March & April 2008

Tuesday & Thursday Evenings: 17:30 – 20:00  15 April 2008

Saturday Mornings: 08.30 – 12.30 19 April 2008

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5. Reviews

Our reviewers rate books from 1 – 5

1 - For use as a doorstop only

2 - Keep for publishers' & booksellers' strikes

3 - A great holiday read

4 - You'll remember this with enthusiasm a month later

5 – Unforgettable

Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay (Orion)

Everyone loves Dexter on television. Most people don’t know that Dexter came to life in Lindsay’s three best-selling novels. The author somehow manages to create a likeable psychopath. Dexter only slices and dices baddies, thanks to his cop father, Harry, who adopted him.
Fans will know all about Dexter’s Dark Passenger. In this novel, the passenger has gone AWOL. Dexter has to cope with a little bit of the normal things humans do every day.
Dexter is set to marry, Rita, and her two delightful children, Cody and Astor. That is if you like mini-psychopaths who want to learn the tools of the trade from you.
Great characterisation, tight plotting, well paced and oddly refreshing.
Highly recommended.

Amanda Patterson
4.5/5

The Quiet Girl by Peter HØEG (Random House) R212 ISBN:978-1-846-55060-7

“The Quiet Girl” is the latest novel by the writer of “Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow”. It is set in Copenhagen, Denmark. The lead character, Kaspar Krone, is a clown of international repute, a complex individual with a remarkable ear for sound, a love of Sebastian Bach and an unstoppable desire to fathom the curious circumstances in which he finds himself. He is wanted by the authorities for tax evasion, called to help a remarkable and gifted girl and is facing up to his past. Kaspar’s search for the missing girl brings him into contact with a subversive group of nuns, a megalomaniac businessman, government officials and bizarre plans regarding earthquakes. The reader must tread patiently through the tangled story-web and experience its auditory allusions (being a musical aficionado will help). A compelling, at times obscure read, that veers between a philosophical search and a tense thriller.

Helen Schlebusch
3/5

A Fold In The Map by Isobel Dixon (Jacana Media) ISBN 978 1 77009 528 1

In this poetry collection Isobel Dixon charts two parallel human journeys. The first is the wrenching dislocation of separation from one’s homeland. Still an elected choice. The second, the searing grief of the irrevocable loss at the end of her father’s final painful journey. This depicts inevitability.
“At last, a rest for him
For me, the hollow pit of grief
A body’s emptying.”
Isobel Dixon, raised in the Karoo, now living in Cambridge England, explores both these experiences with a haunting lyricism.
In the first part of the collection – Plenty – the poems deal with family, childhood memories, a longing for home sketched in vivid sense impression of a scorching, water-scarce Africa. Touches of irony and humour relieve emotional intensity.
This childhood idyll forms the backdrop for the story of her father’s death. Depicted in the language of gut-wrenching grief, these poems leave the reader in no doubt of the pivotal role of her father in her life. They close with a hint of healing, reconciling the loss of both life and land.
“After the amputation, bruising weariness
this stony nest, his paradise
My mother’s newfound flowers.”

Sandy Goulding
4.5/5

Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwall (Little, Brown) 978031672425-8

Rome is a popular backdrop for seasoned crime writers. Cornwall takes us straight there in Book of the Dead. The body of a rising tennis star is dumped near Piazza Novona. Sadistically mutilated, clues are in short supply.
The local Carabinieri call in ace forensic expert, Dr Kay Scarpetta. She’s just moved to South Carolina and opened her own pathology practice. Niece Lucy and long-time sidekick Pete Marino, her partners in crime. Before she’s had time to unpack, more mysterious deaths follow.  The Sandman surfaces as the prime suspect but he’s opening up to Scarpetta’s arch enemy and TV shrink, Dr Marilyn Self. Scarpetta isn’t immune to danger; someone is aiming to write her name in the book!   
I was a fan from the first but the edge has gone. Suspense mixes uneasily with strained relationships and egos. Great on the forensics but the plot has lost its way.

