2021-03-22 12:42
Total Blackout: A gripping, breathtaking, fast-paced SAS action adventure thriller you won’t be able to put down by Alex ShawMy rating: 4 of 5 starsMy type of action thriller, fast pac… Read More
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Basingstone Book - Book Reviews Blog
basingstone.blogspot.co.uk
Reviewing mostly mystery, thrillers and crime novels.
2021-03-22 11:19
The Beijing Conspiracy by Shamini FlintMy rating: 4 of 5 starsI don't know why I am drawn to political conspiracy thrillers but I was not disappointed by this one. Jack Ford an ex marine fol… Read More
2021-03-22 10:42
One Eye Open by Paul FinchMy rating: 3 of 5 starsGood story of crime and corruption which starts with a car crash. It has taken me ages to read but during lockdown I have been doing other th… Read More
2021-03-22 10:26
The Jigsaw Man by Nadine MathesonMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThis is a great murder story which has taken me ages to read which seems strange during lockdown, but I have been so busy with project… Read More
2020-09-04 11:20
The Pandora Deception by David BrunsMy rating: 4 of 5 starsBearing in mind we amidst a worldwide pandemic of Covid19 this story has a lot of relevance. With the threats facing the world chan… Read More
2020-09-04 11:19
The Black Art of Killing by Matthew HallMy rating: 3 of 5 starsA career in killing is all Leo Black has known. Finally forging a different life an old colleague dies and he finds out he was… Read More
2020-06-29 15:37
Arkhangel by James BrabazonMy rating: 3 of 5 starsNormally I would love this type of story but this seemed to drag a bit. The authors style is okay and easy to read however this one was miss… Read More
2020-06-29 15:36
Double Agent by Tom BradbyMy rating: 3 of 5 starsGood spy thriller, a follow on from "Secret Service". Kate Henderson's world has been turned upside down but she has to carry on and try and… Read More
2020-05-18 20:27
The Dark Continent by Scott ReardonMy rating: 3 of 5 starsGood action thriller with government created super human soldiers. The programme was stopped but someone has started again and look… Read More
2020-05-05 14:59
Brixton Hill by Lottie MoggachMy rating: 3 of 5 starsWas expecting a little more but a nice story it is not however a thriller but a drama mystery. Rob is in prison close to release and gets… Read More
2020-04-25 12:51
Power Play by Tony KentMy rating: 5 of 5 starsI have only awarded 5 stars a handful of times and this is one of them. It is a books that panders to all my needs - action, thrills, political… Read More
2020-04-19 09:59
Ishmael Covenant by Terry BrennanMy rating: 4 of 5 starsI am not a religious person so you might find reading a book based on religious writings and stories a little strange. This however is… Read More
2020-04-06 22:06
Rewind by Catherine Ryan HowardMy rating: 3 of 5 starsThis is a good story, but is somewhat hampered by the style adopted. I stuck with it and enjoyed it more than I expected early on. The s… Read More
2020-03-22 16:44
The Last Hunt by Deon MeyerMy rating: 4 of 5 starsUnexpected and great story, translated from Afrikaans it chronicles the struggle of the South Africa to live up to the promise of the Mandel… Read More
2020-03-08 14:26
Blind Target: A Codi Sanders Thriller by Brent LaddMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThis is my kind of book, something to keep your interest the whole way through. A great story originating with event… Read More
2020-03-02 11:00
Critical Incidents by Lucie WhitehouseMy rating: 3 of 5 starsGood enough story but got very slow about half way through and had to work at it to finish. This novel is about a detective with… Read More
2020-02-10 12:17
All The Rage by Cara HunterMy rating: 4 of 5 starsWho knows what goes through a teenagers mind? This is an age old problem and central to the story line of this detective novel. Cara Hunter'… Read More
2020-02-10 12:16
17 Church Row by James CarolMy rating: 3 of 5 starsVery topical with AI and possibly what the future holds. The story starts with a house move to make a new start after a family tragedy, but… Read More
2020-01-12 21:13
Scrublands by Chris HammerMy rating: 3 of 5 starsThis is one of those books with a story, which if you thought things were bad they just might get even worse. Martin Scarsden is in a small… Read More
2020-01-12 21:08
