Death by Deceit by Jaden Skye.

This is book 5 in the Caribbean Murder Series but they do not have to be read in order as each book is stand-alone. We have the partnership of two private detectives called Cindy and Mattheus who respond to telephone calls to solve mysteries but this one is a little closer to home. Mattheus is married to Shelly who disappeared six years ago but now her body has been found. Can Cindy and Mattheus find the murderer and bring them to justice?

Death by Deceit is a cross-genre novel bridging crime, mystery and romance. The crime is the murder of Shelly. The mystery is why Shelly disappeared six years ago and what she did next. The romance is the relationship between private detectives Cindy and Mattheus.

Jaden tries to write a compelling novel by combining crime, mystery and romance. Sadly what Jaden produces is only an okay - 3 star read. The crime, mystery and romance parts are all only okay, nothing is noteworthy. Everything is low key and nowhere in her novel did I think “this is really good”. The closest she got was providing background to domestic abuse from workers at a women’s refuge shelter. Nothing is special, strong or gritty, no special forensic science or involved police procedure. The plot does not have a gripping mystery and the romance does not have any steamy sex. This whole novel is low key and is like having a soap opera on television playing in the background. Death by Deceit is NOT a bad novel and it does capture two moods rather well. People walking away from their marriage while their partner is unaware of how unfulfilled and unhappy they are plus women who go back to their abusive husbands simply because of how much they love them.

Death by Deceit passes the time and is an okay read that I will vote the middle score of 3 stars. If you want a mixture of crime, mystery and romance together in the one book, then I can recommend Loreth Anne White and Jaden Skye is clearly NOT in the same league.

Death by Deceit is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2012.

Razor’s Edge by Anne Marie Godfrey

Jennifer Brantley is found dead with her wrists slashed, is it suicide or murder? Detective Chris Jeffries and her partner Adam Hunt investigate in this crime drama set in Houston.

Okay, latex gloves on, this is a good one. Razor’s Edge is a regular Crime Scene Investigation thriller. Anne ticks all the boxes in her novel that reads like a dream. Good dynamics between the two detectives, plenty of science behind the forensics, a drug I have not heard of before, a plot that pokes suspicion at a lot of characters, an awareness of police procedures and the frustrations of police work. Anne has clearly done her research well and her book reads like any successful television police drama. Full credit to Anne because television viewers get their story in one hit, whilst book readers often read a few pages at a time. Yet her story is so beautifully put together that you can read it in short bouts and lose nothing from the content or flow.

The plot of Razor’s Edge is a good one and develops at a good, steady pace. I got a lot of pleasure from reading this book and look forward to reading other novels from Anne. I thought Razor’s Edge was a GOOD read and will vote it 4 stars. It was not an OUTSTANDING read for which I would vote 5 stars BUT Razor’s Edge certainly pleased me and gave me my daily fix of reading joy. This is not an okay read that just passes the time but a GOOD read that gets your brain searching for the answers to Jennifer’s sudden death.

Razor’s Edge is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2014

A Cornish Retreat by Lily Wells.

This novella is about Lucy who escapes to a holiday home rental in Cornwall to have a break away from it all. And then she meets Jake!

A Cornish Retreat is full of British and West Country character which makes for easy reading. The story is nicely dressed but the plot is shallow. This novella lacks depth and is a very weak story. It is very bland and just blunders along. Nothing exciting happens, just a hope that the story will improve. This is a very drab read that does not live up to it’s promise. Although Jake manages to stay the night with Lucy, the reader is kept in the dark about what happens behind closed doors.

A Cornish Retreat is a disappointment although it does have some nice scene setting. This is not a Bridget Jones’s Diary, more like the series of television adverts years ago for Cadbury’s Milk Tray. I thought this novella was a POOR read and shall only vote it 2 stars.

A Cornish Retreat is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2014.

Down Came November by Lisa V. Proulx.

This is the memoir of Elizabeth Frost and it is the tale of a woman’s love and loneliness between 1979 and 2006. It explores the love shared with her two live-in lovers, her mother and Kurgan, her Rottweiler pet dog.

I found this book an intense read, with a closeness you get with best friends. I developed an empathy for Elizabeth very quickly as she described fully her feelings towards men. It enabled me to get into the mind of this woman as she fell into and out of love with the two men in her life. It was a rollercoaster ride for her as she stumbled from one relationship crisis to the next.

