These are 3 recently purchased paperbacks I bought to keep myself going. The first, Ben Elton's 'High Society' cost me just 50p at the hospital bookstall and give him his dues, it was worth every penny! The story consists of 3 main characters whose very different lives come to overlap due to their connections with the world of illegal drugs. I found this written very much in the style of controversial Scottish writer Irvine Welsh but without the Scots dialect.
I would maybe read more of Ben Elton if his books were in the bargain bin but let's just say they aren't on my Christmas list. Enjoyable enough but nothing new.
'Distant Echo' fits into the genre that has become known as 'Tartan Noir'. It's a tale of murder and revenge by prolific Scots crime writer Val Mcdermid. Although I have never read any of her books previously I was familiar with her style through the TV series 'Wire In The Blood' which has been adapted from her 'Tony Hill' novels.
This particular book of hers is set in Fife (my home county as well as McDermids) and sees the reopening of a cold case murder which has remained unsolved for 25 years. The anniverary of the victims death raises emotions for all concerned with the initial inquiry. When witness's and assumed suspects of the time are fatally picked off one by one it seems a race against time for the surviving innocent suspects.
A good read, but still not sure if it's the writing itself or the familiar place names that drew me in. However, I would read more of her work and perhaps more Scottish crime by other authors.
'Forever Odd' by Dean Knootz is a what? A crime novel? a mystery? a thriller? All of these and more. The title character Odd Thomas is an unlikely hero. A troubled, lonely young man who has a gift he never asked for..the ability to communicate with the dead. When a childhood friend disappears Odd applies his unique talents to the task of finding his friend. He encounters evil personified in both the souls of the living and the dead.
Interesting read, although I probably would have never have picked this up if I'd realised the subject matter not being a great fan of paranormal. I did enjoy this and it has left me intrigued by Dean Knootz's other writings.
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