The Body in the Marsh by Nick Louth.

Follow Detective Chief Inspector Craig Gillard as he is on the case to find a missing woman. This is a regular British police procedural crime thriller.

I found The Body in the Marsh to be an okay read. It was a little frustrating for me in parts as it wandered around with the time frame, going back to when DCI Craig Gillard and the missing woman were both teenagers. This story was not just told from the detective’s point of view but included writings by the missing woman before her disappearance, that were not available to the police. More frustration came from the police very conveniently just stumbling across evidence and leads by accident rather than solid police investigation.

The characterization of DCI Craig Gillard and the other officers was okay but this is not a character driven novel. The plot was disappointing and appeared rather shallow until I got about 90% through when all the little details started clicking together and I began to think it was quite clever.

I thought the entertainment value of this book was second rate, like a B movie. All the detail and progression is there but this novel does not shine. There are small little titbits of humour dotted through the story but are not of the depth of stand-up comedy. The best social observation jibe was when DCI Craig Gillard went into a pub and ordered a beer.

When I got to the end of this book, I cast my mind back to form an opinion. The tale had come a fair way and included a secondary plot and storyline. I found the police procedurals to be good and I loved the inclusion of real life crimes and events. The detail of the plot was subtle and then I asked myself the question of realism. Had the missing woman needed to take the actions she did? This lead me to my conclusion that The Body in the Marsh was an okay, 3 star read that did not shine but was readable and was useful when my tachograph recordings showed “period of availability”.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Canelo for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.

On the Bright Side by Hendrik Groen.

The New Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 85 Years Old is his diary for 2015 detailing his life in a care home in Amsterdam. This book follows on from The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 ¼ Years Old, which was his 2013 diary. Hendrik did NOT publish a diary for 2014. This book can be read as a stand-alone and covers similar ground to the first book.

I found On the Bright Side an easy book to read. There is some humour about life around the care home and I particularly liked the saga of the appearing fruit. I can imagine what havoc some fruit appearing at random would cause in my father’s care home in Cardiff.

I liked how things were put into perspective by how Hendrik swapped his daily entries from pressing global and international issues to the very parochial trivia that consumed the residents of his care home. The joviality of the first book was still there in places but the overall take I got from this book was of a sadness brought about by coping with declining health, death of residents and a negative outlook on old age. The optimism of the first book has gone and I felt like the residents were just hanging around waiting to die.

A lot has changed for Hendrik in those 2 years. He still tells a good tale but this is not a comfortable and cosy read. The first book was quite bright and happy but this book although realistic is a shade depressing. Hendrik is clearly not enjoying his old age as much in 2015 as he did in 2013.

I found On the Bright Side to be a GOOD read and pleased that I have read it. I liked Hendrik’s world view of things and how different generations react to everyday life. However, I did not enjoy it anywhere near as much as I did the first book. I read for pleasure and On the Bright Side gave a rather negative view of old age. It makes you think that although life expectancy is increasing, what little have we to look forward to as our health declines and we may be awaiting our death. On the Bright Side does leave some fond memories but all the sadness including the pet dog made this a GOOD yet 4 star read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Random House UK for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.

Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLaverty.

Follow Gerry and Stella Gilmore as they go on a short break away to Amsterdam.

I found Midwinter Break a refreshing change from your average run-of-the-mill mix of novels. It is a love story but not with young, vibrant, enthusiastic twenty year olds. Gerry and Stella are a retired couple who have been married for many, many years. I thought Bernard described the dynamics of having been married together for a very long time spot on. I really engaged with Gerry and Stella, it was all those little things that couples share subliminally in their married lives. Because of their age, they share mutual things, some of which brought a big smile to my face. They have a routine and rather than drag out the whole day, they restrict themselves to an “ailment hour”, when they are free to discuss their aches and pains!

There is lots of good dry humour sprinkled through this story, for example…

They approached the main terminal, protected behind stainless-steel bollards. ‘This must have cost millions,’ Gerry shouted above the noise of their cases. ‘What’s to stop a motorbike bomber going between the bollards?’

In WH Smith’s Gerry bought a packet of Werther’s Original. He’d kid her on that he forgot. Then surprise her just before take-off.

‘D’you like these?’

She held up a cellophane pack from Marks & Spencer.

‘What are they?’

‘New pyjamas.’

‘Black?’

‘As sin.’

He raised an eyebrow and looked up at her.

‘Why? Did you think it’d be a turn-on - like sleeping with a priest?’

‘Priests usually have enough independence to choose their own pyjamas.’

Stella took her purse and approached the counter. She returned carrying Gerry’s drink and a jug. Gerry lifted his glass and looked at the measure.

‘A well-built ant could piss more.’

‘I asked for a double.’

‘You’re learning.’

‘Killing you with kindness.’

‘I’ve missed the Ailment Hour.’

‘We can do a two-hour stint tomorrow. If you feel well enough.’

‘I’ve got these strange hairs growing beneath my watch…’

‘I was only joking.’

I liked how Midwinter Break focused on just Gerry and Stella. I got the impression that I went away with them to Amsterdam and that I was part of the party. This novel also explored Gerry’s relationship with alcohol and Stella’s relationship with Catholicism. Bernard has an extensive use of vocabulary and I liked his use of detail regarding Gerry’s old job as an architect, the troubles that took place in Northern Ireland and the questioning of religion by both Gerry and Stella.

However, this is essentially a love story but has very little in the way of a plot. There are no big surprises and the reader peacefully bumbles along with Gerry and Stella. All very nice in a very leisurely way, a few drinks, some meals and a nice stroll around Amsterdam. Yes, Bernard does the married life thing very well indeed but this does not lead to an exciting read. It is engaging and comfortable but it is not edge of seat stuff. I wondered where this story was going and expected something big to happen at the end. The ending was disappointing but I found Midwinter Break to be a GOOD read that I will give 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Random House UK, Vintage Publishing for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.