Her writing style was easy to take on board and I was pleased that her memoir progressed steadily and did not jump backwards or forwards. She has lots of advice and social comment to pass onto the reader which added so much depth to her memoir. For example…

Whether it’s our father’s fault or someone else’s, we as women take it on ourselves to please a man and love him until we become lost inside his soul. It shouldn’t be that way, but it usually is.

...and…

He liked his women loud, tough, and a little on the trashy side. Bar brawling women who drank, smoked, and partied with the best of them. Rough talking whores who looked like they had been rode hard and put away wet.

...Her quick descriptions of her lovers were good too…

He was not an ideal candidate for a daughter to bring home to meet the parents. Ex-con, unemployed, drinking, tattooed rocker on a motorcycle.

...and…

Kurgan lay in my arms still asleep. That was it. I was cooked. The dog had my heart, my soul, and my love. For the next 15 years, I had his.

...I enjoyed reading Down Came November so much as it is such a frank and open memoir. And then I got to the end, when there is a big twist and I thought “Bugger, poor lass”. I consider Down Came November to be a good read and I will vote it 4 stars.

Down Came November is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2014.

Everything Comes in Time by N. Rae

This short story is a first person narrative about a teenage girl growing up and having crushes on boys. It is told with style and makes for very pleasant reading. N. Rae has a good choice of words that highlight the feelings and tensions of teenage life. For example…

The car starts and it swings up beside me and my friend’s sister’s boyfriend says, “Your ass is hanging out of those shorts”. He laughs. “Got a little dirt there and there”. My friend’s sister squints, eyes my ass, laughs louder. His mouth turns down like he’s got a bad taste of something. You know he’s going to jack off about it later. By the way my friend’s sister laughs, she knows it too.

… I found this short story a very good coffee time read. It hits the spot and brightened my day. I think it was written to showcase the author’s talent in the hope of writing longer material later. I hope that N. Rae does write some more, maybe a novella or even a novel. I really enjoyed reading this short story and the focus was right. The author has a talent for writing a bright and refreshing tale that I am unable to fault, so I will give this short story the top score of 5 stars. Well done for writing such a good script and having the confidence to publish.

Everything Comes in Time is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2014.

Terminal Rage by A.M. Khalifa.

Former FBI Special Agent Alexander Blackwell is urgently approached to help with a sudden hostage situation in New York. Terminal Rage is a crime thriller that is not run-of-the-mill. The plot is very involved and the character development is very good.

Alexander is thrown in at the deep end and like the reader knows nothing about the hostage-taker. So along with the help of other members of the Hostage Rescue Team, Alexander and the reader try to work out the identity and motives of the hostage-taker.

There are many, many surprises along the way and this novel has an unusual but welcome structure. Woven into this story is a mass of culture that includes the Arab Spring of 2005. The story moves along at a good pace and because of the depth of the plot, it gives the reader a thrill to the very end. I gets you thinking “but, but, but?” as you try to fathom out what has gone on. This story is told with style and the editing is spot on. The whole feel of this novel is similar to the popular BBC television series called Spooks, of which I was a fan. Terminal Rage has a good mix of powerful character development, crime, dodgy characters, realism, technology and terrorism.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Terminal Rage because the whole plot was so different from the norm in a crowded market. It was a pleasure to read and was both entertaining and refreshing. I liked how the mystery of the hostage-taker developed and how mistakes within the intelligence community can so easily be made. Terrorists are not petty criminals doing things on the spur of the moment but plan their actions with great skill over a number of years. The skill of A. M. Khalifa deserves a vote of the top score of 5 stars from me as his novel was such a brilliant read.

Terminal Rage is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2013.

Thunder In The Mountains by Kathryn Moon.

When we worry about attacks on computer networks by criminals, hackers and terrorists, here is a dystopian novel of what happens when ALL computers are shut down. This dark future is set in 2015 and features a group of characters surviving on a smallholding in mid Wales.

The background to this book is good, it sets the scene of global environmental problems and the hope of building a sustainable future. The story picks up when society breaks down and the focus is on survival. It is a tale of using old methods to build a sustainable community and it has full green credentials.

Reading pleasure is good and is a great escape for townies. Life on the Welsh smallholding is basic and it is a joy to read about their workarounds. We have such convenience in our everyday lives, it is refreshing to read such basic challenges of food and shelter. I enjoyed reading about the farming, especially the goats and how these sturdy animals do not fit alongside sheep.

Thunder in The Mountains explores how society strives and the politics that people play. There is plenty of dirty play in this novel and it does not show humans as being shining examples of conscience. How groups form, develop and change is central to this novel and how these people work together, sometimes falling out, is what drives this plot along.

