The Sins of the Father (The Clifton Chronicles, #2) by Jeffrey Archer.

Follow Harry Clifton and his friends and family from 1939 to 1945. Although this is the second book in The Clifton Chronicles series, it can be read as a standalone.

I liked how Jeffrey used the same format for this book as he did in the first. Each character had chapters written from their point of view, so you as the reader get the whole story, as opposed to the characters who only get a snip.

I liked how Jeffrey gently gave you the backstory, so that if you had not read the first book, you were not left in the dark. Also if it had been awhile since you had read the first book, then your memory will be refreshed, which gives added value to the story.

I liked The Sins of the Father more than the first book. I thought the plot was far better and I liked that Harry and his contemporaries were now adults rather than teenagers.

I liked how the book progressed and I was unsure how the story would unfold. I found this novel to be a pleasant read. Character development was very good, regardless whether the person was a good or bad guy.

I found The Sins of the Father to be a comfortable read. Although it was set in times well before I was born, it had dilemmas etc that are still relevant today. This book kept me entertained and I am pleased that I purchased a copy. I thought the writing was of good quality and it captured mood, very well indeed. This novel was not outstanding but nevertheless it was a GOOD read and accordingly gets 4 stars from me.

The Sins of the Father was published in 2012 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

Only Time Will Tell (The Clifton Chronicles, #1) by Jeffrey Archer.

Let’s go back in time for this family drama set mostly in Bristol from 1919 to 1940. The central character is Harry Clifton, hence the title and not to be confused with the district in Bristol of the same name. Harry Clifton was born in 1920 and this book tells of his young life until he was 20.

I found Only Time Will Tell to be an okay read. It brought back many memories of Bristol, as I had lived there for 20 years. I liked the many mentions of places and roads that I remember. Even my old school of Merrywood was featured and as we lived in the district of Bedminster, Harry’s home in Stillhouse Lane really rang a bell with me. A quick check on streetmap.co.uk brought it all back to life!

The structure of Only Time Will Tell is very different from other novels. It starts with a prelude from the point of view of Maisie Clifton, Harry’s mother. Then you have Harry’s tale from 1920 to 1933, followed by chapters featuring other characters who are involved in Harry’s life. There are further updates from Harry and the other characters until Harry’s section finishes in 1940.

I liked how the other characters filled into the story all the bits that Harry was blissfully unaware of. This way the story built up depth and all those little bits fitted together to give the reader a complete tale. Lots of characters told porkies along the way and I was on my guard from early on that what they said could not be taken as gospel.

I found this novel a comfortable read. It was not spectacular but plodded along in a pleasant way. It was easy reading and told in a nice mature way. Nothing shined about this novel but it was convenient as my daily read and his writing is quality. So this quality writing without a WOW! Factor is an okay 3 star read for me.

Only Time Will Tell was published in 2011 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

A Matter of Honour by Jeffrey Archer.

Adam Scott has been left an unopened envelope in his father’s will. Should he open it or let sleeping dogs lie? Well, if Adam had not opened the envelope, Jeffrey would not have been able to write this novel. So Adam opens this mysterious envelope and has to deal with the consequences!

This novel was written over 30 years ago and I have not read a novel by Jeffrey Archer before. The author had a long political career with the Conservative Party and has been imprisoned for perjury and perverting the course of justice. But as this book was featured as a Kindle Daily Deal for just £1.09p - I thought I would turn a blind eye to his history, grab a copy and read his book with an open mind.

I was very surprised by A Matter of Honour. It is set in 1966 and is a thriller involving fakes, lies and secrets. Modern thrillers contain a lot of detail about email, the internet and mobile phones. But over 50 years ago things were very different! No email, no internet and telephones were connected by copper cables, were not cordless and people used public call boxes by inserting coins in the booth. But people still told lies and bad guys still had to be tackled.

Although this novel was set over 50 years ago, it is still easy to relate to - easy for me as I had used pounds, shillings and pence in my childhood! So in my mind I thought about the time I was a child when I wondered what the adults were doing and what the fuss was all about.

I liked the style of how Jeffrey Archer told his story and for the written word, sounded like Ian Hislop on the BBC television comedy panel show, Have I Got News For You. The character development of Adam Scott was spot on and you could imagine his accent to be similar to Ian Hislop.

I liked the plot of A Matter of Honour and how you developed suspicions of all the characters. The pace was good and the story was engaging. I liked how all the little details sparked in your head making you think, “this is relevant”.

I found this book to be a joy to read, as I was transported back in time and into another world. For all the modern technology we have today, I can imagine these things still going on because of the way people are underneath. I was fully entertained by the depth of this story.

I liked the way Jeffrey Archer wrote this novel and how the characters told lies so easily, making me chuckle because of his own imprisonment for telling porkies. I thought his writing was very clear and the story easy to understand.

A Matter of Honour was a pleasant surprise for me and very different from my usual current day crime thrillers. I enjoyed it as my daily read and the quality of this novel gets the top score of 5 stars from me. I suggest readers forget the time period this novel is set in and just enjoy this story for what it is.

A Matter of Honour was published in 1986 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.

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.

The Trespasser (Dublin Murder Squad, #6) by Tana French.

Follow Detective Antoinette Conway as she leads the investigation into the death of a young woman found in her own home.

In her last novel in this series, The Secret Place, Tana has us reading about the partnership of Detective Antoinette Conway and Detective Stephen Moran. This pair of detectives continue into this novel but thankfully Tana is back to her usual form and structure.

The Trespasser can be read as a stand-alone. It is a first person narrative crime thriller with a linear time scale. This novel ticks ALL the boxes for me. The characterization of Antoinette is spot on and the relationship between her and Stephen is fully developed.

What I liked most about The Trespasser was the brainstorming between all the Murder Squad detectives. Some of their theories and what-if’s were private thoughts, others were spoken challenges between them. They would then move on to follow their lead. As a reader you had two options, think your own theory of who did it and whether it was manslaughter or murder - OR - just ride along with the novel as you are bombarded with countless theories and what-if’s. I liked how all these theories and what-if’s were built into the story and found it very entertaining as each possibility fully explained the death of the young woman.

There is lots of local character and dialogue which adds to the value of this book. Her vocabulary is extensive and I had to tap my Kindle screen many a time to pull up the dictionary definition.

I liked the detailing of the police procedures and the explanation of the interview techniques used by the detectives. I also liked how the characters lied so very convincingly with statements that were very hard to disprove.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Trespasser and it gets the top score of 5 stars from me. I found the story very engaging and think it would make a great television drama.

I put my Kindle down and when I took my dog out for his walk, thought about this novel and how Detective Antoinette Conway was very lucky indeed to get a solve on her case. If only the killer had done or not done this or that, they would not have been caught. Sadly this is the latest of the Dublin Murder Squad series but I hope that Tana will write another. Of the six novels, I have given five of them the top score of 5 stars. Only The Secret Place disappointed me and that was not written in her usual style. I think I have become a fan and tomorrow will be a surprise as I open my Kindle with a different author and genre.

The Trespasser was written in 2016 and is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook.