Category Archives: Review

Book Review: Richard Russo ~ Nobody’s Fool (1993)

Posted on February 9, 2023 by odeboyz

Ordinary people are fascinating. That insight led to decades of success for Coronation Street and EastEnders. Likewise, Anthony Trollope’s 19th century Palliser series and John Updike’s Rabbit quartet of stunning novels.1 Russo taps into that truth. There’s virtually no sex, … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Michael Dobbs ~ The Reluctant Hero (2010)

Posted on January 12, 2023 by odeboyz

The storyline is preposterous. It depends on a suspension of credulity, which I can’t achieve – not that I tried hard. Astonishingly I finished the book. The only justification for this is that I took it away for Christmas and … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Lee Child ~ Bad Luck and Trouble (2007) (Reacher 11)

Posted on November 14, 2022 by odeboyz

The problem for ‘book-a-year’ authors is keeping characters simultaneously the same and different. If the trick isn’t pulled off characters become stale and repetitive. Reacher is a very strong character and Lee Child can’t deviate from his Maverick strongman. A … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Christopher Brookmyre ~ All fun and games until someone loses an eye (2005)

Posted on October 24, 2022 by odeboyz

Around about 8 pm on a Saturday night I was bored and irritable so I bought this on Amazon.1 Why this one? Well it had a quirky title and I like quirky books. I didn’t feel I was making a … Continue reading →

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Book Review: George MacDonald Fraser ~ Flashman at the Charge (Flashman 4) (1973)

Posted on October 3, 2022 by odeboyz

 I made the mistake of thinking about the direction of travel that Britain is on. The Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, believes Britain is a global military power. He’s a True Believer not allowing trivialities like evidence to interrupt his beliefs. … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Jussi Alder-Olsen ~ Redemption (2013) (Translator Martin Aitken)

Posted on September 1, 2022 by odeboyz

Redemption is the third in the series of Department Q novels which centre on Danish detective Carl Morck and his assistant Assad. So far so trivial. But! This is a scandi-noir novel of the highest quality. It’s brilliantly written with … Continue reading →

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Film Review: Bullet Train (Brad Pitt) (2022)

Posted on August 18, 2022 by odeboyz

If you work very hard it’s possible to find out what’s happening but it probably isn’t worth the effort. This gore-fest has a body count going into three figures. Being set in Japan there are more than the usual gun … Continue reading →

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The cost-of-living crisis in Mayfair

Posted on August 15, 2022 by odeboyz

“A new Mayfair joint has opened with the proud announcement that its menu will include a dish costing £3000. Apparently, it involves a bucket load of caviar with a brooding sense of inadequacy on the side. I’m not naming the … Continue reading →

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Book Reviews: Russian Themed Thrillers

Posted on August 11, 2022 by odeboyz

When Martin Cruz Smith’s Gorky Park (1981), was published it was an instant hit. The subsequent series had everything. A Russian version of a maverick Detective Inspector who was brilliant and opposed by the forces of institutional corruption. And they … Continue reading →

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Film Review: Elvis (Austin Butler and Tom Hanks) (2022)

Posted on August 1, 2022 by odeboyz

At 2 hours 40 this film had to be brilliant, otherwise it would have been a nasty self-indulgent mess. Director Baz Luhrmann is notorious for long films, which can be flabby. This isn’t one of them. 2 hours 40 wasn’t … Continue reading →

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