Character development is okay but Raven treats her Welsh smallholding as an open house rather than a business, which is a little naive. Frank is happy to kill anybody who comes along and his slaughter is both evil and  unrealistic.

Thunder in The Mountains has plenty of action to entertain and to move this story along at a good pace. It has good green credentials which should prove popular. I liked the politics woven into the story and the issues raised gave you things to think about outside of the main story. This book is a little far fetched but is an enjoyable read, shame about all the bloodletting from Frank. Not many characters make it to the end of this novel, so their character development appears a bit of a waste and makes you feel a little down. But this is still a good novel and I will vote if 4 stars and a lovely introduction to goats.

Thunder In The Mountains is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2014.

I read to my dog: Story of a Stutterer by Malinda Mitchell.

This is a true story of a 65 year old author who used to stutter and found that by reading aloud, she was able to control her stutter. It is a short story where Jennie invites Nancy to her home for coffee and cake. Nancy wants the details of Jennie’s stutter help, so that she can pass it onto a friend.

I enjoyed reading this short story. It is a good illustration of how reading aloud will help people control a stutter. It is focused and warm with the kindly knowledge of a grandmother. It should help the target audience and this common sense approach should reap rewards quite quickly. Anyway, I am sure your dog would enjoy you reading them stories as much as I enjoyed this 4 star read.

I read to my dog is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2014

Anonymous by Di Enw.

Anonymous is an account of a Welsh blokes’ one year backpacking trip to New Zealand in 1997. It is told as a first person narrative by an unnamed author and I assume that “Di Enw” is part anagram and stands for New David. Throughout this book his first name is never used and anyone talking to him calls him “you” or “Welsh bloke”.

His aim whilst travelling around New Zealand is to become windswept and interesting. It was getting him down that he appeared so anonymous and that nobody cared for him. So he went on his way travelling around and staying at backpacker hostels. This is his tale where he meets many interesting and colourful characters.

The writing is good and you really get the feel of the time and location. His story is easy to relate to and you get a full and lively picture because of his skill at describing the people around him…

...He wore a vest, shorts, footy socks and work boots every day, and was louder than a fat Hawaiian shirted Texan with hearing difficulties…

…”Aussie Dyke,” or Toni as others knew her, was the first to extend the hand of friendship my way. Despite her skinhead, multiple piercings and frightening tattoos in none of the places chosen by glamour models, but all those chosen by soldiers, sailors and Maori rugby stars, Toni was the hostel’s mum…

...With The Barber’s hands on the wheel, my head resting on the seat, and her wearing a baggy vest with no bra, I can see the entire west face of her tits…

I enjoyed reading Anonymous and found it a good read. I liked the way his story unfolded and it was very much like getting to know a new workmate as they reveal their colourful past. The whole feel of this book was rites of passage, growing up and forging an identity. He really got to grips with anonymity when he writes…

...Their smart appearance sets them apart from the rest of us, and I suddenly realize that all backpackers and travellers look the same. Each one of us does something to try to show our freedom and independence, but the more we seek not to conform the more we look like a herd. Each extra piercing or tattoo, each new scruffy shirt and every extra inch of hair marks us as different from the worlds we came from, but actually serves only to make us even more conformist. Like sheep we are individually anonymous and only recognizable as an indistinguishable part of a wider flock…

Anonymous has a happy ending and was a good reading experience. I always enjoy reading first person narratives and this one has an honesty and warmth that makes it such a pleasant read. Yes, it is not the best first person narrative I have read but it is a truly good read that I will vote 4 stars.

When I got to the end it reveals the author’s real name which I assume is to leave the reader with an understanding of how anonymous we all are in different fields. He does put over the very transient nature of human relationships and how some are very highlighted and named while others are anonymous and go unnoticed. With social mobility being so great nowadays, even in small towns you will not be able to recognize that face in the street. Recognizing names across the internet is easy and a good place for book lovers is a website called Goodreads. I put book reviews on there but sadly Anonymous by Di Enw or the author’s real name is not listed on there which is a shame but I am sure he has his reasons.

Anonymous is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2014.

Wanted by Chris W. Martinez.

Wanted is a short story about Natalie who finds an online ad “Easiest $200 you will ever make”. All Jim wants is a young pretty girl (18-28) to give him some of her hair but she must cut it in person. Natalie’s friend Brian claims the guy might be dodgy but agrees to accompany her so that she can earn the $200.

This short story is brilliant, it is focused and really defines how creepy Jim sounds from his advert and emails. The scene setting is spot on and the tension really builds at a very fast pace. There are just 3 characters in this short story but their personalities are fully developed and brought to the front. This is one hell of an entertaining read as you wonder what kinks Jim may be into. The dialogue between the characters is realistic, for example...

