Category Archives: Literature

P G Wodehouse: Jill the Reckless

Posted on November 10, 2017 by odeboyz

“She had never yet been frightened of any man, but there was something reptilian about this fat, yellow- headed individual which, disgusted her, much as cockroaches had done in her childhood.” Chris

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Book Review: John le Carre ~ A Legacy of Spies

Posted on October 31, 2017 by odeboyz

With unhappy memories of dinosaur rock bands trading on their illustrious past, I wondered if this was a literary version. ‘Is it possible that Smiley et al can be successfully mined?’ was a nagging thought before I opened the book. … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Walter Tevis~ The Hustler

Posted on October 17, 2017 by odeboyz

It’s a disappointing thing to have to say in a book review that Tevis is unknown but the film with Paul Newman is a classic. He also wrote ‘The Color of Money’ and he’s unknown for that as well. So! … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Adam Kay~ This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor

Posted on October 3, 2017 by odeboyz

Expectations are heightened when secret and diaries are juxtaposed. Samuel Pepys partially wrote his in code and James Boswell’s revelations were fiercely guarded for very good reasons. Neither of those diaries were published during their lifetimes so they really were … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Joseph Knox~ Sirens

Posted on September 19, 2017 by odeboyz

Sirens is a debut novel and is a compelling read. Detective Constable Aidan Waits works undercover in Manchester (Manchester noir?). Naturally the people he’s infiltrating are deeply suspicious, prone to breath-taking violence, and occupied with a wide repertoire of evil-doing. … Continue reading →

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Book Review: P G Wodehouse~ Right Ho, Jeeves

Posted on September 5, 2017 by odeboyz

Wodehouse writes silly, frothy inconsequential books of no particular merit except for one detail: they’re utterly brilliant. Readers have to park their brains in a locker and wallow in the glorious writing. Wodehouse writes books where the first and second … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Carl Hiaasen Omnibus~ Tourist Season, Double Whammy, Skin Tight

Posted on August 8, 2017 by odeboyz

This omnibus edition hits our value for money target and, even better, they are an excellent read. Hiaasen satirises Florida: this is basically impossible as Florida is self-satirising. Hiaasen’s targets are politicans, developers, criminals, businessmen, tourists and the annual influx … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Stephen Leather Cold Kill

Posted on July 25, 2017 by odeboyz

Cold Kill is the third Dan ‘Spider’ Shepherd novel where he imperceptibly shades from being an undercover police officer into an assassin. His journey begins when he goes undercover to penetrate a people smuggling group who turn out to be … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Philip Kerr March Violets

Posted on July 11, 2017 by odeboyz

March Violets is the first in the Bernie Gunther series of novels, which are a tour de force. Bernie Gunther is a Berlin policeman caught up in the madness of Nazi Germany. The evocation of 1930s Berlin is exceptional as … Continue reading →

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Nice people don’t become Nazis: Dorothy Thompson 1941

Posted on June 6, 2017 by odeboyz

Kind, good, happy, gentlemanly, secure people never go Nazi. They may be the gentle philosopher whose name is in the Blue Book, or Bill from City College to whom democracy gave a chance to design airplanes—you’ll never make Nazis out … Continue reading →

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