Author: Richard Demma
Book Review: Deadly Inheritance by Janet Laurence
Rarely do I finish a crime/mystery novel with the sense of being spiritually uplifted and renewed, but such was my experience when I finished Janet Laurence’s exquisite tale of murder, mystery and intrigue set in the world of the English aristocracy at the opening of the 20th century. Because the fictional world was so richly […] Read More
Elizabeth is Missing
A resounding five stars:★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Finally a mystery thriller worth all the hype – yet how often is that statement made, so as to become a cliche in itself. “Worth all the hype.” In this case, it’s Emma Healey’s 2014 Costa Book Award winning debut, Elizabeth is Missing. This was such a […] Read More
Skeleton Road
Skeleton Road by Val McDermid. Always a pleasure to read one of my very favorite crime novelists, Val McDemrid and this is one of her latest, Skeleton Road. This is an in-depth exploration of the brutal Yugoslav Wars of the 1990’s, seen through the plot device of a series of revenge killings. The protagonist is […] Read More
The Girl on the Train
I’ve just finished the hugely popular Girl on a Train, which – with tedious predictability – has been compared to the blockbuster of several years ago, Gone Girl. I read Gone Girl in two days and really wished I hadn’t bothered. While I found it wickedly clever and stylishly written, it left me feeling completely empty […] Read More
A Verdict in Search of a Crime
A succint summary of where we are in this bafling, bewildering case - which is taking on all the charcteristics of a comic opera. Read More
Spies Russians Novochok?
Since we’re in the realm of crime fiction at this site, and we’re being subjected to a spectacular piece of political theatre all across Europe over the Skripal poisoning case at the moment, let’s take a look at the BBC’s rather trashy TV spy series, Strike Back: Retribution. Here’s a short clip from Episode 4, […] Read More
Czech artist Marie Brozova
Marie Brozova’s webpage, which, sadly, hasn’t been updated since 2014. She is still active as an artist, however. Read More
Book Review: Ladle to the Grave
Never judge a book by its cover, as the old adage goes, and truth to tell I’ve been fooled in the past by not following that sage advice. Not so in this case, with Connie Archer’s charming cozy mystery, Ladle to the Grave, the fourth installment in her NYT bestselling Soup Lover’s Mystery series. I discovered […] Read More
Book Review: The Tipping Point
As the saying goes, better late than never. I hope it applies here, because I promised this review some months ago, but then experienced certain personal setbacks which I won’t divulge (keeping it mysterious, as is appropriate to the subject matter of this blog). The Tipping Point, by Walter Danley, is a selection of Book Club […] Read More- 2 of 3
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