Article first published as Book Review: Brenner and God by Wolf Haas on Blogcritics. About: Brenner and God by Wolf Haas is a detective novel taking place in Germany.Mr. Haas, a popular author in Germany, has recently had his first translated work published. 224 pages Publisher: Melville International Crime; Language: English ISBN-10: 1612191134 My rating for Brenner and God – 3 Buy this book in paper or electronic format More Books by Wolf Haas Thoughts: Brenner and God by Wolf Haas is an entertaining, yet wildly strange novel. The book is narrated by an unnamed person who has a wicked, dark and wry sense of humor – much like my own which is why I thought I’d enjoy the book more. The style of the novel is unwieldy and I never got used to it. I don’t know whether the style is that way because it’s meant to be that way or simply lost in translation – meaning the translation is fine, but the style simply doesn’t conform to the English reader. The narrator says things like “listen carefully”, “take note” etc. and reminds himself things retrospectively. The main character of Brenner walks around the novel, basically it seems just…

So far, this was the shortest part of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy and also the least dramatic. This part, it seems to me, is a setup for things which are upcoming in the novel.

The part which I mostly enjoyed in this section is the wolf hunt. Tolstoy goes into the minds of the wolf as well as the hunting dogs and the reader gets to share their thoughts and excitement. The way the wolf hunt was written reminded me greatly of the great battle scenes earlier in the book.

Article first published as Book Review: Only One Life by Sara Blædel on Blogcritics. About: Only One Life by Sara Blædel is a fictional mystery book set in Denmark. This is the second book translated into English in the series featuring Detective Louise Rick. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book— use the Raf­fle­copter form at the end of the post to enter. 352 pages Publisher: Pegasus Language: English ISBN-10: 1605983500 My rating for Only One Life – 4 Buy this book thru Amazon.com More Books by Sara Blædel Thoughts: Only One Life by Sara Blædel (website | Facebook | @sarablaedel) lives up to the previous novel, Call Me Princess, which I read about a year ago and enjoyed as well. The book is exciting and the characters are well written and continue to build up and expand from the previous book (even though I understand that there are more untranslated books). The book touches on some relevant topics, such as honor killing, social intolerance and sexual based crimes. The author explores these subjects, and more, without forcing her own morality or ideology down the readers’ throats, which is a big plus for me. I love to read about…

Daniel Sempere and his wife are content with life and baby. When a strange walks in the book shop and threatens to divulge a secret, their happiness subsides.

The Seven Wonders: A Novel of the Ancient World by Steven Saylor is a collection of short stories starring the youthful, wise cracking Gordianus.

Captain Stanley Adam Malcom Parker, known as Sammy (S.A.M. Malcom), is a British captain in the Parachute Regiment during World War II. During operation Market he was captured but after attacking an SS officer, was sent to spend the rest of the war in a concentration camp. The same impulsiveness which has gotten him to the camp also helped him to survive.

Article first published as Book Review: Darkness All Around by Doug Magee on Blogcritics. About: Darkness All Around by Doug Magee is a mystery novel taking place in a small town. Besides the mystery which the story centers around, the book also captures the neurosis feel of small town politics. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book— use the Raf­fle­copter form at the end of the post to enter. 352 pages Publisher: Touchstone (October 18, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 1439154023 My rating for Darkness All Around – 4 Buy this book in paper or electronic format More Books by Doug Magee Thoughts: Darkness All Around (website | Facebook) by Doug Magee (author website) is a different kind of thriller which will keep you guessing until the end. The book would make a great selection for a book club because of all that’s happening, not only in the mystery arena, but also the psychology of the characters, their relationships and how they handle the challenges which constantly come up. The pace of the book changes often, sometimes it’s slow, the others lightning fast but the narrative kept up my interest regardless. Parts of the novel has an almost small-town claustrophobic feel to them, growing up in…

If you are a fan of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility, then you will love North and South.This is not a book about the American Civil War. Instead, it is about a woman’s journey from the languid South of England to the fast-paced, polluted North. Buy this book in paper or electronic format Margaret’s journey to love is one of twists and turns. Like Pride and Prejudice there are mistaken first impressions, dismissed proposals, and interfering relatives. Unlike Austen’s works, however, Gaskell gives the readers a glimpse into the love interest’s world as well. Mr. Thornton is a fully flesh character, not an outline seen only through the protagonist’s eyes. His struggles make him a deep and compelling character. Also unlike Austen, Gaskell’s novel delves into a deeper subtext. Class wars, unions, and strikes are rife. Margaret sees the other side of life through her friendship with a union leader’s dying daughter. The relationship that grows between the mourning father and Margaret is one of the most powerful in the novel. Even Mr. Thornton’s mother is a complex character, who influences the actions of the novel as much as anyone. If you are not interested in…

The story is about an author named David Martin who accepts an assignment to write a book for a very rich client.

An offer too good to be true.

Article first published as Book Review: Flesh by Khanh Ha on Blogcritics. About: Flesh by Khanh Ha is a novel taking place in Vietnam and China. It is a coming of age story in a dark time of a young man’s life. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book— use the Raf­fle­copter form at the end of the post to enter. 368 pages Publisher: Black Heron Press (June 15, 2012) Language: English ISBN-10: 0930773888 My rating for Flesh – 4 Buy this book in paper format Thoughts: As I read Flesh, Khanh Ha’s debut novel, it seemed to me that the story is almost dreamlike. A dream in that early hours of a hot morning where you are still in between sleeping and waking up. Your conscious mind taps into your unforgotten but repressed memories which lash out in vicious force with unforgiving storylines. While not always bad, these dreams have a tendency to shape the day or the week with their brutal honesty and, quite honestly, make excellent stories. The novel starts with a beheading and ends with a beheading, both of them witnessed by the protagonist, Tai, a teenage boy who is thrust into manhood after his father is executed (beheading…