Thursday, February 28, 2013

February Mystery Crime Reading Challenge.

Month two of the Crime reading challenge. Details can be found here. I have 2  books  to review this month.
The first book I downloaded to read was 48hrs by J. Jackson Bentley.

Josh Hammon is sent a text message which gives him 48hrs to come up with 250,000.00 or he will die. At first he thinks this is a prank but events soon unfold which show that his blackmailer is in deadly earnest. The blackmailer has no morals he wants his money which to  his mind he is justly owed. He will get his money. No one is allowed to stand in his way. We as the reader soon find out who the blackmailer is and the race is then on for Josh Hammond along with the police to hunt him down and stop him before anyone else gets killed. (One blackmailed person calls his bluff and dies.) The pace is fast and keeps you wanting to read the next page. By the end of the story you cannot wait for the blackmailer to get his just desserts. A thoroughily good read. 
My rating 9/10.

My second book cam from the local charity shop. Buy 3 books get 1 free so for £1.80 I selected 3 crime books and the best part of it is that once read they will be returned to the shop for future resale.

Georgette Heyer is more generally known for her  Historical Novels but she did write some dozen  Mystery Novels.
 
First published in 1932 and set in the 1930's so the feel of the book is very much how life used to be like.  Very genteel and dinner parties being the norm inviting the local noteworthys for a social evenings gathering.  The story evolves round a brother and sister who inherit a rambling old house from their Uncle and decide to spend their summmer vacation visiting the property. Things very quickly start to go bump in the night  and the locals are not backward in telling tales of how something ghostly walks the halls.  Someone or something wants them out of the house at all costs  and  you are very soon presented with a selection of very fishy characters who are not all that they seem to be and then a murder is committed.   A pleasant read that keeps you guessing right to the end of who did it.
My rating 8/10.
 
You can join in this challenge at any time during the course of the year.
 




2 comments:

MaggieC (Silvercrafter) said...

I have never actually read any of Georgette Heyer's detective novels, although I have a ll the historical romances both in paperback and on my Kindle. In fact, they helped my to pass my History "O" Level, and the history side is very accurate. I was surprised recently to find that the characters in "The Spanish Bride" were real and the facts about their lives at that time were also correct. I could not exist without reading and music. Thank you for visiting and I am glad you enjoyed the Craft A Scene challenge. It is certainly making me think outside the box to achieve the results I need. Hope you continue to take part. xx Maggie #15

Ali said...

I really like the sound of the 48 hours novel. Your making my 'to read' list even longer.
Ali x