Jackie Kelly
3/5

Not in the Flesh by Ruth Rendell (Arrow) R199, 00 ISBN: 9780091920609

I have read every Ruth Rendell and Barbara Vine (her darker alias) novel. I may be prejudiced.
I enjoy her Wexford novels. Not in the Flesh is one of the best for a long time. Some of Ms Vine's dark thoughts have crept into this book and it works well. It gives one of my favourite old school detectives the edge he needs to fight another few books.
Rendell excels in uncovering our darkest fears and she is the mistress of turning the mundane into the monstrous. A Sight for Sore Eyes still haunts me. I feel almost relieved that I am reading about the extraordinarily ordinary Wexford again. I know that when I pick up a Wexford novel that I will enjoy a police procedural crime thriller in expert hands.
A man walking his dog finds a severed human hand. Which body does it belong to? Wexford leads the hunt for the answer in fine form. This may be formulaic crime writing but I have never felt cheated by Rendell. Every one of her novels can stand alone. She is a professional, talented force to be reckoned with.

Amanda Patterson
4/5

High Jinx by Sara Lawrence (Faber & Faber) ISBN: 978 0 571 23670 1

Jinx Slater and Liberty Latiffe are best friends, attending a boarding school in England. Typical high school teens, they’re always getting up to mischief and facing peer pressure. Everything is going the way it should -until the new girl shows up.
Stella Fox is determined to leave her mark. Jinx and Liberty are asked to look after her, but soon Stella and Liberty form their own little clique. Jinx senses that something about Stella is not right and decides to follow her instincts.
I recommend this book to more mature teens, due to the explicit content. High Jinx is a realistic and funny book. I enjoyed every second of it – and the girls’ adventures ended too soon. I hope there’s a follow up!
 
Emma Boonzaaier (15 years old)
Rating: 3/5
 
The Race by Richard North Patterson (Macmillan) R149, 00   
 
Corey Grace is a handsome, magnetic Republican senator. An act of terrorism forces him into a bitter presidential race. His rivals include a charismatic Christian leader. Corey, a former pilot who was tortured in the Middle East, votes with integrity. His affair with Lexie Hart, an African-American Hollywood actress makes him a loose cannon.
Haunted by a tragic mistake, he lays his soul on the line in the battle for the presidency.
The Race explores America’s favourite election fare. Racism, terrorism, religion, abortion and the rise of a sinister media. Patterson does not take the easy route. He asks the what if questions. This is a rollercoaster ride of betrayal, ruthless choices, and powerful secrets..
Patterson is the best political thriller writer that the USA has produced. 14 novels later, he does not disappoint.

Amanda Patterson
3.5/5   

The Silver Swan by Benjamin Black (Picador) ISBN 978-0-230-70194-2

This mystery novel, the 2nd Benjamin Black (pseudonym used by John Banville) has written in this series, is an attention-grabber.  It’s set in Dublin in the mid 1950’s, in a vaguely sordid, and creepy atmosphere. If it were a movie it would be best in black-and-white.
Quirke, a pathologist, is the fascinating lead character.  Troubled, alluring, with personal issues, and somewhere deep down, a soft heart, decides to dig deeper into the death of Billy Hunt’s wife.  It looks like a suicide, but Billy asks Quirke not to perform the autopsy.  The request is irregular, and Quirke senses trouble.  Despite his better judgement Quirke sets off on an investigation that leads him into a world of drug addiction, sexual obsession, blackmail and murder.
The novel is written beautifully.  I read somewhere that Mr Black writes these books very quickly.  If his writing is this good when he’s not really trying, the result when he is must be phenomenal.

Carla Pinto
Rating:  5/5

Gardening in the Dark by Denis Hirson (Jacana) ISBN: 9781770093843

A moving personal story told through a collection of evocative poems, Gardening in the Dark is that rare South African memento. Nostalgic without being sentimental, historical without being political. It’s the story of one man and his family growing up in South Africa during the turbulent ‘60s.
David Hirson, author of White Scars and I Remember King Kong, creates images of loss, hope, violence and renewal in spare, but powerful imagery, drawing inspiration from poets as diverse as Neruda, Apollinaire, Goethe and Yehuda Amichai.
This collection was originally published in French so it’s no surprise that Hirson has made a home for his own family in Paris. But his memories of South African have remained with him like a scar. Each line is cut through with personal memory to deliver a sharp, emotional catharsis.
For lovers of poetry and South Africa, this slim volume offers some insight in what it means to leave your home country and find new roots in another world.

