Review of books Lashkar, Salim Must Die and Blowback by Mukul Deva

There are certain gaps in the generous Indian outflow of fiction – the detective novel for example and, the thriller. The reason for the latter has been a little difficult to comprehend considering the fact that in India we certainly live in interesting times. And, after the serial explosions in various Indian cities and 26/11, life may not be as taken for granted again.

Now, however, the vacuum in the thriller field has been filled very effectively. Mukul Deva’s three novels, Lashkar and its sequels Salim Must Die and Blowback step into a territory that has become very familiar to everyone, whether in India or around the world: the clear and present danger of cross border terrorism.

India, Mukul Deva, terrorism

Continue reading

Non Omnis Moriar, which translates as “I shall not altogether die.” These words are at the centre of this thriller written by Peter James.

A young boy watches his mother die in a truly horrific accident. Drunk students mess around with a Ouija board in a dark cellar. A sadistic man dies in agony.

Frannie couldn’t be happier when a chance meeting at a train station leads to romance. The fact that her new relationship seems marred by tragedies, she dismissess as coincidence. Feeling happy and in love, Frannie is somewhat blinded to the often gruesome accidents that are happening around her. Eventually however, she is forced to face the reality that these tragedies appear to be linked and that she herself is somehow connected.

Peter James

Continue reading

It’s rare that a book leaves me with a nasty taste in my mouth, but Bunker 13 is a thoroughly unpleasant piece of work. Thank God it’s fiction.

Minty Mehta – or MM as he’s referred to through the book – is a disgraced army-cadet turned investigative journalist who has managed to get himself embedded with the Indian military. The novel starts with him at the parachute training centre and then follows him on missions with the Indian Special Forces engaged in conflict in Kashmir on the disputed border with Pakistan. He takes a lot of drugs, gets involved in smuggling operations, sets different regiments off against one another brokers deals with foreign ‘organisations’ for guns, drugs and secrets, and isn’t averse to killing people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. His apparent mission is to kill plenty of ‘mossies’ (Muslims to you and me) and to take as many hard drugs as possible. In between he has strangely unfulfilling sexual encounters with various women.

Aniruddha Bahal, India

Continue reading

One night stand…
One dead girl…
One bad day…

The above words on the front cover of this thriller by Simon Kernick were enough to make me pick up this book and take a closer look. It certainly sounded promising enough, so I began to read. Tyler wakes up one morning and finds himself in a strange room on a strange bed. He hasn’t a clue where he is or how he got there. The only thing that isn’t strange to him is his girlfriend lying next to him. The only problem is, the bed is covered in blood and his girlfriend is dead. What is confusing, as well as sickening, is his discovery that she has been decapitated and her head is missing.

Simon Kernick

Continue reading

The 5^th Horseman, written by James Patterson (with Maxine Paetro) is the fifth in his series of ‘women’s murder club’ novels. Each book has a numerical theme in the title (1st to Die, 2nd Degree, etc), so the title of this one – ‘The 5th Horseman‘ – follows the same theme. I have to admit though, that I was not absolutely sure of the relevance of the title until right at the end of the book when all becomes clear! The same main characters appear in all five books, but even though there are some references to earlier storylines, you do not need to have read the previous books in order to enjoy and follow ‘The 5th Horseman‘.

James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

Continue reading

I have to admit that as a reader I tend to stick to my favourite authors, but every so often I do like to try and read someone new. Mandasue Heller was a new author for me and ‘The Club‘ is the first of her books that I have read although in total she has written at least six! She has also been likened to Martina Cole so if you like her books it is quite probable that you will enjoy ‘The Club‘.

‘The Club‘ is set in Manchester and the story revolves around a nightclub called Zenith.

Manchester, Mandasue Heller

Continue reading

A glance to her left was all it took. If she had kept her eyes straight ahead, or looked to the right instead, she might never have become involved. She might have been spared…

There was a dead man in the street.

On a cold January morning in a small Sussex village, a man goes on a killing spree, shooting anyone in his path, as well as entering houses and buildings shooting anyone he happens to come across before eventually taking his own life, or at least that’s what everyone thinks.

Julia Trent however, knows otherwise. Having survived despite being shot at and badly injured, she knows there was a second man involved. A second man who fled the scene.

Tom Bale

Continue reading

Harlan Coben is one of my favourite authors. I took this book on on holiday with me and read it in two days. I would have read it in a day if I had been at home, as I found it hard to put down. The only problem was, by reading it so quickly I had nothing left to read for the rest of my holiday!

The story centres around Grace Lawson. Happily married to husband Jack, and mum to their two children, her contented world is thrown into turmoil when she collects a set of photographs she had taken to be developed. Ignoring friends teasing that she should ‘get with it’ and enjoy the digital age, by using a digital camera, selecting and printing photo’s of your choice etc, Grace still prefers to take a film into the shop to be developed. Enjoying the anticipation and element of surprise on opening up your packet of prints.

Harlan Coben

Continue reading

Or She Dies is Gregg’s latest thriller published 2009. The plot centres around Patrick Davis, a screenwriter who has turned to teaching screenwriting at Northridge University following a legal complaint against him, his agent dropping him and subsequently finding himself suffering from writer’s block. Patrick’s marriage is not going too well either and he has taken to sleeping on the sofa every night. So when he receives a DVD in the post which shows footage of him and his wife Ariana in the house going about their business, Patrick’s life becomes even more complicated and stressful than it is already.

Gregg Hurwitz

Continue reading

“He was to be her future. But what of his past…?”

When Holly Barrett meets Jack Dane on a bus trip returning home to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, she is enchanted by the good-looking, polite Englishman who has sat next to her whilst on his way to a job interview. Part of her can’t believe that he is interested in her, but interested he is, and Holly quickly falls head over heels in love.

Holly hasn’t had it easy. Losing both her parents very close together, finding herself pregnant at 18 and abandoned by her baby’s father.

Brooke Morgan

Continue reading

“I See You” was first published in 2007. The story centres around author Drew Danner, who wakes up in hospital having suffered a brain haemorrhage. Drew cannot remember the past 24 hours at all and is shocked to find an LAPD officer standing over his bed.

As he is told about having a brain tumour removed, he is shown a photograph of a blood-spattered body of a woman. A woman he recognises as his ex-fiance Genevieve. However, if that wasn’t quite enough, he is then accused of her murder.

Although he can remember nothing Drew is convinced he is not to blame. However, the evidence is stacked against him.

Gregg Hurwitz

Continue reading