Standing in Another Man's Grave

I'd always hated how the last Rebus novel, Exit Music, ended on a cliff hanger even if the cliff hanger was whether Big Ger Cafferty would live or die. Fortunately Ian Rankin has decided to revisit his best creation.

Set several years after Exit Music we find Rebus still working for the Scottish Police, but in a civilian capacity  in the cold case squad. But he's still the same old Rebus drinking, smoking and thumbing his nose at authority. But a case about a missing girl catches his interest and, in typical Rebus fashion, he's determined to get to the bottom of it come hell or high water. His old sidekick Siobhan Clark is back too, now a Detective-Inspector. There's also a subplot involving Rebus wanting to rejoin the force and Rankin's more recent creation, DI Malcolm Fox of the Complaints Department's attempts to stop it. There's obviously some history between the two but I don't recall them ever having met in any of the earlier Rebus books so it's something I'd love to see explored more.

Yep, Rebus is back. Hope Rankin decided to write a few more Rebus novels before he retires for good.

The Casual Vacancy

I'm sorry. I tried. I really did. But we're not in Hogwarts anymore.

I enjoyed the Harry Potter series (even thought I think J.K. could have done with a lot more editing on the later volumes). But this... I struggled through the first 100 pages before I gave up. And then I read the plot summary on Wikipedia and decided it wasn't for me. There characters were all unlikeable and you don't care about any of them. In the end I decided I didn't care about this book either.

Howzat! Kerry Packer's War

I watched the miniseries when it was screened on Channel 9 a few weeks back. It wasn't bad but, as happens, events were changed and characters condensed for dramatic effect. This book written by the author of the TV series fills in some of the detail that was left out. While I'm sure many other worthy tomes have been written about the World Series Cricket war of the late seventies, I found this one to be very readable and enjoyable.

The Psychopath Test

Some years ago I read The Men Who at Goats by the same author. It was a strange, but well written book. This, by comparison, was a much saner work (if such a thing is possible considering the subject matter).

Jon Ronson is a good journalist who gravitates to the stranger side of life. I'm glad he does because he treats his subjects, no matter how bizarre they are, with respect.

The Stories That Changed Australia: 50 Years of Four Corners

Four Corners is undoubtedly one of the most (if not the most) important programmes on Australian television. It's also one of the longest running; 51 years and still counting. This book brings together some of it's biggest stories and best reporters including Kerry O'Brien, Jonathan Holmes, Chris Masters, Peter Manning, Jenny Brockie, David Marr and Liz Jackson.

Four Corners has covered many important stories over it's long history, but the thing that surprised me the most about this book was in Debbie Whitmont's chapter recounting her efforts to cover the plight of asylum seekers in detention. It wasn't so much the story that surprised me, but then immigrations minister Philip Ruddock's performance on the 7.30 Report not long after the story was aired where, in relation to the case of a child who has suffered trauma while in detention, he referred to the child as "it" thus dehumanising the child. I was so disgusted by this that from now on I will refer to Ruddock as an it.

Gaz

I decided to read this, partially as a St. George supporter (though Brett Morris is my favourite player out of the current squad) but also because we've got Gasnier coming to speak at work in a few weeks time. It's a very readable, if unsurprising as it covers the mains parts of Gasnier's life and career. I did skip the final chapter though which was really his family and friends providing character references. But calling it "the autobiography of a league legend"? Really? I think there are players more deserving of that title.

The Age of Miracles

Imagine for a moment what would happen in the earth's rotation around the sun gradually slowed. Imagine would it would be like to have the 24 hour day we're all used to grow longer. What effect would that have on the planet? What effect would that have on our lives?

That's the premise of this impressive debut by Karen Thompson Walker. Told through the eyes of an eleven year old girl this novel is a times beautiful and haunting. but always engrossing. The actual slowing itself is kept mainly to the background as we see the effect is has on Julia and those around her. My only real complaint is we never find out what effect the slowing ultimately has and if it's ever resolved, but maybe there's a sequel in the works?

Moon over Soho

When Rivers of London, the first book in the Peter Grant series, made its was past my desk last year, I had to read it. If nothing else I knew the author by reputation (having written one of my favorite Doctor Who stories from the last eighties). I wasn't disappointed. This, the second book, in the series was just as good. Written with a dry sense of humour, it's sort of what could have happened if Harry Potter joined the Old Bill, with a dose of Terry Pratchett thrown in. More please (and when's the TV series coming Ben? I can just imagine Mark Gatiss as the Faceless Man).

The Betrayal

Some months ago I reviewed Y.A. Erskine's first novel The Brotherhood. Now I've had the opportunity to read the follow-up.

I said at the time I was looking forward to reading more from this author and I wasn't disapointed. It was just as impressive. Useing the same characters as her first book, The Betrayal again uses the perspective of mulitple characters to tell the story; a device that works very well. The main plot involves a rape, but with a twist. The victim is a police officer and the perpertator is a fellow officer, which leads to more than one betrayal. It raises a lot of issues and, like real life, there's no easy answers (and the bad-guy doesn't always get caught either).We also see the aftermath of the events in The Brotherhood too.

If this is to become a series, I really hope the next book covers the downfall of TasPol's police commisioner. It's set-up in this book and looks to be spectacular.

