Tea Time for the Traditionally Built

The latest from Botswana's Ladies' Detective Agency, Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith is a predictable gem that we've all come to love. Mma Ramotswe investigates a football club which has been having a serious slump in form. Mma Makutsi fights to keep her fiance, Phut, from the clutches of her nemesis, Violet Sephotho. A delight! 3/5

The Bone Garden

I very much enjoyed The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen, a suspense novel which examines events in Boston of 1830s. In the present, Julia Hamill finds a skeleton in her garden and goes on to learn about what happened to the ancestors of the home which she recently bought. The story jumps back and forth from the present to the 1830s where a series of horrific murders is being investigated. The story highlights the dangers of childbirth at a time when basic hygiene in the medical profession was not considered important or relevant to the deaths of women who had died. This was a gripping tale, giving an insight into conditions of the time. 4 1/2/5

Addition

I've quite enjoyed the unusual Addition by Toni Jordan about a woman, Grace, obsessed with numbers. She has a romance and tries to overcome her "obsession". Her hero is an historical "number person", Nikola Tesla. This story questions what is "normal" and whether there is really anything wrong with not being "normal". 3/5

Picture Perfect

This story Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult focuses on the issue of battered wives. Cassie is found by policeman Will in a churchyard. She has lost her memory and when she is returned to her film star husband, Alex Rivers, she seem to have the perfect life. Gradually her memory returns and she remembers why she ended up in the churchyard. Will keeps in touch with her and a "love triangle" develops. Cassie loves Alex but is physically abused by him - "he can't help it". How will this be resolved? Will she continue to put up with the abuse? This complex issue is played out under the glare of Hollywood. The choices Cassie faces are sadly those presented to many women. 3/5

Child 44

Child 44 is the debut novel of Tom Rob Smith set in early1950s Soviet Russia where "crime" was not recognised because in this "perfect society" it couldn't exist, so to suggest that there was a child serial killer at large was itself a crime. Officer Leo Demidov has hunted down "criminals" whose "crimes" were non-existent in any free society e.g. being late for work, reading a "western" book, dissident thoughts or actions. When Leo begins to understand that the child murders are connected and not random acts of local "lunatics", he himself is hunted down for daring to believe that these crimes could happen. So it is a race against time as he hunts the killer and he himself is hunted. This was a thrilling story which at the same time revealed a society driven by paranoia, where "innocent" people were summarily executed or sent to spend years in the gulags. This era has been thoroughly researched by the author, who provides a list of books for further reading. It draws heavily on the case of Andrei Chikatilo. A follow up The Secret Speech was published April 2009. 5/5

Before the Storm

This family saga Before the Storm by Judith Lennox was quite good as you end each chapter wondering what will happen next. Set in the first half of 20th century England, Richard Finborough, a wealthy industrialist falls in love with Isabel, a beautiful "unsuitable" woman. They have a family, Phil, Theo and Sara, as well as a foster daughter, Ruby. The story tells of their lives and secrets that threaten their relationships. 4/5