The Coldest Warrior: A Novel by Paul VidichMy rating: 3 of 5 starsA CIA story based on a true story of cover up. When ever the CIA is mentioned you always picture the worst. Spying missions… Read More
2019-12-15 14:15
The Aeschylus by David BarclayMy rating: 3 of 5 starsView all my reviews Read More
2019-12-15 12:33
Tom Clancy's Oath of Office by Marc CameronMy rating: 3 of 5 starsI like Tom Clancy but this did not quite hit the same mark. Yes using Clancy characters it had great potential however the c… Read More
2019-12-15 12:31
Our Friends in Berlin by Anthony QuinnMy rating: 3 of 5 starsWorld War II spy story which I have enjoyed due to the combination of a good story and the atmospheric style of writing. Jack Hos… Read More
2019-12-15 12:30
Half Way Home by Hugh HoweyMy rating: 3 of 5 starsI think you always have to be a bit of a Trekkie if you are going to appreciate a good sci fi novel. This one for me a Trekkie is great, tot… Read More
2019-12-15 12:29
River Run by J.S. JamesMy rating: 3 of 5 starsGreat book for first novel although I was not a total fan of the style. The story line was excellent but was in my view overdone with local con… Read More
2019-10-16 19:11
The Chemical Detective by Fiona ErskineMy rating: 3 of 5 starsA good up to date story of organised crime at it's worst. It is fiction however I am always amazed at the risks and violence tha… Read More
2019-10-04 09:59
Blood in the Dust by Bill SwiggsMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThe gold rush in Victoria, Australia is the backdrop for this excellent story of Toby O'Rourke whose parents have been murdered by bush… Read More
2019-10-04 09:58
Cold Storage by David KoeppMy rating: 4 of 5 starsEver scared of going to the fridge, well you might think differently after reading this and might not look at mushrooms the same way again… Read More
2019-09-23 14:44
Elevator Pitch by Linwood BarclayMy rating: 4 of 5 starsI suppose you could say this book has its ups and downs, but it has a lot more. An excellent thriller, which starts out as a search fo… Read More
2019-09-11 15:52
By the Feet of Men by Grant PriceMy rating: 3 of 5 starsWorld leaders need to read this book and understand what climate change will do. Grant Price's vision of the world after climate chan… Read More
2019-08-05 08:13
A Single Source by Peter HaningtonMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThe Arab Spring was a media dream, the only story, you had to be there. William Carver however finds out some disturbing truths and s… Read More
2019-08-04 20:18
Goodbye Paris by Mike BondMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThis is a great book with normal special forces action and thrills, but what makes it great is the integration of Islamic terrorism. The auth… Read More
2019-06-13 16:57
Tokyo Firewall: a novel of international suspense by Elizabeth WilkersonMy rating: 3 of 5 starsSadly this could have been a five star book but the author made the character appear to be a bi… Read More
2019-05-23 19:41
One Way by S.J. MordenMy rating: 4 of 5 starsGreat combination for me, greedy corporations and Sci Fi. The story has an unusual setting - Mars but the motives and competing agendas are fairl… Read More
2019-05-23 19:40
The Island by Ragnar JónassonMy rating: 3 of 5 starsThis book is perfect example of Nordic Noir. Set in Iceland Hulda is a police detective who picks up an unusual case of a suspiciou… Read More
2019-04-15 18:48
Out of the Dark by Gregg HurwitzMy rating: 4 of 5 starsMy type of book, dark dealings by the executive. With fake news getting a very high profile it makes you wonder what are they hiding. T… Read More
2019-04-15 18:44
Secret Service by Tom BradbyMy rating: 4 of 5 starsKate an agent on the Russia desk in MI6 is convinced there is a mole in her office but who is it. Good spy thriller with action and surpris… Read More
2019-03-22 19:26
Sound of a Furious Sky by H.N. WakeMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThis is a new series from HN Wake, with a great new character in Domini Walker a FBI agent. Just returning to work from a break foll… Read More
2019-02-06 18:12
Gone by Midnight by Candice FoxMy rating: 5 of 5 starsThe Crimson Lake series just gets better and better. The odd partnership between Ted Conkaffey and Amanda Pharrell works well adding new… Read More
2019-01-29 17:21
The Chestnut Man by Søren SveistrupMy rating: 3 of 5 starsI don't know if it is the translation or the original writing, but I just could not get used to the writing style. It forced… Read More