“Mmm, you smell natural. Not like some whore.” He sniffed again. “Like a real woman, the kind I might see at the grocery store in her workout clothes, or out walking her dog, or at-”

… I thoroughly enjoyed reading Wanted, it is top class stuff. Chris writes with such a polished style that he can create great depth even within a short story. That is some skill and this short story is a gem that I will vote the top score of 5 stars. I was very impressed with the quality and thrill of reading Wanted that I will be on the look-out for future books from Chris. Well done mate, you have made a lunch-time read such a pleasure.

Wanted is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2014.

Overweight and Happy: Reap the benefits of your pounds by Barbara Cunnings.

This book is all about being overweight and leading a happy life. In it Barbara puts forward her case very strongly indeed. She supports being overweight and dismisses diets as unnecessary pursuits that lead to great profits being generated for the diet industry. She warns of the dangers of obesity and suggests that people have a Body Mass Index up to 30 to have a full, active and happy life.

I found this book a poor read although I totally agreed with what Barbara was preaching. Her writing style is very happy clappy though and borrows similar mantras as those used by diet clubs. It is all about confidence building and the same feel good themes are repeated throughout this book. She does rather labour her points but does have the balance to state that you should never become obese.

It was a little ambitious of Barbara to write at such length about being overweight and living an active and happy life. The scope of this book could have easily been fully covered in a well-edited magazine feature. The enlightenment to reading time ratio of this book was poor, so I can only vote her book 2 stars. That is a shame because what Barbara is preaching at great length is balanced, common sense and refreshing. It is great that she is confident enough to challenge the diet industry and slim is best peer group pressure.

Overweight and Happy is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2014.

Bare Down There: Shaved Pink And Big Breasts by Allison Reims.

Beth wants to spice up her sex life with Jack but he is put off by her forest of pubic hair. She decides to take a gamble and shave her pubic hair, this is her tale in this erotic short story.

This erotic short story is very disappointing indeed. Allison is unable to describe the feelings and joy obtained from shaving away pubic hair. The shaving is almost mentioned in passing as this story moves onto regular oral and penetrative sex. There is nothing erotic about this story and it is rather tame. It is poor in it's choice of vocabulary and the dialogue between them both made me cringe! For example...

"Oh yes baby. Bounce on my rod. Bounce on my cock baby. I love being inside you baby. I love it when you are on top of me baby. Keep bouncing on my cock."

or just as bad from Beth...

"Oh yeah honey. I love it when you fuck me hard like that. Fuck me hard and deep. You know I love it when you fuck me hard and deep."

Bare Down There did not excite me and I found this erotic short story a bore. Allison brings nothing to the table and I feel her book is a waste of time. This is not a thrilling or entertaining read and is rather puerile. Writing erotic stories is a hard task and maybe when Allison has some more sexual experience in her private life, she may be able to tease the reader. At the moment her writing is not erotic and her short story is such a sorry tale that I can only vote it the minimum score of 1 star. This is one to MISS even as a free download.

Bare Down There was written in 2014 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

My life: a coach trip adventure by Brendan Sheerin.

Coach Trip is a very popular travel programme broadcast on Channel 4 television in the UK. It is presented by a very likeable and camp man called Brendan, this is his memoir.

This book covers Brendan's life from his birth in 1959 to 2011, with the content relating to the Coach Trip television programme from 2004. It is not until you have read 53% of this memoir before Coach Trip is mentioned, so the title is a little misleading. However this memoir is easy to relate to and is told in the same soft manner as he uses on the television programme. Brendan is only 5 months younger than me and I found it very easy to fall into his shoes as he described the social themes of the day as his memoir moved forward.

I found this book not the best of reads. Brendan gives a very long name check of all the people he has met overs the years. This name dropping became rather tedious after a while! The anecdotes he raises are quite poor and short. The funniest being about a donkey in Ireland. There is a lot of moving around and Brendan never lives in one place for long. Each new home has a long description and when he leaves there is another tedious roll call of the people left behind.

The information I got from this book about the Coach Trip television programme was very poor. Programme makers can be quite lazy and a full day’s filming is edited down to just 30 minutes for broadcast. But Brendan does reveal a lot about the Catholic church, the way it deals with homosexuals and the personal grief experienced when his partner of 25 years Les, died at the age of 59.