Anthony Ehlers
3/5

Close by Martina Cole (headline)

Despised by her mother and step-father, Lily Diamond’s early life is filled with misery - until she catches the eye of Patrick Brodie.
Brodie is a cunning, violent and wealthy gangster who is the product of an equally strife-torn past. By the time he marries Lil, he is already a legend on the streets of Soho.
The pair set out to provide their children with everything they missed out on. They live comfortably, until the dangerous tide of the criminal underworld turns against Patrick. Lil is left destitute and has to raise their five children on her own. Her new life requires her to draw on her considerable strength of character and forces the Brodie family to stick together. Unfortunately, Lil discovers your true enemy is often closer than you think…
Martina Cole is a master of the crime genre. Her characters are tough, violent, and believable. Her portrayal (spanning 40 years) of the grizzly world of organised crime in London is both thrilling and captivating. The plot is filled with heart-wrenching twists and turns and keeps you on edge throughout the book. If you can overlook the overuse of words such as “skulduggery” (particularly in the first 30 pages), Close provides a compelling, if slightly over-written, read.

Mandy van Staden
3/5

Tell No Lies by Julie Compton  (Pan Books) ISBN 978-0-330-45285-4

Jack Hilliard, loved by juries, is intelligent, good looking and successful as an Assistant District Attorney for St Louis. However, his life changes dramatically when his boss, Earl Scanlon, announces his resignation as District Attorney. Jack dances afterwards with his intoxicated friend, Jennifer Dobson, in the parking garage. 
Jack’s decision to run for the office of DA with Jenny as his campaign manager, and his growing obsession with her places a strain on his marriage to Claire. In his struggle for the top position he compromises his values and becomes entangled in a web of lies and deceit. When Jenny is charged with murder Jack risks his job, career and marriage to provide her with an alibi.
This is a suspense novel with an intriguing twist in the tail.
 
Maryna Fraser
Rating:   3.5/5

Random Acts of Heroic Love by Danny Scheinmann (Random House) R183 ISBN: 978-0-385-61262-3

1992. South America. Leo Deacon is injured. His girlfriend Eleni is dead. He returns to England where he is unable live a normal life without her.
1917. Russia. Against the backdrop of WW1 Moritz Daniecki escapes from a Siberian POW camp and travels seven thousand kilometers across a continent. His only goal is to reach home and his sweetheart Lotte. Will she wait for him? Can love transcend death?
Two stories, with no apparent connection, except for an obsessive love. Leo undertakes a journey through the philosophy of quantum physics and the mating habits of wildlife as he tries to understand the nature of love. Moritz’ experiences become part of a legacy that reaches beyond him. There is a saga-like quality to this somewhat drawn out novel. Keep reading for the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place.  Interesting story, some good descriptions and I liked the analogies.

Helen Schlebusch
2.5/5

The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen (Bantam Press) R 195.00 ISBN: 9780593057780

  Darrel Bristow-Bovey, 6 April

  John van de Ruit, 20 April

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8. The Write Co Competitions for Subscribers

Monthly ‘What’s on your mind?’ Competition

Write 400 words and win!

Prize: 2 Books from The Write Co and Publication on our web site, in our newsletter and in Off the Cuff.

Conditions: 1 Entry per Person, 400 words.

Closing date: 25th of every month

To enter: Send entries to info@thewriteco.co.za

Winner: Angela Auld for Practice!

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Monthly Poetry Competition

April’s theme is: The Eyes that don't cry

Prize: A case of Leopard's Leap Wines

Conditions:

1. Only 1 poem per month per subscriber is allowed.

2. The poem must not be longer than 30 lines.

3. The poem must be about the given topic. 

4. If you are not a subscriber please pay an entrance fee of R50, 00 per entry.

Closing date: 29 April 2008

To enter: Send entries to amanda@thewriteco.co.za

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The winner for The Sound of Paper 

Pulp Delight by Kevin Lee

Rick Thinks?

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9. Classified