book – Cannonball Read 17

Crime solving in Echo Park

Echo Park by Michael Connelly

January 7, 2019 by BookNinja Leave a Comment

Michael Connelly’s Bosch series are really enjoyable crime novels – Bosch is a detective who works really hard and is determined to solve crimes, even to the extent of being haunted by unsolved cases that are decades old. While the crimes can be unpleasant, Connelly doesn’t seem to relish his victims’ pain, and the detective shows appropriate disgust and disquiet when dealing with them. An insight is given to the police system, and how different politics can affect law enforcement. I’ve read a number of Bosch […]

Unexpected testicle reference

January 13, 2015 by BookNinja 2 Comments

I’m not sure if I really need to explain much about either Dan Brown or the writing style he spawned. Angels and Demons was published before The Da Vinci Code, but is part of the same world – mysterious historical cults with treasure hunts in famous art and a countdown before disaster. These books spawned a whole genre of occult mystery, or whatever it’s called. The books are best sellers, but not masterpieces of award-winning quality. HOWEVER. I had read this before but missed a […]

“Perfect” in a title raises my expectations

January 13, 2015 by BookNinja 2 Comments

This book is a mystery romance where a couple are thrown together through contrivance, running from bad guys, chasing the past actions of a con man to prove our heroine’s innocence from a murder charge. It sounds good. It’s only.. ok. It’s engrossing enough while you’re reading it, but utterly forgettable and unrealistic. I will acknowledge I have issues. It’s not the greatest plan to read a book which bills itself as a beach read in the depths of winter. It contains adventure, romance, and a […]

An insight into Jordan.. No, not the place..

January 11, 2015 by BookNinja Leave a Comment

Sometimes I go through a period of reading kinda trashy books, and I thought Angel was going to be one of them. Angel is a young girl who gets discovered as a glamour model at the age of 17, and the story of her fairly meteoric rise to fame and love life. Angel goes from having vague desires to go into fashion design to being incredibly famous, going out with a member of a boy band and tabloids and gossip magazines watching her every move. Katie Price (aka […]

Strike seeks out the truth about the Cuckoo

January 9, 2015 by BookNinja Leave a Comment

JK Rowling has written a wonderful mystery story. Cormoran Strike, private detective, amputee, and ex military police (but not Jack Reacher, don’t worry) is broke, has a temporary assistant he injured on her first day and didn’t even want, and is sleeping in his office having been thrown out by his girlfriend. The brother of a model who died in a fall from her balcony arrives to beg Strike to investigate her death, driven by a conviction very few share. Strike’s meticulous investigations, aided by […]

Who knew assassins and magic could get boring?

January 4, 2015 by BookNinja Leave a Comment

Sworn in Steel is the second of the Tales of the Kin by Douglas Hulick. The first was a brilliant tale of a Nose (basic level criminal who seeks out secrets for money) who is smuggling a book full of magic, which turns out to be more important than he had expected. It’s engrossing, full of fascinating details about the criminal underworld he lives in, and comes to a good ending, not cliffhanger-y, but makes you want to read more. I promptly sought out book […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

Help Our Mission