This book is an okay read and solves the readers' curiosity about a celebrity life. It is not a thrilling read and is like someone getting back from holiday and telling you about what a nice time they had. Brendan is not the best of storytellers but I will still vote his memoir 3 stars because of how he explains the challenges of being a homosexual to a wider audience.

My life is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2011 and republished in 2012 when Brendan added a lengthy postscript.

Big Fat Lies: The Truth about Obesity, Disease and Health by Joey Lott.

This book challenges the popular media view about obesity and health. It is well researched and explodes a lot of the myths about body fat and disease.

Joey has done a tremendous amount of research and number crunching to give the reader a different view on the body fat we carry around. I found his book very refreshing and was pleased to read how he captured the bigger picture. He asked a lot of questions about the scale of growing obesity and the highly profitable diet industry. This book really made me think about what is actually going on with peoples' body fat.

I found this book very easy to read and absorb the mountains of information scattered throughout the text. I quickly understood where Joey was coming from and formed my own opinion on the health risks of excess body fat. The way our bodies process food is very complicated and involved but Joey talks you through this magic working in your tummy.

Big Fat Lies is a good read and I really enjoyed reading it. It really makes you wonder who the bad guys are and highlights the problems of commissioning and presenting reports by analyzing available data correctly. I finished this book and felt really enlightened and relieved. I have learned a lot about body fat, health and the way business works. This book gives a real feel-good factor as you develop an awareness about the truth about excess body fat and I vote this commentary 4 stars. Well done Joey for exposing these lies that have been repeated parrot fashion until the general public are brainwashed into submission and more profits made for the diet industry.

Big Fat Lies is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2015.

A Dark Lure by Loreth Anne White.

This novel has 6 main characters whose lives come together at the Broken Bar ranch in Canada. It is a regular crime thriller about a serial killer, a victim who got away, with some romance and suspense thrown in for good measure.

A Dark Lure is all about hunting and presenting a lure to attract the prey. It is not just about hunting for animals to eat or fish to catch but also concerns attracting people or passing on the truth.

Loreth writes a good novel that makes for an entertaining and thrilling read. All the little bits of information thrown into her script are there for a reason and are essential to the plot. There is no padding here to bulk out the pages. Slowly the 6 main characters are drawn together as this story unfolds. Character development is very good and you see this story grow from each characters' point of view. What is nice is how this jigsaw of a plot fits together with all those small details playing their part later on. This is a great novel for spotters of detail. Her vocabulary is extensive and her knowledge of fishing is great. I have no interest whatsoever in fishing but Loreth managed to get across to me the essence of the activity and the importance of the lure. The romance is an integral part of this novel but is not sugary sweet and should appeal to both genders.

I really enjoyed reading A Dark Lure although it was not focused on one genre. The editing was spot on and this jigsaw of a novel was very like a successful mainstream television drama targeted to a wide audience at prime time. Generally when you try to please lots of people you are doomed to failure but Loreth has the storytelling skill to appeal to a wide and varied audience. Dog lovers will enjoy this story too as Ace, the German Shepherd, has his important part to play in this jigsaw of a novel. The best part of this novel is the ending but not the ending of the story. Loreth decided for very good reasons, to leave her acknowledgements until after her story finished. These acknowledgements show the whole story from an authors' point of view and this was extremely refreshing for me to read. All in all Loreth has the lure to draw in a wide audience of readers with her jigsaw of a novel which I vote the top score of 5 stars. Thankfully, for all her talk about fishing, Loreth never once mentioned maggots which.really give me the creeps!

A Dark Lure is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2015.

Reverse Diabetes in 30 Days by Sanjay Raghavan.

In his book, Sanjay tells how he reversed his type 2 diabetes in 30 days without medication. He looks at lots of diets and how they can help control and reverse diabetes. He then develops his own diet which brings fast results, reverses his diabetes and makes him lose weight.

How the body works and deals with food is rather complicated but Sanjay leads you through this confusing maze. I found his style very charismatic but his book has all you need to know. He does a good job at informing you about how different foods affect your body and what to watch out for. By the end of this book you develop a feel for the foods that will reverse diabetes and also an understanding of how some eating some foods could so easily lead to you developing diabetes in later life. Sanjay is inspiring and demonstrates from his own experience the old adage "you are what you eat".

This book is quite a lot to take in and another challenge is that Sanjay is a vegetarian! Boy, he loves his lentils and his food choices and recipes are not the most convenient. However he will empower the reader to avoid diabetes and the other health risks of being overweight or obese.

