The Crime Warp

The nights are definitely drawing in and a friend of mine said that she was looking to stock up on books and do lots of reading rather than just watching TV during the dark evenings.  I’m trying to do the same; cutting down on TV, reading new books and perhaps different books from usual. I’m part way through Robert Harris’ An officer and a spy which grabbed me from the get go.  Harris has characterised the protagonist superbly and it really is like seeing an onion being peeled away, chapter by chapter.  I got about half way through and was just aghast at …… sorry, plot spoiler if I carry on.  It’s a great book, but pricey – thank goodness for Hampshire's libraries which still stock a great range of up to date books. Anyway, turning to October’s hot picks.  I‘ve chosen five books this month, four are out already [although for one of these I’d wait a couple of weeks for the paperback/Kindle edition] and one in November, so not long to wait for...

I was sent the link to a post by David Hewson where he talks about how he adapted the TV series “The Killing” into books.   I was quite curious and before I clicked on the link was thinking about the idea of taking a TV series and turning it into a book – this is the opposite of what usually happens when books are adapted for screen.   For me, a book leaves a huge amount to the reader’s imagination, whereas in TV and film you see so much on the screen. My initial thoughts were that “bookifying” a series would be pretty easy – perhaps taking the script, mapping out the action and dialogue, then just adding a few bits of description.    When I read Hewson’s post, it was pretty obvious that really I’d not appreciated the level of skill and craft that goes into making this kind of adaptation successful.   Far from this being a bit of jobbing writing, just filling in gaps here and there, Hewson started from scratch, by thinking carefully about the...

Tip Off Talking to the Dead By Harry Bingham     This novel is being dramatized on DRAMA MATTERS (Wednesday 16th Oct Sky Living /Virgin 9PM)     I found the central character in this novel intriguing and Bingham wrote the story so well we were given clues throughout to her 'disorder' but didn't find out till near the end.      Can't wait to see how they dramatise it!  

Ice Moon by Jan Costin Wagner    Imagine this tableau – a frozen Finnish lake in a perfectly still landscape. A few figures posed as if at random, all looking at the protagonist, a young police officer mourning the death of his wife through a harrowing illness. The viewer is aware of, but can’t see, the psychotic murderer who is killing people in their sleep. This psychological thriller is as elegant as an andante movement in a composition by Sibelius.    Jan Costin Wagner, the German author who sets his books in this cold landscape in the North, has, for someone so young, a remarkable insight into the complexities of the pain of mourning. He does not once shy away from exploring complicated human emotions and deliberately takes his time developing the psychological journey of Joentaa, his main protagonist. The pain of mourning has enabled Joentaa, the young police officer, to instinctively identify with the murderer. This creates an uneasy parallel p...

  Original Skin  by David Mark This is Mark's second novel set in Hull and featuring Scottish born Aector McAvoy. , I loved both Mark's books, partly because of the Northern element but mostly because  Aector isn't the typical burnt out alcoholic cop with a divorce and estranged children behind him.  On the contrary Hectar has few vices, loves his wife and young family, is mostly honest and dedicated to his job but is interesting because of his humility, self consciousness and insecurity.  Mark writes Aector's character cleverly.  We witness his blushes and insecurities without seeing him as weak because we also see his his quiet dogmatism.  I think some writer's must take years to perfect portraying the non abrasive layers of a character so convincingly, but in my opinion Marks not only manages this but manages it with apparent effortlessness. (Makes us would be writer's sick huh?)   Original skin i...