The Birthday Present by Barbara Vine

Ruth Rendell writing as Barbara Vine. It is not a Ruth Rendell story, so we know what to expect, something more dark.
The stroy is told in two narratives, one of Ivor Tesham’s brother-in-law some Delgado and Hebe Furnal’s friend Jane Atherton. The stroy is umm.. is the fall of Ivor Tesham conservative MP in the early nineties. Ivor Tesham is the handsome dashing politician who does not want to settle down in life. He wants to have fun. He embarks on an clandestine affair with married Hebe Furnal . Their simillar natures brings them together for sexual adventures. Tesham plans a “birthday Present” for Hebe, that goes wrong. While what Tesham had planned is not actually criminal, it could ruin his career and the press will have a field day at his expense. Jane Atherton, the not so good looking friend of the gorgeous Hebe tells her part of the story.
Ruth Rendell has always written about issues in contemporay soicety. Set in the early nineties this novel talks of the loneliness of modern life and how the scoiety plunges into depth those who are already in the edge. Like in many of her novels, we have a single girl who tries to find love and security unsuccessfully and slowly loses her sanity.
Ruth Rendell throws hint of things to come. So there is a constant sense of expectation of things to come that keeps one glued to the book. A very interesting read.

I am back!!!

I have not posted much for a while. That does not mean I was not reading. It is just that I am lazy. It is easier to keep reading novels than writing about them. I have decided to write again. Well not the Novel, but the review.

The business of dying by Simon Kernick

I like reading Harlan Coben’s novels, both the Myron Bolitar ones and the standalones. I like the sense of humour in the Bolitar novels and the style of writing in his standalones. As I have read most of his books including the latest I was looking for a writer who writes in similar vein as Coben. I found some recommendations on the net and picked Simon Kernick. The Business of dying is not entirely a Coben kind of novel. I would say more Michael Connelly type, reminds me of Harry Bosch and his vice squad, only set in London.
Now the story, DS Dennis Milne is a copper who lost enthusiasm in his work and feels that the law is in favour of the criminal. He does not mind bending a few rules to make some money. So much so that he does not mind killing for money as long as he feels that they are the scum that has to be removed. Milne commits a triple murder for underwolrd criminal Raymond Keen. Milne is also investigating the murder of the 18 year old Miriam Fox in King’s Cross. He realises that he had been setup to kill respectable people instead of the drug dealers. Milne battles with his conscience. Milne had killed before in his line of duty, but is it okay to kill innocent people? While Milne uncovers startling details about mysterios disappearance of teenage girls involved in vice trade, he finds the noose tighetning. He knows that he has to fly the coop but does he do justice to the girls, is the rest of the story. While it is easy to question the moral authority of the assasin copper, who wants to bring to justice the murderers of teenage girls, Milne really seems to know what is right and what is wrong and how far he would bend rules. An interesting read.