2018-12-16 19:55
Dark Game by Rachel LynchMy rating: 4 of 5 starsA new detective series from Rachel Lynch and it should do well if the follow on books are as good. DI Kelly Porter returns to her home after a… Read More
2018-12-05 19:37
Executive Force by Gary GrossmanMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThis is the fourth in a series by Gary Grossman but that did not matter. This novel stood well on its own without the prior knowledge o… Read More
2018-10-21 15:06
The Body On The Shore by Nick LouthMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThis is a real mystery thriller with unexplained murders and plot twists that are inconceivable to the man in the street. It starts… Read More
2018-10-21 10:54
Debris Line by Matthew FitzSimmonsMy rating: 4 of 5 starsDrug and criminal businesses stretches all round the world and even in an idyllic place like the Algarve. Fugitive Gibson Vaughn and… Read More
2018-10-21 10:31
Final Strike by William S. CohenMy rating: 3 of 5 starsEveryone likes a good apocalyptic story story and this appears to fit the bill. Early on we know that the earth is threatened by an ast… Read More
2018-07-29 17:16
In The Dark by Cara HunterMy rating: 4 of 5 starsFor a detective story this seemed to be too simple but it turns out to be the opposite. Cara Hunter takes us to the university town of Oxford… Read More
2018-07-29 17:13
Skin Deep by Liz NugentMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThis book was never quite what I expected and was surprisingly good. The format was new to me, the end was at the beginning (starting with a mur… Read More
2018-05-22 19:19
Girl On Fire by Tony ParsonsMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThis is my second Max Wolfe novel and it delivered the same excitement, thrills and twists of the first. This time Max is involved in findi… Read More
2018-04-27 18:08
The Break Line by James BrabazonMy rating: 4 of 5 starsIf you like fast paced action thrillers with a little violence and gore thrown in then this is for you. Max McLean is a British state a… Read More
2018-04-25 11:29
The Cyclist by Anthony Neil SmithMy rating: 4 of 5 starsNever quite got there, Judd is a marine recruit who failed to make the grade who loves cycling. As luck would have it he meets his ide… Read More
2018-04-08 11:07
Star of the North by D.B. JohnMy rating: 4 of 5 starsI really enjoy a great story that uses current events as its base, add in politics and espionage and all my needs can be catered for. Did… Read More
2018-03-12 20:38
Redemption Point by Candice FoxMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThis is second in the Crimson Lake series but Candice Fox expertly provides a stand alone novel as well as the continuing story of Ted C… Read More
2018-02-26 15:19
The Lost Codex by Alan JacobsonMy rating: 4 of 5 starsNot my first Alan Jacobson novel but my first in this OPSIG Team Black series. I was a little daunted by the length of the book, but I s… Read More
2018-02-26 11:14
Beartown by Fredrik BackmanMy rating: 3 of 5 starsMy version of this novel is titled "The Scandal", "Beartown" was the title used for US publication. I think this alternate name provides a b… Read More
2017-10-14 15:38
Here and Gone by Haylen BeckMy rating: 4 of 5 starsSmall town America is always portrayed as having significant problems with either crime, sex abuse, interbreeding, poverty and in fact any… Read More
2017-10-14 15:37
Hell Divers by Nicholas Sansbury SmithMy rating: 5 of 5 starsIf you have read any other books by Nicholas Sansbury Smith then you might understand why I was very excited to be reading anothe… Read More
2017-09-20 14:28
Red Tide by Jeff LindsayMy rating: 4 of 5 starsBilly Knight is a LA cop retired to Key West as a fishing guide. With pressure form his friends he tackles an immigration problem - Haitians ar… Read More
2017-09-20 14:23
The Sleeper by J. Robert JanesMy rating: 2 of 5 starsSet in pre-ww2 Britain this is a custody battle to top all custody battles and be warned it is complicated or at least it appears that wa… Read More
2017-09-20 14:13
Night of the Bonfire by Kevin Scott OlsonMy rating: 4 of 5 starsIan Flemings Bond style is easy to replicate however you must have a good storyline to make it work. With Michael Quinn, Kevin… Read More
2017-09-20 14:07
The Mark by Kiki SwinsonMy rating: 2 of 5 starsSometimes you get something you don't expect and this is one. This is the story of a bank robber trying to go clean, however her ex from whom s… Read More
