Category Archives: Literature

Book Review: Lee Child ~ The Enemy (2004)

Posted on February 25, 2026 by odeboyz

After reading a few Reacher novels they begin to feel like a warm blanket. Predictable and a lovely interlude in life’s rich pageant. Reacher is a ‘righteous’ psychopath smashing people into pulp. Killing people in ever more ingenious ways. Wandering … Continue reading →

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Pedants unite!

Posted on February 14, 2026 by odeboyz
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Book Review: Douglas Adams ~ The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (1979)

Posted on February 4, 2026 by odeboyz

For a comedic SciFi novel to become a best-seller is unprecedented. Douglas Adams was very, very lucky that he got decisive support from BBC Radio4. They produced 15-minute programmes, which became a cult. Adams then wrote a series of books … Continue reading →

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A definition of Fascism: Donald Trump fits the bill

Posted on January 14, 2026 by odeboyz

At the core of fascism as a movement was a contempt for limits, especially those imposed by reason-based arguments; a belief that reality could be altered by the will; and an exaltation of the violent assertion of that will as … Continue reading →

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J S Mill on diversity

Posted on December 3, 2025 by odeboyz

It is hardly possible to overrate the value…of placing human beings in contact with persons dissimilar to themselves, and with modes of thought and action unlike those with which they are familiar….Such communication has always been, and is peculiarly in … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Martin Cruz Smith ~ Hotel Ukraine (2025)

Posted on October 29, 2025 by odeboyz

Authors who create wonderful characters own a gold mine.1 Killing a ‘Golden Goose’ is very expensive. Lee Child outsourced the Reacher series to his brother. Ian Ranken’s Rebus recently was imprisoned for murder and then solved a murder and lives … Continue reading →

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Why Sherlock Holmes wasn’t Scottish

Posted on October 25, 2025 by odeboyz

“Police have arrested a 75-year-old man in connection with the death of 65-year-old dog walker who was shot dead on a countryside track….. Police Scotland had initially believed that Low’s death was non-suspicious and medically related, but a medical examination … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Ben Elton ~ Inconceivable (1999)

Posted on August 30, 2025 by odeboyz

Sadly, I read this book the same week it was announced that fertility levels in Britain were at a record low. All of which means that this book is apposite. Thousands – tens of thousands – of people are going … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Ian Rankin ~ Midnight and Blue (2024)

Posted on July 30, 2025 by odeboyz

Q) What does a brilliant detective do after being sentenced to life imprisonment? A) Solve ultra difficult murders. Rebus got a life sentence for murdering his criminal nemesis ‘Big Ger’ Cafferty. It was accidental but nonetheless he was found guilty … Continue reading →

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Book Review: James Ellroy ~ The Big Nowhere (1988)

Posted on June 25, 2025 by odeboyz

The USA has a menacing culture, which embraces extreme violence and corruption. The January 6th 2020 Insurrection led to multiple deaths and systematic vandalism. It was celebrated by President Trump as an act of ‘patriotism’. His first act, as president, … Continue reading →

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