one (All These Things I've Done) - I didn't and now know too much of what's happened to go back and enjoy it!

Publisher - Macmillan Children's Books
Genre - 11+, crime, action adventure

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The Tip of my Tongue by Trezza Azzopardi

"When her mother is taken ill, little Enid has to go to stay with posh relations the Erbins in their mansion. Her father is struggling to cope, and Enid finds herself having to rely on her native wit and mother's advice to survive Uncle Horace, Aunty Celia and above all their teenage son Geraint. This Arthurian tale, from celtic myth cycle the Mabinogion, is retold by Booker shortlisted author Trezza Azzopardi."

In this reworking of the Mabinogion story "Geraint, son of Erbin", Trezza Azzopardi turns the tale around - Geraint is relegated to a supporting role and 'the maiden' Enid takes centre stage; their journey is no longer through the dangerous countryside of Medieval Wales with villains lurking behind every tree, instead Enid makes a journey of emotional discovery following her mother's illness, and her special 'skill' has changed from speaking out to listening in.
 Growing up in Splott, Cardiff, Enid is a seven year old girl who wants to become a spy. Told in the first person from Enid's point of view, the story captures a child's-eye view of the adult world, full of mysteries and miscomprehensions. She tries to make sense of the adult world and improve her 'spying' skills by listening in on conversations that the adults would rather keep from her, and which she then repeats without fully understanding. When her mother is taken ill, Enid is sent to live with rich relatives, the Erbins and their teenage son Geraint. Geraint has a whole set of rules and restrictions he expects her to follow - things she isn't to touch, lines of demarcation in his bedroom that she must not cross. Enid, true to her Mabinogion original, immediately disobeys him.

Despite not always being able to relate this back to the original story, I really enjoyed this. Azzopardi does an amazing job of seeing the world from a child's perspective and relaying it through a child's thoughts. It becomes a tale of coming to terms with grief and forging new relationships to replace the old. But it's not down-beat and gloomy - despite the underlying sadness, Enid's mix-ups and misunderstandings are often so very funny.

This is the last in Seren's series "New Tales from the Mabinogion" and although I haven't read all of them, links to those I have can be found here.

Maryom's review - 4.5 stars
Publisher - Seren Books
Genre - adult literary fiction, folk tales

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The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg

Pensioners Behaving Badly

review by Maryom

Life at Diamond House Retirement Home in Stockholm isn't turning out to be as much fun as Martha and her friends expected. The meals are awful, they're never allowed out and bedtime is 8 o'clock. In fact if TV documentaries are to be believed, they'd be better off in prison! When the management introduce even more cut-backs, Martha and her friends decide it's time to take action. Fuelled by Martha's secret stash of cloudberry liquor, they hatch a plan to break out of the care home and live life to the full, even if it does mean taking to crime....

If you thought all Swedish crime novels were grim and gritty, think again. For fans of Last Tango in Halifax or Waiting for God, this is a delightful, fun tale of pensioners fighting back and refusing to accept that old age brings a life of monotonous passivity, sipping weak coffee glued to daytime TV. Sipping champagne and living in luxury is more their style than the penny-pinching cost-cutting style of Diamond House and its management. They're not going down without a fight - and even when things don't quite go the way they'd expected, Martha always comes up with another, better plan.Their escapades bring lots of laughs and excitement, and even a little romance, into their lives, proving you're never too old for fun.
I know a few elderly ladies who lunch and attend water aerobics classes at the local gym for whom this would be ideal but it will appeal to a far wider readership. You just might never see your old granny in the same way again.

Martha is just the sort of little old lady I want to be. Off to stock up on the cloudberry liquor!

Maryom's Review - 4.5 stars
Publisher - Pan Books
Genre - Humour, Crime

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Blood & Fire (Gladiator School Book 2) by Dan Scott

Review by the Mole

Lucius is sent to Pompeii with a contingent from the gladiator school to compete in games being held there by Valens, a local highly respected citizen. But it's just a few short days before Pompeii's final destruction and they are to be there for a week - ignorant of what we now know to be the fate of the city. Lucius believes Valens knows more of his father and can help him find him so when he is offered a short attachment to Valens household he leaps at the chance. But is Valens all he appears? What is Vesuvius doing with all the rumbling and smoke? Can he survive Vesuvius and find more about his father? And what of Quin - in the arena with opponents that he knows nothing of - can he survive?

Blood and Fire picks up exactly where Blood Oath left off and the story continues with all the attention to compelling detail that won it so many fans. Action adventure, Romans, Gladiators and so much more, brought to life for readers of 9+ in a series that captivates readers both young and old.

At times I found myself forgetting that this book is aimed at the 9+ reader as the story urged me along. That's not to say the writing style is not suitable for younger readers - it is VERY suitable but Scott doesn't patronise his young audience he writes for them as young people and not children.

There are times - in the arena - when Scott could really lay on the blood and gore but he doesn't... he tactfully has Lucius revolted and turn away or close his eyes and this really enhances the story.

I enjoyed Blood Oath and I enjoyed this book even more. But while this book starts with a 'story so far' I recommend readers do what I did - read Blood Oath first.

Publisher - Scribo Books
Genre - Children's (9+) historical fiction

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