Reading pleasure is limited as this is basically a fix-it manual. But this is a good read and a true eye opener when you think of all the people who could benefit by eating the right foods. As we get older we become lazy with our food choices but this book is a 4 star taste of a better life without daily medication. I vote this book 4 stars as it is a good read but it is a very long learning curve that is tailored towards vegetarians. Although I give it 4 stars as a book, as a wake up call it gets 5 stars!

Reverse Diabetes in 30 Days is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2015.

Black Wood by SJI Holliday.

Black Wood is a suspense thriller set in a fictional small town near Edinburgh in Scotland. It is spread across 2 time zones, the present day and some creepy events in the local woods 23 years ago.

SJI Holliday writes in an easy reading television drama style. Her characterizations are very good and her story is told in the way that holiday makers reveal their life stories to strangers slowly as they gain their trust. She creates great atmosphere with lovely suspense as the creepy scenes unfold in the woods. You imagine the dangers lurking in the woods and begin to join up the dots.

This story develops at a good pace the way you gain an understanding of the threats lurking below the surface. Normally I can't stand stories that roll backwards and forwards in time BUT Black Wood is different. This story is expertly told and the whole feel is one of getting to know people, so the time frame is not important. It starts off as an okay read but slowly and steadily it gets better. All the atmosphere and suspense build up into a first class read and you get drawn in big time. You walk your dog past some trees and all you can think about is Black Wood. The mood of the book really stays with you as a daily read. Holliday makes it easy to read her book in little bits as she has divided it into 66 chapters!

Psychologically this is a powerful read and there is a lot of tension here. There is nothing to offend your grandmother in this very British tale. It is a thrilling read that really entertains and draws you into the characters. I really enjoyed reading Black Wood, this is top class writing that I will very happily vote the top score of 5 stars. SJI Holliday is an author to watch, well done girl.

Black Wood is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2015.

Robin Nixon’s HTML & HTML5 Crash Course.

HTML is the backbone of web pages that your browser displays on your computer. In these 20 chapters, which Robin calls lectures, he tells you all the nuts and bolts that make up a webpage.

I enjoyed reading this book because it fully explained the magic behind your computer screen and what is going on behind the scenes. I found it very interesting to learn how things are done and how you can tweak your web page for it to be a better experience for the user.

HTML is invisible to the internet user but Robin explains how it works. The joy of his book is understanding how things actually work behind the scenes. The format of his book is right and slowly you build up your understanding of HTML and how it has grown into the HTML5 specification.

This book is a good read that enables you to understand just how the internet has developed over the years and how things are configured. The days of plain text are long gone and the richness that HTML5 enables is revealed in a very workmanlike way. Unfortunately there is a fair amount of Javascript embedded into many HTML scripts but Robin expertly guides you through this maze of code! Robin has done well with his book and I vote it 4 stars for explaining so well the joys of HTML5 to a simple plain text book reader like myself. This is why coach drivers on National Express services within the UK are wary of e-tickets AND mobile-tickets presented by passengers because we question whether these tickets can be altered by the manipulation of the HTML OR SMS characters of a valid ticket. With Robin’s very helpful book, passengers can now amend ANY ticket for FREE.

HTML & HTML5 Crash Course is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2012.

The Synagogue of Satan by Andrew Carrington Hitchcock.

This book really makes you think as you remember all those little whispers people have said to you over the years about the Jews. Andrew has done a tremendous amount of research to write his book about the many conspiracies involving the Jews. I like the way Andrew has chosen to write his book in chronological order from 740 to 2011. You build up an understanding not only about the dirty tricks that Jews employ but also how the world actually works as the strings are pulled behind the scenes.

This book lifts the lid on the conspiracies and details how the public has been duped. It includes the complete Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion which is a big scoop as the Jews do not want the general public to know their plans for world domination.

This is a thrilling book to read because of the way it develops. You learn how the Jews have played their game and how the public have been taken in by their lies and manipulations. Then you discover how the world actually works and how it has been shaped to the gross advantage of the Jews. At the end of the book you are left to draw your own conclusions on democracy, money and the Jews. This book will give the reader a big shock as to how our society has grown due to pressure from the Jews and I felt a lot wiser when I got to the end.

Andrew has written a very good book which enlightens the reader big time. It is easy reading and easy to understand. There are no dull bits in his book but a lot of surprises. The chronological format Andrew has chosen for his book is right, you know exactly where in the time frame you are and how far it is to the end. Then I remembered all those news stories I had read over the past 30 years as they patch in with Andrew’s book. All my suspicions and wonders are answered by the time I got to the end of this book, which is a genuine 5 star read. Thanks to Andrew for also highlighting just how unrepresentative the 2 party system democracies in America and Britain truly are. Thanks to Andrew for writing such a good, informative and entertaining book, 5 stars from me mate!

