Review: Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell

This is the first book in the well known Kay Scarpetta series of novels by Patricia Cornwell. Dr Scarpetta is the Chief Medical Officer involved in a murder investigation to find a serial killer in Virginia. The book was set in the times when computers were just being introduced to the workplace and you could smoke in the morgue (very amusing).

I enjoyed the character development and the plot kept moving along at a good pace. I look forward to reading further along in the series, as I'm sure the books will continue getting better as Cornwell's career progresses.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

N.B. I thought it was amusing that I read two books in a row by authors sharing the same surname, LOL! Not intentional, but amusing just the same.

Review: Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell

I've always been fascinated and intrigued by Stonehenge and in this book Cornwell takes us back in time. We are introduced to the landscape, the settlements, the people and their beliefs in such a realistic fashion I almost forgot that this was fiction!

Of course, Cornwell has conducted extensive research and this is a spectacular work of fiction for any reader who has ever wondered about the meaning of Stonehenge or its construction. The people worship many Gods, including the God of the Sun and the Moon, and sacrifice is part of their everyday life. The reader also learns a little about the customs of the people and the cultures of those in faraway settlements.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about how and why Stonehenge was constructed (according to Cornwell) and marvelled at the human effort required. I also have a better understanding of what the stones represent having finished this work.

I thoroughly recommended this book for anyone who enjoys historical fiction or who has ever wondered about Stonehenge.

My rating = ****1/2

Carpe Librum!

Review: Your Heart Belongs To Me by Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz is one of my favourite authors, however Your Heart Belongs To Me was a little different to his usual style. The first half of the book seemed to just cruise along without too much drama however it was overflowing with too many descriptives. This style of writing from Koontz made me wonder if he was experimenting with a new style, and I'm sad to say I prefer his regular (and brilliant) writing style. The descriptives, metaphors and similes in this novel were weak and didn't add much to the building of the story line or the characters. It also seemed to be a little out of character for the author.

It wasn't until I passed half way through the novel that I experienced my first round of goose bumps and the novel suddenly became a rollicking good read for me. The improved pace continued to a reasonably satisfactory conclusion, however I believe this novel could have benefitted from a further edit. Your Heart Belongs To Me had me on the edge of my seat for many chapters and I was swept up in the mystery, however I think it had much more potential for greatness that unfortunately wasn't fully realised.

Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this book.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!