Rebecca BradleyBesprekingen
Auteur van Lady in Gil
Besprekingen
After the marriage, they embark on a sea voyage to Rinn's homeland. She turns out to be self absorbed and sex mad with every young man onboard but following a number of assassination attempts, and
I found this more interesting than the first volume. At least there was no harping on about dirt and squalor, and instead we learn a lot more about the previous history of the various empires that have risen and fallen, and ultimately how it relates to
After six years following the events of book one Tig is dealing with his grief and guilt over Calla, though I did start to wonder
One quirk of the first person style is the odd "little did I know" type aside and Tig's
The main character is quite engaging and some of the subsidiary characters are developed enough to be able to tell them apart, but the constant emphasis on the filth and squalor that the conquered folk of Gil are forced to live in, becomes a bit wearing after a while. Also, there are some not convincing stereotypes such as the prostitute-with-a-heart-of-gold, and it was pretty easy to guess the identity of the traitor and the 'twist' re two main characters.
In Three Weeks Dead, we get two POV. We have Jason Wells the husband to the kidnapped dead wife and then we have DC Sally Poynter, a young and inexperienced policewoman. Both are faced with troubles of them own, Jason with the moral dilemma of doing the right thing, not giving in to the kidnappers, but still wanting the body of his wife back. And, Sally is young, trying to balance marriage life with being a police and at the same time hoping to not doing anything wrong with the case.
For me was Three Weeks Dead an interesting book because I don't think I have ever read a book where the dead body is used as a bargaining chip. It was quite interesting to follow Jason as he wrestles with himself about not giving in to the kidnapper's demand. I mean it's easy to sit here and judge telling Jason mentally that she's just a dead body, she's not there anymore. But, for him, that's still his wife's body, a woman she loved. As for Sally, I have to admit that here newbie attitude was a bit grating for me, but I do like that Sally towards the end started to feel a bit more mature. However, here problems with a fellow male colleague in the book annoyed me, sure I can understand that some clashes occur, but it's not a long story, and I felt sometimes that it took a bit too large part of the story. It's not especially new in police books to have a male police hating a female police so it could be that I was just tired of an old cliché. It will be interesting to read Shallow Waters to see how I will feel about the situations.
Also, as much as I enjoyed the story was it pretty short and I often feel that short stories are like a synopsis of a book. Give it more flesh, more story, and you will have a great book. I felt it reading this one, the idea was great, and I would have loved reading a full-length book. As a novella was it not bad, but you only scratch the surface when it comes to the characters. I always want more!
I want to thank the author for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
In Three Weeks Dead, we get two POV. We have Jason Wells the husband to the kidnapped dead wife and then we have DC Sally Poynter, a young and inexperienced policewoman. Both are faced with troubles of them own, Jason with the moral dilemma of doing the right thing, not giving in to the kidnappers, but still wanting the body of his wife back. And, Sally is young, trying to balance marriage life with being a police and at the same time hoping to not doing anything wrong with the case.
For me was Three Weeks Dead an interesting book because I don't think I have ever read a book where the dead body is used as a bargaining chip. It was quite interesting to follow Jason as he wrestles with himself about not giving in to the kidnapper's demand. I mean it's easy to sit here and judge telling Jason mentally that she's just a dead body, she's not there anymore. But, for him, that's still his wife's body, a woman she loved. As for Sally, I have to admit that here newbie attitude was a bit grating for me, but I do like that Sally towards the end started to feel a bit more mature. However, here problems with a fellow male colleague in the book annoyed me, sure I can understand that some clashes occur, but it's not a long story, and I felt sometimes that it took a bit too large part of the story. It's not especially new in police books to have a male police hating a female police so it could be that I was just tired of an old cliché. It will be interesting to read Shallow Waters to see how I will feel about the situations.
Also, as much as I enjoyed the story was it pretty short and I often feel that short stories are like a synopsis of a book. Give it more flesh, more story, and you will have a great book. I felt it reading this one, the idea was great, and I would have loved reading a full-length book. As a novella was it not bad, but you only scratch the surface when it comes to the characters. I always want more!
I want to thank the author for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
This is the second book in the D I Claudia Nunn series set in Sheffield, and while there are a number of references to the first story, as this is an on going case it could still be read as a standalone novel. A gripping Police procedural well written clever intelligent with terrific characters. A dramatic tense thrilling climax adds to the entertainment.
Recommended.
Unfortunately I didn't feel pulled in by the writing style or story. Apart from the hard drinking unlikeable Robbins none of the team seem memorable.
As someone born and bred and who lived in Sheffield for twenty-five years before moving to Durham I was interested to read this Police procedural set in the city, however apart from about four mentions of specific areas this book could be set in any city. Well written this is a clever compelling story a real page turner. Taught and tense at times with engaging characters, there is one major surprise which had me staring at the screen open mouthed before reading the page again to make sure I had read it right. A later twist I am pleased to say came as no shock, but overall a terrific start to what hopefully will be a series featuring D I Claudia Nunn.