2017-09-20 08:10
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica LockeMy rating: 3 of 5 starsA Texas Ranger investigates a murder whilst under suspension with the target of getting some evidence against the local white suprema… Read More
2017-09-20 08:09
Before the Fall by Noah HawleyMy rating: 3 of 5 starsA young struggling artist is caught up in an aircraft accident which should make him hero after saving the life of a four year old boy, h… Read More
2017-09-20 08:07
Kill Devil Falls: A Novel of Suspense by Brian KlingborgMy rating: 3 of 5 starsUS Marshall Helen Morrissey is assigned to collect a bank robber from remote town but things don't go as normal… Read More
2017-09-20 08:05
The Villa Golitsyn by Piers Paul ReadMy rating: 2 of 5 starsHaving read the synopsis and with the title you can be forgiven in thinking this is an out and out spy novel, but it isn't. This i… Read More
2017-08-14 18:33
Dinner at the Centre of the Earth by Nathan EnglanderMy rating: 1 of 5 starsIt does not happen very often but this book beat me. I have read around 20% and have not been able to understand a… Read More
2017-08-07 19:41
The Woman Who Knew Too Much by Tom SavageMy rating: 4 of 5 starsNora Baron's husband works for the CIA and she gets the chance to work a mission. Based in Venice it has a very interesting… Read More
2017-08-07 19:08
Ragdoll by Daniel ColeMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThis detective's name is unusual and immediately links to the parliamentary explosives expert however there is no connection. Ragdoll refers to t… Read More
2017-08-07 11:31
Zero Sum by Barry EislerMy rating: 3 of 5 starsJohn Rain has an occupation which is unusual but borne out of his life in the military and subsequent mercenary work, he is an assassin. Return… Read More
2017-08-07 11:30
I Am Missing by Tim WeaverMy rating: 3 of 5 starsRichard has one of those problems that it is impossible to understand what it is like to experience. He has lost all his memory and only has… Read More
2017-06-23 21:10
Justice by Another Name by E.C. HanesMy rating: 4 of 5 starsYou would think that greed and corruption is the province of Wall Street and City of London but no it is alive and well in the pig… Read More
2017-06-23 20:10
The Expansion by Christoph MartinMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThis is a difficult book to categorise, not a thriller, not a mystery, not a political story, not espionage, not a murder. What is it… Read More
2017-05-07 19:21
The Ridge by John RectorMy rating: 4 of 5 starsWillow Ridge is community built by a company for their employees, on first impression it is like Stepford but that’s where the similarity… Read More
2017-04-23 18:50
Executive Order by Max Allan CollinsMy rating: 4 of 5 starsFour CIA agents are caught in a border incident in Eastern Europe, but why and who sent them there? The President did not authorise… Read More
2017-04-09 20:23
Cast Iron by Peter MayMy rating: 4 of 5 starsA Scottish detective in France is not your everyday crime thriller but Enzo Macleod is making his sixth appearance in this novel. An extreme dro… Read More
2017-04-09 19:29
The Reason: It's about More Than Just the Money by Quentin BrentMy rating: 3 of 5 starsZane works selling insurance for an asset stripping organisation, but his wife and family are abducted… Read More
2017-04-08 17:02
Red Sky by Chris GoffMy rating: 4 of 5 starsRaisa Jordan is sent to identify a U.S. Diplomatic escort caught up in the crash of flight 91 from China to Poland. From the start she is curious… Read More
2017-03-30 18:17
The Ulterior Motive by Jack ColestonMy rating: 4 of 5 starsWe all know about the despicable deeds of the extremist groups from recent events around Europe. It is now the turn of the U.S. to… Read More
2017-03-21 20:27
Crimson Lake by Candice FoxMy rating: 4 of 5 starsCandice Fox has done it again, another excellent thriller. This time a detective is accused of a child abduction has to escapes attention by… Read More
2017-03-20 18:34
A Quiet Death by Cari HunterMy rating: 5 of 5 starsIt is not often I award five stars, so put this book on your want to read list. Cari Hunter has delivered an excellent thriller on the thor… Read More
2017-03-20 17:38
Before the Dawn by Jake WoodhouseMy rating: 3 of 5 starsThird book in the Jaap Rykel series. Based in Holland I found this book a little flat, (pun intended) with a very slow start and never… Read More