The Synagogue of Satan is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was updated, expanded and published in 2012, as the original was published in 2006.

Reddit’s Dirtiest Secrets by Jack Oriole.

Reddit is an online community on the internet that shares information on it’s notice boards. Users can freely write and comment on anything that takes their fancy. Over 3 years ago, https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/t0ynr/throwaway_time_whats_your_secret_that_could/ a thread was started called Throwaway time! What's your secret that could literally ruin your life if it came out? that asked “I decided to post this partially because I'm interested in reaction to this (as I've never told anyone before) and also to see what out-there fucked up things you've done. The sort of things that make you question your own sanity, your own worth. Surely I can't be alone.

Jack Oriole prints some of the many, many replies to this thread. This book is a fun read, all human life is here! It is easy reading as each post is relatively short and you can pick up this book frequently for many, many short periods of reading without losing anything. The secrets revealed are a hoot to read and will make you smile. I found the text very entertaining with the people sounding like walk-ons for the Jeremy Kyle television show.

This book was a joy to read and the mix of secrets revealed were a good range. You have empathy for the people posting their secrets because each person did what they thought was right for them at the time. Rather than wade through oceans of content online to get the best bits, this book gives you the best bits in one easy read. Thanks for compiling these revelations Jack, you have made a good little book out of this and I vote it the top score of 5 stars for giving me such a good chuckle.

Reddit’s Dirtiest Secrets is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

More Than Coffee: The Secrets of Starbucks’ Success by Can Akdeniz.

This short book tells of the success of Starbucks and how the company works. It explains very well how the market works and how to manage and motivate staff. This is a very good look at a successful business and reading this book you can see why Starbucks is so successful. It tells you how they have got the little things so right that Starbucks have created a third place, a destination where you strive to go to because the whole experience is so good.

For a business book, this is very easy to understand as Can talks you through the business as an expert. I enjoyed reading this book because it is so nice to understand why some companies succeed while others fail. I finished this book and could see clearly why Starbucks has become the best coffee shop on the market. This was a very informative read that was focused on highlighting the nuts and bolts that make things work so smoothly and well. Starbucks are number one and this book tells you why. When you consider the shortfalls of the rivals to Starbucks, you think their managers should read this book so that they can get things right! Can has got his book right in revealing these successful business ideas and I shall vote it the top score of 5 stars. His book is as good as the coffee in Starbucks and would be a great read in your third place. It all makes sense to me and I kept nodding in agreement as I read through this short eBook.

More Than Coffee is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2014.

London Underground (The Tunnel) (Volume 2) by Mark Williams.

This novella is about Jonathan who goes to a sex club called the London Underground, which has a dungeon where some BDSM takes place.

As far as erotic literature goes, this is a POOR tale. A man pays for sex, takes some drugs and has a little fun. This tale is long winded as Jonathan reflects about his experiences and side tracks across the Atlantic to his partner Nancy. There is little focus to this story and the sex is rather brief. Reading this story was quite a bore and I developed no empathy for Jonathan. My main feeling was “so what?” as this eBook did not enlighten, entertain or please me. London Underground was a disappointment for me and I took nothing away from this book. I found this to be a DULL read and shall only vote it 2 stars as you will get more thrills from looking at a clothing catalogue.

London Underground is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2014.

Kindle Buffet: Find and download the best free books, magazines and newspapers for your Kindle, iPhone, iPad or Android by Steve Weber.

This guide tells you how to get shed loads of free content for your Kindle OR any other device that can display Kindle files using an app or program.  Steve Weber has written this guide because one of the websites that alerts readers to free Kindle eBooks is his own and is called Kindle Buffet.

Although this guide is a plug for his website, Steve does write frankly about what content for the Kindle is available free. Once downloaded, that content remains free for your lifetime. He not only tells you about his own website for free Kindle eBooks but also 4 other websites that offer free books. If you are interested in magazines or newspapers, Steve also tells you about 2 websites that will convert and send web content to your Kindle.

This guide is well researched and tells you all you need to know. Since Steve has written this guide, The Cheap - the-cheap.net - and The Kindle Daily Deal - thekindledailydeal.com -  are no longer available but the other 4 rivals to his Kindle Buffet are stilling running.

