Read it online Imagine a world without men. A world where women are able to reproduce without men, where the only children born are female, and where motherhood is all important. Now imagine that you are a young man in … Continue reading
C20th
21 August 2011
Call no: 800
Genre: Juv/YA, sff
Setting: alternate world, C20th, Istanbul
7 Stars
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Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
The sequel to Leviathan No recapping on account of this being the second in a series, and if you haven’t read Leviathan then you’ll be spoiled, and I wouldn’t want to do that to anyone. I will say, however, that … Continue reading
4 February 2011
Genre: horror
Setting: C20th, England
8 Stars
6 Comments
The woman in black by Susan Hill
ISBN: 9780099511649 It was nine-thirty on Christmas eve. Arthur Kipps is a mature and responsible individual. His first wife & child died many years ago, but he has since found happiness with his second wife and her children, although they … Continue reading
6 September 2010
Genre: detective & mystery
Setting: 1920s, C20th, Interwar Europe
4 Comments
Clouds of witness by Dorothy L Sayers
After solving the mystery of Whose Body Lord Peter Wimsey holidays in the wilds of Corsica, but, tiring of the rustic and wanting a bit of luxury he heads to Paris where he gets the shocking news that his brother, the Duke of Denver, has been arrested for murder. And the victim was Denis Cathcart, his sister’s fiancée. Wimsey heads for home straight away, and together with Inspector Parker he begins to investigate what actually happened.
4 April 2010
Genre: Juv/YA, sff
Setting: alternate world, C20th
4 Comments
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
It is 1914 and Europe is on the brink of war. In Austria-Hungary young Prince Aleksander’s life is suddenly in turmoil. His parents have been murdered and he is on the run and in disguise. His once-upon-a-time allies have turned out to be enemies and there are very few people he can trust. In England Deryn Sharp wants nothing more than to be an airman. The only problem is, she’s a girl, and airmen are.. well, male. In disguise she gets accepted and is soon serving as a Midshipman aboard the Leviathan. A huge airship built around a fabricated beast. Continue reading
2 April 2010
Genre: detective & mystery
Setting: 1920s, C20th, England
9 Comments
Whose body? by Dorothy L Sayers
The body of a stout man is found in a bathroom, naked but for a gold pince-nez. At the same time, a prominent banker goes missing. Is the dead man the missing Mr. Levy? And if so, how did he manage to end up in Mr. Thipps’ bathroom? And was he murdered?
This is the first book Sayers wrote to feature Lord Peter Wimsey. He is the second son of an ancient English house, his elder brother is the Duke of Denver. And his hobby is criminology. Already he has solved the case of some missing emeralds, now he is on two cases at once; to find the missing Levy & to figure out the who, why and where concerning the mystery body.
28 March 2010
Genre: detective & mystery, historical fiction
Setting: 1920s, C20th, India
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The game by Laurie R. King
Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes have returned home to Sussex in order to enjoy the new year, but soon enough they travel to London to visit Holmes’ brother, Mycroft, whose health is not the best. While there he suggests that perhaps they might look into a case for him. A possibly-missing person. In India.
Of course they head off, and the person they are looking for, none other than Kimball O’Hara, known to many from Rudyard Kipling’s Kim.
23 March 2010
Cast: Antonio Te Maioha, Dustin Clare
Genre: detective & mystery, historical fiction
Setting: 1920s, Britain, C20th
2 Comments
Justice Hall by Laurie R. King
I do love these books.
This the sixth in the series returns our heroes to their present after the flashback that was O Jerusalem. That sentence doesn’t really make much sense, but figure it out, think of it as a challenge :) Holmes & Russell have just returned from The Moor and are settling back in at home when their comes a disturbance at their door. Ali Hazr has shown up, with a head wound and wanting their assistance. He needs their help with Mahmoud, his “brother”. Of course Holmes had already pointed out that neither of the two arabs they were travelling with were actually from that region, but it is, nevertheless, a surprise to learn where they come from and just what an aristocratic name both bear.
15 March 2010
Cast: Melissa Leo, Mickey O'Keefe
Genre: detective & mystery, historical fiction
Setting: C20th, Jerusalem
4 Comments
O Jerusalem by Laurie R. King
I’m continuing to work my way through the Mary Russell novels; I slowed down a bit for two reasons. One, I don’t want to overload on the ‘verse. Two, the library ran out of the series. Well, it skipped the next so I took my time with O Jerusalem while I boughtJustice Hall for my own shelves. I will at some point go order all this series, I really do think that they are books you can very easily reread and enjoy time and again. Continue reading
22 February 2010
Genre: detective & mystery, historical fiction
Setting: 1920s, C20th, England
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The moor by Laurie R. King
Author: Mary Russell
If you’ve read my reviews of the other books in this series you’ll already know that I really love them. If you haven’t here’s a quick recap; Sherlock Holmes, a real historical figure retired to Sussex in order to tend to his bees. While there he met Mary Russell; a somewhat moody, if quite brilliant, teenager and took her under his wing. She became his apprentice and later his wife. Errr, spoiler alert! In this, the fourth in the series, Sherlock sends Russell a telegram summoning her to Dartmoor and the moor that was the setting for The Hound of the Baskervilles. There are reports of another ghostly beast roaming the countryside and an old friend of Holmes would like him to investigate. Especially when a man is found dead on the moor.
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