The Last Werewolf

When a book is endorsed by Nick Cave you know it's going to be somewhat on the dark side. It was good, if a little long-winded in parts. Looking forward to reading second novel in the series.

Dial M for Murdoch

One of the biggest news stories of the past twelve months has been the New of the World phone hacking scandal. I think this is the first (or I suspect will be many) book that covers the saga. It's well written, full of detail and free of bias (which is a pleasant surprise as one of the authors, Tom Watson, was target by Rebekah Brooks and co.). Recommended and I hope there'll be a follow-up when Lord Leveson publishes his finding.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

I missed the film while it was out at the cinemas, so I thought I'd read the book instead.

I'm not sure what to make of it. It was enjoyable in parts (and I suspect the ending was rewritten for the film) but what is it meant to be? Love story? Political satire? Commentary on middle-eastern affairs? I'm confused.

Glenrowan

The siege of Glenrowan is one of the better known episodes in Australian bushranging history, having been part of the history curriculum in Australian schools ever since the event happened. But it's usually one episode in the broader history.

Ian W. Shaw's very readable book goes into the detail of the story. He begins at the end, the hanging of Ned Kelly (well, we all how it ends!), he then goes back to the beginning and explores the events leading up to, during and after the siege. It was a fascinating read, far better than anything I was taught in school.

Defending Jacob

This was a surprise. Very well written and intriguing. It had me hooked right to the end (just what you want in a thriller). And the twist at the end was not what I thought coming (which is why I'm keeping quiet on the plot details).

The Rook

Well, that was different to what I was expecting. A cross between Harry Potter. Monty Python and maybe a touch of Stella Rimmington. A bit long, but otherwise really good.

The House of SIlk

Sherlock Holmes seems to be making a very welcome comeback to popular culture (but did he ever really go away? Even Sir Arthur tried to kill him once and that didn't work!). While many stories have been written over the years involving the great detective, this novel is the first to be authorized by the Conan Doyle estate.

So, is it any good? Yes it is. And it'll be very familiar to anyone who's read the original Holmes stories. My only problem is I didn't know which version of Holmes to picture in my mind as I read it. Basil Rathbone? Jeremy Brett? Robert Downey. Jr? Benedit Cumberbatch? (hell, you could even throw in Tom Baker and John Cleese!) But I guess everyone's got their view on who the definite Holmes is.

My week with Marilyn

About halfway through reading this I went and saw the film which probably wasn't such a good idea and it spoilt the ending!

Anyway, this edition of Colin Clark's memoirs are both volumes in the one. The first concentrates on the making of The Prince and the Showgirl; the second, his week helping Marilyn Monroe get through the filming. Of the two I preferred the first part, only because my enjoyment of the second was marred by having seen the film (which is really good - Michelle Williams is excellent).

The Fog on the Hill

Oh dear. What started out very promisingly as an expose of the last seven years of Labour goverment in New South Wales, turned into Sartor's election manifesto. The first four chapters were interesting, but the rest is really only for students of polical science.

The Brotherhood

This was different to what I was expecting, but good.

Based around one single event, when Tasmania's super-cop gets killed in the line of duty, we see the aftermath through the eyes of a number of people; from the commissioner (aka the Prince of Darkness) down to the suspect himself.

Y.A. Erskine herself is an ex-cop so she write with an insiders perspective (I only hope Tasmania's finest are really as corrupt and backward as depicted here). It was a great read and I look forward to more from this author.

Dead Until Dark

This is the book that inspired the TV series True Blood. Now, the problem with reading the book that inspired a TV series is that sometimes the book doesn't live up to expectations (hello Dexter). So how did I find this?

It wasn't bad. Different enough from the TV series to be interesting, but I'm not sure if I'm going to read the rest of the series.

The Fittler Files

About the book:
The Fittler Files is a review of the 2011 rugby league season from round one through to the grand final, covering all the big events both on and off the field. Not simply a rehash of the regular, NRL-sanctioned press conferences and news, this is a genuine inside look at rugby league from a trusted and well-connected team. Written with Brad's brand of honesty and humour, and including over 100 photographs.

My thoughts:
Very enjoyable review of the 2011 NRL season by someone who was there for just about every game. Freddy's thoughts on the current state of the NRL and its future were also refreshing to hear. Hopefully there'll be future editions for subsequent years.

Jack of All Trades, Mistress of One

About the book:
Things were never quite the same once Aunty Jack roared onto our television screens in the 1970s, threatening to rip our bloody arms off. In this funny and moving memoir, Grahame Bond celebrates and at times curses his most famous creation and tells of how he found an imaginary family of other brilliant writers, actors, musicians and performers along the way. Jack of All Trades is jam-packed with extraordinary characters, many of them real if unknown Bond relatives, and a good number of them Aussie TV icons. We become acquainted with Bonds beloved parents as he grows up an only child in Marrickville, meet his sadistic Uncle Jack and his legendary boxing grandfather Benny Doyle, before watching him burst into the life of a performer via Architecture Revues at Sydney University. With digressions into advertising and lifestyle television, and blockbuster stage shows like Boys Own McBeth and 2JJs Nude Radio, Grahame Bond has always been an extraordinary entertainer.


My thoughts:
Wow! This had to be one of the best bio's I've read in a while. Funny, interesting and honest I'd recommend this book to anyone.