Author – Suzanne Rindell “A cleverly written debut novel from the Gatsby era” An excellent debut novel that is well paced and clever, providing a window into the world of speakeasies and the familiar decadence of the Roaring Twenties, it will more than likely be turned into a film. Rose is the narrator and considers…

Author – Michael Woodford “Japanese saying – The honest man is sure to lose” Michael Woodford, ex-President and CEO (2 weeks) of Olympus Corporation is my corporate hero. His honesty and integrity drove him to querying inexplicable payments in excess of $1.5 billion knowing that he would almost certainly be dismissed and that he was…

Author – Philip Kerr“Some Bernie Gunther fans may be disappointed”I’m a Bernie Gunther fan and this was my 7th Philip Kerr novel, but where I have loved all the others, particularly the first three collected together as Berlin Noir, I was left disappointed with Field Grey. It starts and finishes well but it has a…

Author – Robert Penn Warren “A political classic, no longer politically correct”Robert Penn Warren won a Pulitzer prize (1947) for this long novel and two years later the film won three Academy Awards, it doesn’t disappoint. While the main thrust of the book is following the political life of Willie Stark “the boss” who becomes…

Author – F.Scott Fitzgerald “The American Roaring Twenties brought to life”This is a short novel at 115 pages and this version is a bargain. It is the quintessential book the describes the decadent lifestyle of the young rich of the 1920s, a time when prohibition hardly seems effective. It is a story of love and…

Author – F.Scott Fitzgerald “A University paradise is followed by life lessons”The first novel by F.Scott Fitzgerald follows the early life of Amory Blaine and is split into two books. The Romantic Egotist is his life through to his Senior year at Princeton University, the discovery of love and the creation of a personality -…

Author – Elizabeth Bowen “Like modern art you will love it or hate it” A frustrating read, sometimes enjoyable, many may not complete this book. The Los Angeles Times says ‘Probably the most intelligent noir ever written… fills the reader’s heart with dread’. At times it was too intelligent for me and I so dreadfully…

Author – Walter Tevis “Debut novel from a great American post war author”This must be one of the best books going that focuses on what it’s like to excel at a sport or game, how it requires character, it’s not just a game, more of an art form. But Walter Tevis achieves this again with…

Author – Patrick Hamilton “Before you go out binge drinking, read this first!”If you are suffering from schizophrenia or are generally depressed or lonely, don’t read this book. If you are stuck in a rut, drink and smoke too much and considering becoming a professional alcoholic, then you might learn something from this book. If…

Author – Derek B Miller “American author writes Nordic Noir” There can’t be too many books with an eighty-two year old hero. Sheldon Horowitz rescues a boy from a Balkan gang and is then chased across Norway by his pursuers, the police, and his grand-daughter (Rhea) and her husband (Lars). Sheldon is an ex-Marine and…