So why only four stars, well it's the disappointing for me at any rate ending, my counter said 94% read, as I turned the page our heroine having just been put in charge of a special task force, when seven more inconsequential lines before THE END. No completely closing of the case, I presume because this is the start of a series and the next book will see justice done, or will it be book three?
Recommended.
I had a few issues with this story, the main one being the choice of DI Nunn as the officer to question DS Harrison about the disappearance of his wife. Without being too spoilery, it just wouldn't happen and this novel demonstrates many of the reasons why. I found her questioning petulant and unhelpfully hostile, and prone to violent mood swings. Then towards the end she goes out to meet the Sheffield Strangler (who helpfully phones and writes to her) without back-up, and is rewarded for this at the very end by being given a new special department.
The writing was quite repetitive in places, and the number of victims climbed so steadily that the impact was diluted. Finally, it was pretty obvious to me what had happened to Ruth, although I suppose that if you hadn't guessed, the ending was a bit of a twist.
I have been wanting to read this series for years, decades even, tempted by the cover blurb All the dreams of the barbarously occupied kingdom of Gil depend on its greatest hero. Too bad only his brother is available... but I could never find the first book until I finally succumbed and ordered the whole series for my Kindle (my preference being to read physical books). May I say that the cover blurb is, in typical 90s fashion - sensational as it is - slightly inaccurate.
According to legend the island of Gil was converted by Oballef, wielding the power of the Lady, to a peaceful and prosperous paradise dedicated to beauty and the pursuit of the arts - and thus, seventy years ago, the first stop of the Sherank empire in their conquest of the world as they sought to stamp out its beauty and steal the power for themselves. Although the ruling Priest-king and his immediate successors were killed in the onslaught, some of the Scions of Oballef escaped to Exile together with many of the Flamens (the real power behind the throne) and a selection of works from the archives.
Only a Scion can wield the Lady’s power but the physical manifestation of the Lady has been lost in Gil, hidden from the Sherkin who would use it to expand their oppressive empire. Periodically the Flamens smuggle a Scion, raised in the Heroic Code, back to Gil to attempt to retrieve the Lady and restore Gil to its former glory; however the only hero currently of age has badly injured himself and is unable to go. The only other Scion of age is his brother, Lord Tigrallef, but he’s no hero - he reads, for one thing, and thinks, for another, and is happy working in the archives as a memorian as well as being rather sceptical about the Heroic Code. The Flamens don’t really have any confidence in Tig being the first Scion in seventy years to succeed but if they’re to stick to their schedule he has to go. Tig’s mother, however, does have complete faith in her son. …
The only note of hope was dropped by my mother, the Lady Dazeene, into the silence the delegation left behind.
“Strange,” she said, “I'd resigned myself to the thought of losing Arko, and now you're to go instead. Of course, it's better this way.”
“You mean, I'm not as much of a loss?” I asked, surprised and a little hurt. She had never given the impression that she liked my brother best.
“Don't be stupid, Tig,” she said. “I mean that now I might keep both my sons—and by the way, if you happen to find your father, you can tell him I'm still waiting.”
I sighed and kissed her. It was nineteen years since my father had taken ship for Gil, and she still refused to believe he was dead.
This is a solid story, well written and although I didn’t find the pace relentless (possibly more an effect of the format, for me) it was consistent and I did want to find out what happened next. It is narrated (five years afterward) in the first person by Tig with his slightly sceptical outlook on life and is a good depiction of a country held under the oppressive thumb of its conquerors for a long time.
This could be read as a stand-alone despite the bitter-sweet ending - but I have the other books in the trilogy waiting for me ...
4-4.5 **** stars
I don’t read other reviews (except for scanning the ratings) before selecting/agreeing to a book for review. I did not realise that this story, although a prequal to the series, is about DC Sally Poynter not DI Hannah Robbins. Initially, this was a disappointment to me. After drafting up my review then reading other reviews, I realised that Sally Poynter, as a member of Robbins team, is a character in the two books of the series. Yes, I need to pay more attention in the future.
Having said that, while I didn’t get a strong impression of the main character of the series, I did get an insight into the quality of Ms Bradley’s writing and very much liked what I read. She certainly has imagination and her experience as a police officer brings reality to her story.
The story starts immediately with an unusual crime and moves smoothly and consistently; essential for a novella. It is an absorbing and interesting story line, well-paced, with short chapters and building tension at the end.
The characters are well developed and demonstrate not only good detecting skills but very much life as a police officer.
DC Sally Poynter is the newest team member and wants to show she can do a good job. She has the support of her boss and the other team members with one exception who is a misogynistic bully. She is capable but insecure with a willingness to try hard and learn while trying to balance her marriage.
I felt for Jason Wells, the young man who has recently lost his wife and now finds her body has been stolen. To get her back he has to commit a crime.
