The Sleeper - Emily Barr 2013 ****

Every now and then I get drawn to a book without knowing anything about it. This is what happened here with Emily Barr's tense psychological thriller. I didnt realise that the 'sleeper' referred to the sleeper train that two of the main characters frequent.
Lara is bored. Bored of her life in Cornwall,bored of her husband continuously talking about babies and bored of her situation. When she is offered a temporary contract in London with a pleasing salary she jumps at the chance, despite her husband's displeasure. Commuting to London means leaving on the sleeper train on Sunday night, spending the week in London living with a sister who despises her, and returning by the train on Saturday morning. This is exactly what Lara has been hankering after, and when she meets some new friends who also travel on the train she is even happier. One of these friends is a man named Guy, and Lara is soon infatuated with him and ready to leave her husband. One night however, Lara passes out from drinking too much with Guy and the next morning Guy is dead and Lara is missing. Only the courage of her one friend Iris can discover the truth about what happened.
Although it's a long book, it's worth it at the end. Its complex and exciting and the ending will shock you; it's completely unexpected.
Emily Barr is brilliant, and can really delve into the mind set of her characters. I'm looking forward to reading more.

The Man in the Picture - Susan Hill 2007 ****

Susan Hill is probably one of the last 'true ghost story' writers of our generation. Here she delves deep into the subconscious with a terrifying story about a Venetian painting that possesses people who stand in it's path.
The story is told to an ex pupil named Oliver by his old Cambridge Don in his study one wild and windy night. Really the sort of thing that should be read in the Autumn months. It's very haunting, and stays with you long after the end.

Started 23rd January
Finished 26th January

In the Miso Soup - Ryu Murakami 1997 ****

'In The Miso Soup' is nothing like I've read before. It's not until near the end that you understand and appreciate the title. Otherwise just picking the book up makes no sense.
Kenji is a young guide in Tokyo, who's job is to take unsuspecting tourists around the 'Red Light District' and encourage them to seek out the various women.
He meets Frank, a strange American who is keen to explore the darkest areas of the sex district, and happy to drag Kenji along with him. As Kenji learns more and more about Frank he realises that there's something dangerously wrong with him.
I particularly liked the descriptions of Tokyo at night.
I have another of his books to read which I'm also looking forward to.

Old Flames - Jack Ketchum 2008 ****

For as long as I have been an adult I have been trying to find the equivalent horror novel in the style of a Point Horror book. Those books were the root of my reading as a teenager and I always felt that if I could find an author whole could transport me back to that kind of world I would be on a winning streak.
Luckily, Jack Ketchum may just well be that author as I discovered in the first book of his I have read. I devoured it overnight, and am looking forward to the next one of his I have bought.
The book centres on obsession, greed and lust, and is told dramatically, sexually and explicitly. It's very well written and incredibly easy to read about a woman who cannot let go after a brief affair with a married man comes to an end.
Can't wait for the next one. Have also ordered a couple of Richard Laymon's to keep me going for a while...

Started 1st November
Finished 2nd November

The Mystery of the Blue Train - 1928 ** 1/2

A very slow Agatha Christie. I was tempted to give up on it a number of times because the plot was going all over the place and it was a very weak effort.

Poirot is set to investigate the mysterious death of a beautiful wealthy woman named Ruth, who is found dead in her compartment on the Blue Train, minus her expensive jewels. Is it her soon to be ex husband who is responsible, or an assortment of other shady characters, all out for what they can get? I personally like Agatha Christie's novels the best when they are centred around a good old-fashioned murder at a country house/luxurious mansion. 

Not one of her best.

Started 6th July

Finished 14th July 

The Murder at the Vicarage - Agatha Christie 1930 ***

Reading Agatha Christie seems to have become a bit of an obsession. But then again, her writing is so wonderful and unique that you really can read book after book of hers and be amazed at how she comes up with some of her stories. 'Murder at the Vicarage' is a curious book. It has the most red herrings that I have ever come across in an Agatha Christie novel as of now.
A man is murdered in his study whilst writing a letter to an anonymous person. Only a few hours ago, the local vicar was entertaining a group of people and said he thought that anyone who murdered the victim would be 'doing the world at large a service.' And now someone had! Soon after, a number of people confess, but it is up to Miss Marple to solve the case and find the real culprit, and as always, she is more on the ball than any of the other characters.
I prefer Poirot to Miss Marple, but this was still a good read. One more to tick of my list.

Started 9th May
Finished 17th May

Complicit - Nicci French 2011 ***

I can't really tell what I thought of this. I want to think highly of it because it's the Nicci French team, but it certainly wasn't as good as the last one I read by them and I found the constant 'before' and 'after' chapters totally confused me.

Plus, Bonnie, the main protagonist is one of the most annoying and deeply unpleasant characters to read, and her actions in finding a body in her friend's flat are completely ridiculous. She is also supposed to be irresistable to all men but from her description sounds fairly unattractive. I must say I did figure out who the murderer was before the end, partly because of the complete lack of depth into the character that it couldn't really be anyone else. And I was amazed that I got to the end and found that I was no closer to understanding what was going on then when I was at the beginning.

Not as strong as their other works. It was certainly full of suspense, but probably not in the way it was supposed to be.

Started 30th November

Finished 2nd December