2017-01-16 20:54
The Kill Sign by Nichole ChristoffMy rating: 4 of 5 starsJamie Sinclair is visiting in Mississippi where she has a new boyfriend who is stationed at Fort Donovan. Adam Barrett is a Colonel i… Read More
2017-01-15 15:58
Exposure by Helen DunmoreMy rating: 3 of 5 stars1960’s cold war is the setting for this spook thriller. The story line feeds directly from the events of the spy fraternity that existed… Read More
2016-10-23 18:26
The Quiet Death of Thomas Quaid by Craig RussellMy rating: 5 of 5 starsSet in 1950’s Glasgow this is a very atmospheric and funny novel with a great detective story. Tommy Quaid dies w… Read More
2016-10-16 21:11
Black Hills by Jennifer SchneiderMy rating: 4 of 5 starsNormally you find the detective in detective stories are generally “good” people and often ex-public servants police or mi… Read More
2016-10-13 19:34
Serpents in the City by H.N. WakeMy rating: 4 of 5 starsCIA agent Mac Ambrose is back in the U.S. and is asked by her friend to investigate a sex scandal video blackmail on a sitting Senator… Read More
2016-10-13 18:37
A Red Dotted Line by Simon GervaisMy rating: 4 of 5 starsIMSI is a counterterrorism unit privately sponsored and only answerable to the President, as you would expect it is staffed by ex-gov… Read More
2016-10-06 19:06
Bullet in the Blue Sky by Bill LarkinMy rating: 4 of 5 starsTerrorism is a very big issue currently along with global warming and other environmental problems, this novel expertly ties it al… Read More
2016-09-29 19:39
Underground Airlines by Ben H. WintersMy rating: 2 of 5 starsWhen I read the synopsis of this book I was excited by what to me was a totally new idea, however sometimes ideas are not execute… Read More
2016-09-29 19:29
The Rare Earth Exchange by Bernard BessonMy rating: 3 of 5 starsI have always enjoyed the publications of Le French Book and this is no exception. Following a terrorist cyber-attack on an ai… Read More
2016-08-18 19:14
Environmentally Friendly by Elias ZanbakaMy rating: 3 of 5 starsVery short story, great concept but I feel let down by the overly descriptive writing style. Had it been a standard length nov… Read More
2016-08-18 19:12
Cascadia by H.W. "Buzz" BernardMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThis is my first disaster fiction novel for sometime and I am very glad I chose this one. This is a fast paced story of disaster and int… Read More
2016-08-15 18:47
Redemption by Nicholas Sansbury SmithMy rating: 5 of 5 starsBook three and the story is as good as ever, Sansbury Smith keeps his options open on the ending with no real clues as to the Eart… Read More
2016-08-15 18:46
The Hunted Assassin by Paul B. KohlerMy rating: 4 of 5 starsFrom the very start the title comes into play and the hunt has begun. Martin Wheeler a former operative of the security organisati… Read More
2016-08-01 19:38
Chill the Bones by Sten OstbergMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThis kidnapping story is packed with suspense and twists and for a novella that is a great achievement. A baby is stolen from home while… Read More
2016-07-26 18:50
Stranded by Nicholas Sansbury SmithMy rating: 5 of 5 starsBook two in this marvellous series. The biome team are still trying survive the onslaught from the Organics and discover there are m… Read More
2016-07-25 20:37
Three Minutes to Midnight by A.J. TataMy rating: 4 of 5 starsFracking good story. Stealing natural gas when you have none seems like a good idea for a get rich quick scheme, however this one… Read More
2016-07-07 19:47
Orbs by Nicholas Sansbury SmithMy rating: 5 of 5 starsI am sucker for this type of book, fast pace, full of action, good storyline, not too predictable and finally Sci Fi. It is 2055 and top… Read More
2016-07-03 20:27
Shadowed: A Thriller by Karen E. OlsonMy rating: 3 of 5 starsAs a hacker it seems you have to have a heavy dose of paranoia. Nicole, Tina or what ever her name might be at the time always ap… Read More
2016-06-24 19:35
The Punishments by JB WinsorMy rating: 4 of 5 starsI have got it into my head that this book forecasts a future that mirrors what might happen if Donald Trump gets into power. Sound scary? w… Read More
2016-06-09 19:49
Fatal Pursuit by Martin WalkerMy rating: 4 of 5 starsSometimes you just wish you could read a book without any stress or reflections of life today. This book gave me this, whilst still a mur… Read More
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