So Cold The River- Michael Koryta

So Cold The River

Michael Koryta

Eric Shaw is a cinematographer who once worked on big Hollywood films but since has spiraled down to making commemorative videos for weddings and funerals. Shaw's life took an about turn when the wealthy Alyssa Bradford approaches him with the offer of making a documentary on her billionaire father-in-law, Campbell Bradford.

Born in a small town in Indiana, Bradford left the town just before the town and its famous spa resort fell into ruin. Restored again to its original beauty, Shaw visits the resort taking with him the antique bottle of mineral water Bradford had kept all his life. Tasting the water Shaw experiences visions that appear as portals into the past, a past that may unravel the secret of Campbell Bradford.

The succinct prose and the cast of complex well drawn-out characters, help to make So Cold The River a riveting read. The paranormal aspect is tasteful and never detracts from the plotline. I went through a few sleepless nights, impatient for what happens next. 4 stars

North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell

North & South

Elizabeth Gaskell

Wordsworth Classic

A tale of misunderstandings, assumptions and personal prejudices clouding over judgement. No I'm not confusing this with 'Pride and Prejudice', although one could easily recognise elements of it throughout North and South. Combining Austen's wit (although not enough of it) and Dicken's depiction of the poor (thankfully sans his incessant dribble), Gaskell weaves a novel about life's struggles and conflicts.

The protagonist Margaret Hale, is resilient and confident -a characteristic which is often mistaken for haughtiness- and shows none of the 'delicate' qualities expected of women in her day. Whether its shouldering the responsibility of informing her mother of her father's decision to resign from his Parish and move the family to Milton, or putting herself between angry strikers and their employer John Thornton, Margaret draws on this inner strength with grace and propriety. Similarly, when the need arises for her to take the role of nurse, carer and organiser, she resumes her role with little fuss or fanfare.

Aside from Margaret's character, I enjoyed the passages relating to the events that lead to her brother's exile and Mrs. Thornton's cutting views added a spice to otherwise dreary narrative.

In truth I'm not a real fan of Victorian novels. Their middle-class concerns with marrying well and point scoring - whilst sipping copious cups of tea - is tedious. As much as I loved 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Oliver', I cannot say the same for North and South. 2.5 stars

The Reversal - Michael Connelly

The Reversal

Michael Connelly

Allen & Unwin

The Reversal is my first foray into Connelly's Bosch and Haller characters. Alternating between Haller's first-person narration and the third-person narrative following Bosch, Connelly sears a heart-thumping court room thriller that guarantees to keep the reader glued to the pages.

Representing The People, Haller and Bosch have teamed up for the trial of a previously convicted felon. Twenty years ago, Jessop is jailed over the abduction and murder of a twelve year old girl. New forensic evidence based on the DNA found on her dress, have cast a doubt over the conviction. With the help of his ace defender, Jessop hopes to reverse the verdict and clear his name.

It's so easy for the author's to resort to the 'good prevails over evil' cliche. Thankfully Connelly has not only resisted this path but deftly illustrates the muddy boundaries of the laws and the point scoring tactics of ambitious lawyers willing to manipulate these blurred edges to further their career. Combine that with a page-turning narrative and you have yourself a superior entertaining novel. 4 stars

The Death Instinct - Jed Rubenfeld

The Death Instinct
Jed Rubenfeld
Headline

A term coined by Sigmund Frued, The Death Instinct refers to the two competeing desires that drive men: one that drives him towards death and destruction and the other towards love and life. Now how do these desires relate to the work of madame Curie?

To answer that, we need to enter the prolifically creative mind of Jed Rubenfeld.

The book opens with the real life historical bombing of the Wall street in 1920 during which a billion dollars of US gold goes missing and causes a near invasion of Mexico by US forces. To make matters worse, President Wilson suffers a stroke that leads to a Presidential power vaccum. Add to this the rise of the industrialisation and the use of radium in consumer goods and you will have the thickening plot that sets the backdrop to The Death Instinct.

The American doctor Stratham (also in Rubenfeld's first book Interpretation of Murder) is this time teamed up with the gorgeous French scientist Collette. Together they are on the quest to solve the mystery of the missing gold and the curious illness that befalls the local factory workers. Freud's cameo appearance half way through the book also adds an interesting twist to the narrative.

Fusing facts, fiction and a little romance, Rubenfeld navigates the reader towards a heart-thumping, action-packed conclusion that leaves one guessing to the very last page. 4 Stars

I Capture The Castle - Dodie Smith

I Capture The Castle
Dodie Smith

Chosen by a bookclub member, I Capture The Castle came highly recommended. And like most things that come highly recommended, it created an expectation the story failed to deliver. Initially enchanted by the setting and the characters, I thought I will be embarking on a quaint tale of pre-war England. And although there were a few amusing episodes (all involving the eccentric novelist father), I did not fall in love with the tale.

The heroine, the seventeen year-old Cassandra Mortmain lives in an old sparsely furnished castle with her desperately romantic older sister Rose, her one-hit-wonder novelist father James, her beguiling stepmother Topaz, her school boy brother Thomas and the poetry reciting, gorgeous live-in help Stephen (who also happen to be in love with her). With little money, the Mortmains have a tough time to make ends meet. Their fortunes take a turn when a new family moves in to the nearby manor house. The new owners turn out to be rich Americans whom to Rose's delight, have two eligible sons and she quickly sets out to snare the oldest brother.

So far so good.

Unfortunately this is where the fun ends. Rose whines with irritable regularity, James's inability to get started on his next book is frustrating and I just about tore my hair out over Cassandra's foolishness in not returning Stephen's love. There is an unexpected twist near the end which promises to spice things up. But I guess being English and proper, Smith manages to resolve it in the most unsatisfying yet politely civilised manner. 3 stars

How it Feels - Brendan Cowell

How it Feels
Brendan Cowell
Picador

Four teenage friends living in Sydney’s Southern Shire, have finished their final exams and are about to embark on different paths. In one wild, drug and alcohol fuelled end of year celebrations their lives change forever and friendships are broken.

This is a strange and unusually crafted novel. I confess I left it half way through mainly because of my irritation with Neil and his narcissism. The characters live on a daily orgy of promiscuous sex, alcohol and drugs that seem over exaggerated and unreal.

Cowell has a mixed bag of narratives where moments of great prose are littered with passages of overblown swearing and colloquialism. Despite showing potential and artistry as a novelist, too much effort is spent on trying to be cool. How it Feels best suits adults in their late teens or early twenties. 3 stars