Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: sleuth

  • Two Islands

    Two Islands

    The International law regarding war crimes is very much underpinning this story Two Islands. Ian Kemish tells of the repercussions of the war between Serbia and Croatia, the horrors and the personal stories which come to light in later years.

    Bringing the guilty persons to trial is not a simple process, and here we are shown an Australian woman, Anita, who has taken up a secondment in The Hague to join the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

    Niko is a young man who miraculously survived a slaughter in his village. He witnessed the murder of many of his fellow villagers and could identify the culprits. He was more than happy to tell his story to Anita if it meant the perpetrators could be brought to justice.

    Anita was determined that Niko would be safe and protected to give evidence at a forthcoming trial. She is vigilant about his safety and has him sent to London. However, Anita receives a message that her much loved father is ill in Australia, so she makes a flying visit to see him.

    It is during this time that Niko, in London, realizes that he is being followed. He grabs his basic requirements and jumps on the underground, too afraid to contact anyone and by chance, finds himself on a ferry to the island of Scarnsey, in Scotland.

    From here, the story is a desperate and thrilling tale. Can Niko escape the thugs who certainly want to kill him? Can Anita find him before this occurs and keep him safe? Will he ever get to trial which may take several years? The reader is kept almost holding breath while the plot is fascinating and gently unravelling. This story shows how the impact of war can be felt around the world.

  • A Death in Venice

    A Death in Venice

    A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery Book 17

    Lady Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Swift is taking a holiday in Europe arriving in Venice at Carnival time; she has not only bought along Gladstone and Tompkins but the entire staff, overseen by the absolutely loyal and almost unshakable Clifford. Hugh, due to the pressure of work, has remained in England.

    Ellie is finding Venice amazing, overwhelming and charming, but when she accidently bumps into a young lady, sending her handbag flying, the contents strewn over the cobbled paving, she is mortified.

    Helping pick up the contents she chats with the young woman who replies in a very enigmatic style, before quietly disappearing in the crowd, but just before she completely vanishes, Ellie realises there is an item left behind, that of a beautifully crafted Venetian glass heart.

    And so begins the latest and to date most intriguing adventure to involve Ellie and Clifford, as they discover in the most horrific way possible, that Eleanor has landed herself in a decades long feud between two powerful families, with someone out to destroy the fragile truce, or anyone and anything that gets in their way.

    A Gondola ride later that day sees Ellie and Clifford witness to very disturbing incident on the canal resulting in the death of a City official, also a member of one of the families. When her hotel room is ransacked, with nothing taken, a second murder occurs, that of the Gondolier ferrying the murdered man, Ellie’s instinct for solving mysteries sees her begins to wonder what is really going on.

    Verity Bright has captured the magic of Venice, the myriad of winding canals and narrow lanes that make up the City, the centuries old beauty of the buildings and the immense pride the Venetian’s have in their City built on nothing but timber piles, in the fast pace murder mystery, A Death In Venice that pushes both Ellie and Clifford into territory never faced before, as they struggle to survive against a killer who really means business.

    A Death In Venice would have to be considered as the best yet from Verity Bright. What will Lady Eleanor Swift and the indomitable Clifford get up to next. I for one can’t wait to find out!

  • Reasonable (What Happened to Mia Davis?)

    Reasonable (What Happened to Mia Davis?)

    Mia is dead and her close group of friends can’t work out what happened. The Police believe it is suicide, her friends can’t see any reason why this has happened. Rachel McGowan, a friend but not a close friend of the group, believes that Mia has been murdered as nothing seems to add up.

    In the riveting new thriller Reasonable, from debut author KT Carlisle the plot twists and turns mercilessly as the years pass and Catherine (Cat), a raging alcoholic is found covered in blood, a kitchen knife in her hand and friend of 30 years Elaine dead in her kitchen.

    Cat has no memory of what happened other than an argument taking place between them but genuinely does not believe she has killed Elaine. As she sets out to prove her innocence, Rachel, still hunting to find Mia’s killer, believes there is a connection somewhere, but where.

    Rachael, now a Detective, has devoted her life to discovering the truth, but so many good leads end nowhere. The death of Mia, followed by a series of ‘suicides’ which have occurred each year at the time of her death have kept her hunting for the truth. She does not believe they are coincidental as the girls are considered as ‘look-alikes’. She is convinced one of the group of friends could be the serial killer, but which one!

    Fast paced, the flow of the narrative is captivating as, just when you think the killer has been discovered, the lead peters out. The many foibles of humanity have ben carefully and skilfully woven into the plot which gives authenticity to the characters and the deeply ingrained search for truth and justice within us all.

    Anyone who loves a well-crafted murder mystery full of suspense will devour Reasonable in a few days even though a lengthy read, as the suspense is contagious, the ending leaving a serious question dangling: Who really did do it?

    KT Carlisle has set a high standard with Reasonable that leaves the reader waiting with great anticipation for book two in this three book series.

  • Takes One To Know One

    Takes One To Know One

    Is semi-retired FBI counter terrorism agent Corie Geller just a slightly bored woman, who has made a huge change in her life to become a suburban wife and mother, or is she someone who has a nose for sniffing out something which doesn’t seem exactly right?  Her heightened perceptions are tweaked at her weekly luncheon with other work from home professionals; Pete Delaney seems a little ‘weird’!

