Michael Best

I have no idea why it has taken me so long to getting round to reading this great little thriller.

Nothing outstanding but I did rather enjoy reading this - the central voice was very clear. Although it turns into a murder mystery, there is also some interesting observation/commentary on the social changes in northern Iceland.

Lightweight, fun and I felt it conveyed a good sense of time and place (though Sir Robert Storey is a bit too good to be true!).

I found this to be an ok read but a somewhat second rate Ambler.

It took me a while to get back into the flow of Vargas's very individual style of crime writing. Once I had taken off the arm-bands and let the water take me, I was carried weightlessly.

For such a short book, boy does this pack a punch.

The abuses, deprivation and horrors of war and the holocaust are told in such a matter of fact way because they are seen through the eyes of Izolda, and she has just one purpose - to seek to ensure the man she loves survives the war.

Possibly a 2.5.

Having enjoyed the first 2 Le Floch books, this one was rather disappointing with an underwhelming dénouement and the strange inclusion of a possession and exorcism.

This started out well but became rather too silly, incredible and shallow for me. There was not enough in this to encourage me to read any others in the series.

This was disappointing.

I learned quite a bit about being rubbed down with a cold towel because of the intense, overbearing heat. In all other respects, it left me cold.

In truth a 3.5.

It is not quite the book I was expecting: it begins oddly, for me, with much talk of John Constable painting clouds; however, I felt it improved thereafter, though it became increasingly a mini biography of Fitzroy.

International readers should be prepared for a very UK focused tale.

The writing was great, but the story full of unbelievable coincidences, racial stereotyping and bourgeois angst.

This was rather disappointing.

I assume the detailed operations procedures are true to life; perhaps, this inevitably resulted in the action/drama being rather undramatic on the page.

What really did it no favours were the shallow, poorly drawn wives and the excessive ethical moralising.

As with the first book in the series, I liked much of what this book offers but there are just too many damn shoot-outs. Oh, for a bit more sleuthing and a little less gun play.

DNF. I have given up after the fourth story.

My Atwood experience is quite mixed, with this definitely on the dislike end.

I like the writing style. I just felt the story went on a little too long.

Probably a 2.5.

I am a little uncertain as to the audience for this book. The science within it is not simple, though the author does try to explain the theorising. The history/biography element is interesting, though the structure seems a little disjointed at times. The translation is not perfect, particularly with some odd verb tense choices.

All that said, I learnt from reading it, which is what I was hoping.

Perhaps a slightly generous 4 star, but I did enjoy the series and I felt this book was my favourite.

Much modern SF rather disappoints me, so it has been a pleasant surprise to find a series which has held me throughout.

I like Mr Wilton's writing but I preferred his Archives of the Comptrollerate-General for Scrutiny and Survey series. This book seemed rather more tongue-in-cheek. than a classic Buchanesque adventure/thriller.

(Should be 2.5)

I think I liked the idea of this book more than its execution. It rather left me as cold as a Leningrad winter.

Badly dated tosh, and not even good tosh.

Another short, sharp Dard thriller.

2.5 would be more accurate. I enjoyed the first two books in this series but the subsequent two have disappointed. The history in this book is enjoyable, the crime/mystery plot rather convoluted and weak, and the continuing recipe explanations of various dishes is now annoying.

I already have the next in the series but reading it is not an enticing prospect.

I have been generous in giving this a 3.

I liked they style of writing and many aspects of the tale, but there is simply too much story concentrating on excessive drinking and heavy smoking which just clogs the narrative.

An enjoyable crime mystery. Easy to read.

Aunt Poldi is an interesting creation - imagine Miss Marple as a mildly depressed, alcoholic German/Italian played by a late middle-aged, slightly over-weight Sophia Loren in modern-day Sicily.

I need time to reflect on whether there was enough in this book to tempt me to buy the next in the series.

It started off so wonderfully, but I ended up not having a clue what he was trying to say.