I came across Joseph Malik first via his article 30 Day Cliff, My Ass: Reflections on 10,000 Sales. It resonated deeply with my experience and choices. Although my journey has been different (I didn’t bother querying), I came to the same conclusions and decisions in choosing the do-it-myself path without compromising on professional quality in […]
Book Review
Book Review: Jhereg (Vlad Taltos), by Steven Brust
I’m not entirely sure how I came across this novel, (or how come I never heard about it before), which is a shame because some sincere thanks are due. I’ve actually just read The Book of Jhereg, which encompasses the first three novels in the Vlad Taltos series: Jhereg, Yendi, and Teckla. The review therefore […]
The Mystery of Amazon Reviews
I’ve started the year with 116 reviews for Murder In Absentia (and, I think, there were about 3-4 reviews that have been removed over the years). By now, the number of reviews is up to… … 110! This isn’t going to be a whinging post, just a reflection of what (I think) is happening, and […]
Book Review: A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin
This was one of the first fantasy books I’ve ever read, given to me by the same dear person who introduced me to The Hobbit. It was one of my childhood’s favourite books, and is probably one of my all-time favourites. I’ve re-read it recently, to see how it stacks up against the changing times. […]
Book Review: Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo
When I first came across Six of Crows I filed it under “potentially interesting” in my TBR. I then got a copy for my daughter (who’s obsessed with Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass), and it seems I matched her tastes well. I decided to give it a read too. What to expect A tale […]
Book Series Review: Bridge of Birds, by Barry Hughart
Whenever someone asks me about my all-time favourite books, I invariable whinge about not being able to choose just one. But if I’m pressed further, Barry Hughart’s Bridge of Birds is amongst the first books I’ll mention. The novel tells of the first adventure of Number Ten Ox (the villager who’s telling the story) as he’s […]
Book Series Review: Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
I’ve previously read the first 3 volumes in the Dresden Files, then let it lapse for a while. This year I’ve been binge reading the rest of the series in order, and reviewing individual volumes on Goodreads and Amazon as I go. Below are my thoughts about the series as it stands to date. My […]
Series Review: Lindsey Davis’ Falco
This is the series that started it all (for me). I always loved ancient Rome (since I first read Asterix), and detective stories. This was the perfect combination. I came across it almost by accident, picking up a battered copy of book 4 (Iron hand of Mars) at a used books stall. I then went […]
Book Review: The One, by Eric L Klein
It is with great pleasure that I got to read and review this debut novel. I had some input into it at an early draft, and I’m glad to see it evolve into a highly-polished book. In short, this is a near-future, solar-system adventure-story in the style of golden-age science fiction. It reminded me very […]
Book Review: Memento Mori, by Ruth Downie
This is probably my most-favourite Roman-era mystery series. I have previously interviewed both protagonists and was proud to be a part of the global launch of Memento Mori (you can read the first chapter here on my blog). So the short version is: unsurprisingly, I enjoyed it very much. In fact, I enjoyed it so much […]