My heart went out to Lewis, who was Jason’s wife devoted dog. He is a totally loveable, if four-legged, character in the story. I kept hoping nothing would happen to him. One point that amused me was when Jason explained to Sally why he was named Lewis. He was named after the offsider of Morse from the television series. Sally explains that she doesn’t watch police crime shows because they are not realistic “they never do any paperwork.” It made me smile and wonder if this was a personal view of Ms Bradley’s
My rating 3*. I will certainly be getting copies of the other two book in the series.
While the plot line and characters are well developed and interesting. The story that's too long together off the ground, getting dry in places or pointless in others.
This is was a little gem that I picked up on the random. I was swept up in the cold, dank twilight of Nottingham City as Hannah Robbins arrived on scene. Right away, the mystery starts. There’s a handful of clues and a lot of nothing as the body was dumped in a busy dirty alley. There’s no witnesses and no camera footage of the area. Hannah and her team have an uphill battle with this one! And then another body appears, with the same difficulties in identification.
The characters were all very interesting as they walk onto the page fully formed. They have back stories, families, friends, grievances, joys, histories. Hannah has a personal relationship with Ethan, a news reporter. Obviously, this has the potential for trouble. As Hannah gets further and further into this investigation, she desperately needs someone to talk to, to unwind with. Yet Ethan might not be the best person for that, considering his work. Evie is Hannah’s best friend and also works as a database researcher for the team. Jack is the local mortician.
Meanwhile, Hannah must push her team to their max even as her own bosses bear down upon her. Pretty soon this investigation is crossing county borders, so Hannah and her crew must play nice with other investigation units. But will they play nice with her team? Agh! So many pitfalls for Hannah to wind through. The stresses keep piling on.
Then there is Sally. Now Sally works for Hannah and is typically a go-getter, being the first to volunteer for any task. Hannah has come to rely upon Sally’s enthusiasm for the job. But lately there is something bothering Sally and she has become a bit secretive. Throughout the story, Hannah tries to coax out of Sally whatever is bothering her, but to no avail. Meanwhile, us readers get to peer into Sally’s head and we know what’s bugging her. I so wanted to help Hannah out on this one as it would be a simple thing, compared to all the rest.
This book definitely had a twist, a very big one, that I did not see coming. It was well done. At roughly the halfway mark in the book, the team believe they know who the killer is. Now since I was only half-way through the book, I wasn’t too sure. Indeed! The author had plenty more up her sleeve. The plot definitely thickens.
Now my one little criticism is that on occasion the sentence structure gets a little clunky, like the author was truly writing a police report that had better pass muster with her supervisors. Most of the time, this was tame enough to add to the ambiance and reality of the story. A few times it strayed too far into the proper technical way to write up such things and I would have to read the sentence twice to get the full meaning.
This book deals with a tough subject, the abuse and killing of teens along with child pornography. The story deals with it well giving the reader the over all horror of the situation but not delving into the details. The scenes where Hannah and her team have to sit through a perp justifying his deeds, waiting for him to drop the ball, all the while keeping a stony face were very well written. Their inner turmoil over the case is evident but in check as they need to be in control to close the case.
The ending had the right amount of drama. I felt that all the loose ends were tied up nicely. Also, not everyone gets out unscathed and this added to the weight of the book. I definitely look forward to more works from this author, especially more in the DI Hannah Robbins series.
Ein Killer (oder sind es mehrere?) geht um, der seine Opfer nicht nur brutal ermordet, sondern auch bis auf den letzten Blutstropfen entleert. Die Polizei steht vor einem Rätsel und in der Ummauerten Stadt von Kowloon, dem alten Teil Hongkongs, gehen furchterregende Gerüchte um. Doch Michael Scott, ein erfolgreicher Polizist, ist sich sicher, den Täter zu fassen bis er einsehen muss, dass er mit seinen Waffen in diesem Fall nicht weiterkommt...
Es ist recht schnell klar, wer für die Verbrechen verantwortlich ist und man erfährt im Laufe der Geschichte, was es mit diesem Wesen auf sich hat. Dennoch bleibt das Ganze aufregend und auch unheimlich, denn als LeserIn begleitet man dieses Geschöpf in seiner exzessiven Blutgier und weiß von seinen Gedanken und Gefühlen. Mit normalen Mitteln ist es unbesiegbar, sodass die Spannung aufgrund des unaufhaltsam näher rückenden, entscheidenden Kampfes nicht im Geringsten abnimmt, ganz im Gegenteil.
Mir hat dieser Gruselhorrorroman richtig gut gefallen, in Buchform sogar etwas besser als das Hörspiel. Wobei das Unheimliche dort durch entsprechende Hintergrundgeräusche noch etwas verstärkt wird, aber leider Teile der Geschichte 'verloren' gegangen sind.
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This is the third book of this excellent Police procedural series featuring DI Claudia Nunn, well written with superb characterisation throughout. An atmospheric engaging mystery with some shocks and surprises along the way. Whilst there are some references to the previous books this could be read as a standalone story. However there is a running theme carried on from book one, so my advice would be or should that be Maria's advice from The Sound Of Music, start at the very beginning a very good place to start.