I found this guide very easy to read and understand. It gives the user the knowledge to use their Kindle in the same way you would use a radio or television. Free content every day for life without a subscription, with enough diversity for everyone. It’s all out there and Steve shows you the 7 places on the web to look. He does an excellent job and all you have to do is choose just what free content rocks your boat. This eBook does just what it’s title claims and I will vote it the top score of 5 stars. Thanks Steve and keep up the good work on your Kindle Buffet website.

Kindle Buffet was written in 2012 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

unseen by Karin Slaughter.

Follow the usual group of 4 in yet another crime thriller from Karin. We have Amanda Wagner deputy director of the GBI, with detective Will Trent plus partner Faith Mitchell and medical examiner Sara Linton, as they get to the bottom of a cop shooting and more.

This novel is typical of Karin as she tells a good tale with a very involved plot. Little clues are fed in here and there as you read through this story. Yet again it is a shame that Karin goes back and forth in time just like in her last novel in this series called criminal. Although this time it is only a matter of days rather than decades. But these chapters in time do not end cleanly, as for example when Lena Adams goes to investigate a sound behind a panel during her police raid of the shooting gallery. You do not find out what is behind the panel in the next chapter but have to wait a lot later in the book. This is rather annoying and is a test of my patience. An author should please me with their work, not structure their book to irritate the reader.

Apart from these niggles, unseen is a good book which highlights how an extremely involved plot makes crime thrillers such enjoyable best sellers. Karin is clearly in the top league of crime thriller writers and I vote this novel 4 stars.

unseen has 447 pages and was written in 2013

I left this paperback on the front desk in the farm shop. When I returned someone had taken it away for themselves. I had only read the first 170 pages and was very annoyed that someone had taken my book. Because I had read enough and 2 of her novels just before this book, I was able to write a fair review.

criminal by Karin Slaughter.

Evelyn Mitchell, Amanda Wagner, Will Trent, Sara Linton and Faith Mitchell continue on from Karin’s last novel Fallen. All her books are stand alone thrillers and do not have to be read in order but fans will enjoy reading more about her 5 core characters. By reading criminal after Fallen it is like meeting up with the same friends again a week or so later. This is another crime thriller where the police investigate and catch a killer.

Karin is a very talented author and her writing is crisp and packs a punch…

...The needle.

That finely honed piece of surgical steel, that seemingly innocuous device of delivery that ruled every moment of Lucy’s life. She dreamed about shooting up. That first prick of flesh. That pinch as the tip pierced vein. That slow burn as the liquid was injected. That immediate euphoria of the drug entering her system. It was worth everything. Worth every sacrifice. Worth every loss. Worth the things she had to do to get it. Worth the things she all but forgot about the second the drug entered her bloodstream.

Then, suddenly, came the crest of the last hill, the biggest hill, on her roller coaster ride down…

...The bikers sold speed, not heroin. Heroin belonged to the coloreds. Even the Mafia was hands-off. H was a ghetto drug. It was too potent, too addictive, too dangerous for white people. Especially white women.

Which is how Lucy ended up being tricked out by a black man with a tattoo of Jesus on his chest.

The spoon. The flame. The smell of burning rubber. The tourniquet. The filter from a broken cigarette. There was a romantic pageantry to the whole thing, a drawn-out process that made her former affair with the needle seem woefully unsophisticated. Even now, Lucy could feel herself getting excited at the thought of the spoon. She closed her eyes, imagining the bent piece of silver, the way the neck resembled a broken swan. Black swan. Black sheep. Black man’s whore…

I enjoyed reading this book which has a very involved plot, a plot spreading across nearly 40 years. But that is the problem with this book, Karin floats from chapter to chapter between 1975 and the present day. In the 1975 chapters Evelyn and Amanda are on the chase of a killer. In the present day chapters Amanda, Will and Faith are on the chase of a killer. The story builds in both time zones and as a reader you slowly start to learn what is going on but Will and Faith have no knowledge of Evelyn’s and Amanda’s work in 1975. Karin decided to adopt this twin time zone structure for her novel but I found reading it a strain. Chopping and changing through the decades was hard to remember as both investigations developed at a similar pace. You had to remind yourself that Will and Faith did not know what was happening in 1975 and it seemed odd that the reader knows more than the present day detectives. However, everything slots into place by the end and you understand then the dynamics between Amanda and Will. I thought criminal was a good read with some creepy bits that quite surprised me. I will vote criminal 4 stars and NOT 5 stars only because of the chopping and changing between 2 time zones.

Thank you to the passenger who left behind their copy of this paperback on my coach. I did not toss it into the rubbish skip but considered this a bonus to take home with me to enjoy later.

criminal has 510 pages and was written in 2012.