    Pete combines a total lack of personality with some odd behavioural habits – is he trying to hide something? Are first impressions always correct? Corie knows better than to ignore her instincts and training. In order to investigate Pete, Corie encourages her father, a retired NYDP detective (the only one who takes her seriously), friends and acquaintances to gather information about him, so that she can verify her suspicions.

    Through Corie Geller’s first person perspective, the narrative is not only a tale of solving the mystery surrounding Pete Delaney, but also an insight into the sleuth’s relationship with her family and the realities of her recent marriage. The first half of the book tends to meander through the day to day life of Corie vetting books in Arabic for possible publication and her very occasional jobs for the FBI; the actual mystery with a suspenseful plot developed slowly.  The real action started midway through the book when the pace was picked up and a thriller-type story evolved for the last few chapters.

    Fans of Susan Isaacs have waited five years for her to publish her fifteenth sleuth novel.  “Takes One to Know One’ will not disappoint her readers, who will enjoy this cozy mystery with a twist; an easy, escape holiday read.

  • The Satapur Moonstone

    The Satapur Moonstone

    The Satapur Moonstone, the second book in the Bombay Mystery series from Sujata Massey is very exciting to read, with so much to absorb the reader that it is a “hard to put down” book. The story has three major strands, all of which keep one engrossed.

    We meet Perveen Mistry, Bombay’s first female lawyer again and the only practising female lawyer in India. We previously learned about her struggle to overcome adversity and study law at Oxford University. She is a devout Parsi woman who is devoted to her family and her principles. As a lawyer, she seeks always to find the truth and to speak the truth. Her talent is a sharp mind with an ability to placate people and assess the situation. The story is set in 1922 when the British ruled India, a presence which Perveen deeply resents. Her constant struggle is to convince the males that she meets that she has an intellect as strong or stronger than theirs.

    The second aspect looks at the many and varied strands of Indian culture and religion. As people meet and become acquainted, the reader realises how many traditional customs are firmly in place. The social rankings and the servants are taken for granted, as is the corruption. The wealth of the Maharaja is awesome and the divisions between religions shows why a common collection of people cannot come to a consensus. Fascinating!

    The third strand of the book deals with the storyline.  Perveen has been asked to gather information for the English Governing body. A Maharaja who is ten years old lives with his mother and sister in a Royal Palace. His Grandmother, who lives in the adjoining Palace, is in bitter dispute over the boy’s education. She wants the boy to be educated in India, and the mother wishes him to go to England. The boy’s father died, as did his older brother and Perveen feels there is a murderer responsible.

    Having been asked to visit the palace to report and gather information, while she was there an attempt was made to poison her, which then made it crucial she find the person responsible for wishing the Maharaja dead.

    The weaving together of these three strands, and the personality of Perveen make for a truly interesting read. Her courage and honesty do not come without fear and mixed feelings. Her resentment towards the British governing body is clear, but something she must deal with in the line of her work. An engrossing read.

  • A Murder at Malabar Hill

    A Murder at Malabar Hill

    This is an absolute gem of a novel, one not to be missed. It is a murder mystery that fans of Kinsey Milhone and Phryne Fisher will enjoy. Although a murder is committed and some life-threatening moments occur, Miss Perveen Mistry’s cool head and intelligent problem solving, ensure clever outcomes. The young lawyer is the first female in legal practice, and she is determined to raise awareness of the rights of women.

    The story is set in India and there are time slips between 1916 and 1921. These serve to give the reader an understanding of events in Perveen’s past life which explain her compassion for other women. Perveen lives in Bombay but moves to Calcutta for about a year. Following that, she moves to Oxford where she studied law. Her current situation shows her working for her father, who is a senior lawyer in the Bombay Courts.

    Perveen is given a case relating to the will of a deceased, wealthy man. The complexities of the religious and cultural standards need minute scrutiny and, it is here that she finds discrepancies. On approaching the three wives of the deceased man, and explaining these unusual issues, a plot is uncovered. A murder is committed, but by whom, and for what reason? The wives need protection, as do their children if the murderer has come from outside the closed house.

    The nature of various Religious groups is explained. Some customs such a “Binamazi” or locking away women during menstruation was also still practised in some areas. This makes for compelling reading although it does not intrude on the story. At the end there is a Glossary to assist with names of food, people, and clothing. The text flows easily and the story is gripping enough to make reading a pleasure.

    The story itself is a celebration of India’s first women lawyer, Cornelia Sorabji. She read law at Oxford and was the first woman to sit the British law exams in 1892. Perveen also shows what it was like to work as a female solicitor in British ruled India. The concluding chapter shows the lawyer and her friend going to a famous Hotel for a drink. They are refused alcohol. When summoning the Manager and showing him her card, Perveen presents an argument that is flawless. She and her friend Alice are then able to sit back and enjoy a gin together.

    A most enjoyable story, and the author has delighted readers with the notion that there will be more challenges for Perveen ahead in the next book in the series.