Category Archives: Review

Book review: Antti Tuomainen ~ The Rabbit Factor (Translator David Hackston) (2020)

Posted on November 22, 2023 by odeboyz

Definition: An actuary is someone who is too boring to be an accountant. To have a comedic thriller written with an actuary at its centre is amazing. And when that actuary is so boring he gets sacked because he doesn’t … Continue reading →

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Book Review: M W Craven ~ Fearless (2023)

Posted on November 8, 2023 by odeboyz

Lee Child’s Reacher is iconic. This novel is a rip-off. Craven has judged the market can support two Reacher-style psychopathic loners living outside the law. Both, of course, are formerly law officers, and so know all the tricks. The usual … Continue reading →

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Film Review: The Great Escaper (2023) (Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson)

Posted on October 18, 2023 by odeboyz

Two great actors come together to make a wonderful film. It’s a biopic of Bernie Jordan who, aged 89, ‘broke’ out of his care home to attend – as an unofficial guest – the 70th anniversary of the D-Day Landings.1 … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Michael Dobbs ~ The Final Cut (1994)

Posted on October 18, 2023 by odeboyz

Dobbs is the greatest political novelist since Anthony Trollope in the Victorian era. His political ‘insider’ status and dialogue is outstanding. This re-read was an unmitigated joy from start to finish. What I’d forgotten was that this novel – the … Continue reading →

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Iranian Religious Leaders embrace Technology

Posted on October 5, 2023 by odeboyz

Robots can’t replace senior clerics, but they can be a trusted assistant that can help them issue a fatwa1 in five hours instead of 50 days,” said Mohammad Ghotbi, who heads a state-linked organisation in Qom that encourages the growth … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Ian Rankin ~ A Heart Full of Headstones (2022)

Posted on September 25, 2023 by odeboyz

The hardest thing for a book-a-year author is character development. Some authors, like Lee Child, don’t bother. Reacher is littered with vicious, psychopathic murders, which are, loosely, righteous. Other authors, like Peter James, are drifting into mediocrity losing any connexion … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Philip Kerr ~ False Nine (2015)

Posted on August 28, 2023 by odeboyz

The late great Philip Kerr produced a wonderful series about the Nazi era detective, Bernie Gunther. A finely tuned understanding of the Nazi hierarchy and their corruption, sadism and gangster mentality made the series compelling. As if that wasn’t enough … Continue reading →

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Film Review: Oppenheimer (2023) (Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey jr)

Posted on August 7, 2023 by odeboyz

At three hours long I nearly avoided this film. A grave error of judgement. Three hours flew past leaving me with a warm sense of privilege. Why? I felt that I’d been part of something, which was out of the … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Sue Townsend ~ Adrian Mole: The prostate years (2009)

Posted on July 31, 2023 by odeboyz

Sue Townsend’s character Adrian Mole is a masterclass in English humour. Ever since she introduced us to The secret diary of Adrian Mole aged 133/4 the character has developed. The nerdy, geeky, unworldly, kindly and hapless Adrian continuously drifts towards … Continue reading →

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 Book Review: David McCloskey ~ Damascus Station (2021)

Posted on July 13, 2023 by odeboyz

This thrilling thriller reads like a CIA promo novel. It’s consistently on message presenting a compelling and unambiguous world view. The Syrians are portrayed as barbaric, merciless killers who’ll do anything for their nefarious ends. This includes torturing a CIA … Continue reading →

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