Review: THE DEVIL'S SANCTUARY, Marie Hermanson

• first published in Swedish in Sweden in 2011
• translated into English by Neil Smith 2013
• ISBN 978-1-84744-576-6
• source: my local library

Synopsis (Hachette Australia)

A breathless, heart-stopping psychological thriller from one of Sweden's best selling authors. Fear lies around every corner. . .

Estranged identical twins Daniel and Max have a complex relationship, so when Daniel goes to visit his bi-polar brother in a remote and expensive Swiss 'recovery' clinic, he has no idea what really lies in wait for him. Lulled by the routine and peacefulness of the clinic, Daniel finds himself unquestioningly accepting Max's plea for help in taking care of some business, and the brothers swap places for a few days.

But soon Daniel realises Max isn't coming back, and that the clinic is far from a place of recovery. Struggling to get anyone to believe who he really is, Daniel finds himself trapped in a cruel and highly secretive prison: this is no sanctuary, it's a living nightmare.

My Take

Daniel really should have known better than to trust his twin brother Max when he invited Daniel to visit him at the Swiss clinic in Himelstat. And then his proposal that they swap places for a few days was quite ludicrous, but then Daniel was always the more compliant. Only too late does Daniel realise that Max will not be coming back any time soon, and that Himelstat is not a place you can just walk out of.

Once Daniel decides to reveal to management that he and his brother have swapped and that Max has escaped, he realises that no-one is going to release him, particularly after the doctor in charge of him starts talking about multiple personalities in the one body. Attempts to escape show him that he doesn't know who he can trust, particularly when it appears that most of the other residents are psychopaths.

The plotlines verge on science fiction and fantasy and give the author some chances to explore possible treatments of psychiatric disorders.

For some reason the story kept reminding me of the 1960s British TV series The Prisoner starring Patrick McGoohan. Mind you I don't remember the story all that well, just that nothing was ever what it seemed.

To be quite honest, this is a most peculiar novel but it wasn't just the idea that my face to face reading group want to discuss it in a couple of weeks' time that kept me reading. I'm curious now to read another by this author, although THE DEVIL'S SANCTUARY appears to be the first of her novels translated into English..

My rating: 4.3

About the Author
An author and journalist, Marie Hermanson published her first book in 1986. Her novels are huge bestsellers in Scandinavia, and Musselstranden (Clam Beach) is considered a modern classic, with over 250,000 copies sold. Mannen under trappan (The Man Under the Stairs) was adapted into a TV drama in 2009. She lives in Gothenberg, Sweden.

Crime Fiction Alphabet 2013: I is for I AM HALF-SICK OF SHADOWS by Alan Bradley

Following a pattern established in 2012, my contributions to the Crime Fiction Alphabet in 2013 will feature authors or books that I have read recently.

My choice this week is I AM HALF-SICK OF SHADOWS by Alan Bradley #4 in the series featuring twelve year old detective Flavia De Luce.

Synopsis (Amazon)

It’s Christmastime, and Flavia de Luce—an eleven-year-old sleuth with a passion for chemistry—is tucked away in her laboratory, whipping up a concoction to ensnare Saint Nick.

But she is soon distracted when a film crew arrives at Buckshaw, the de Luces’ decaying English estate, to shoot a movie starring the famed Phyllis Wyvern.

Amid a raging blizzard, the entire village of Bishop’s Lacey gathers at Buckshaw to watch Wyvern perform, yet nobody is prepared for the evening’s shocking conclusion: a body found strangled to death with a length of film. But who among the assembled guests would stage such a chilling scene? As the storm worsens and the list of suspects grows, Flavia must ferret out a killer hidden in plain sight.

See my review.

See what others have chosen for the letter I.

Agatha Christie Reading Challenge Blog Carnival May 2013

There is a very good variety of posts in the May 2013 Agatha Christie Reading Challenge blog carnival including reviews and news items.


Agatha Christie Reading Challenge Participants

1. Review:Crooked House 2. Review: APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH (@Christie in a Year) 3. Review Murder in the Mews Margaret@ BooksPlease 4. Notes on THE SECRET ADVERSARY (Christie in a Year) 5. Notes on THE MIRROR CRACK'D FROM SIDE TO SIDE (Christie in a Year) 6. Moira@ClothesinBooks: N or M? 7. Notes on THE MAN IN THE BROWN SUIT (Christie in a Year) 8. Notes on DEATH IN THE CLOUDS (Christie in a Year) 9. Review:A Pocket Full Of Rye 10. Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks Volume II, Murder In The Making- Quirkyreader 11. MiP - ORDEAL BY INNOCENCE 12. A Talent to Deceive -- Mystery Reference (TracyK) 13. David Suchet celebrates 25 years of portraying Poirot 14. Review:The Seven Dials Mystery 15. Flashcards for teaching Christie novels 16. Agatha Christie Literary Trail 17. Review: THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS 18. Moira@ClothesinBooks: Five Little Pigs

Powered by... Mister Linky's Magical Widgets.

It is never too late to participate: the June ACRC Blog Carnival is now open for entries: blog posts, news items etc.

Review: PROMISE, Tony Cavanaugh

• Published by Hachette Australia 2012
• ISBN 978-0-7336-2847-4
• 327 pages
• debut title

Synopsis (Publisher)

Top Homicide cop Darian Richards has been seeking out monsters for too long. He has promised one too many victim's families he will find the answers they need and it's taken its toll. Now retired, a series of disappearances see him return to the gun. On his terms. But he knows, every promise has a price to pay. If you love Harry Bosch and Dave Robicheaux you'll love Darian Richards.

Top Homicide cop Darian Richards has been seeking out monsters for too long. He has promised one too many victim's families he will find the answers they need and it's taken its toll. After surviving a gunshot wound to the head he calls it quits and retires to the Sunshine Coast in an attempt to leave the demons behind. But he should have realised, there are demons everywhere and no place is safe. A serial killer is prowling the Sunshine Coast area and Darian tries to ignore the fact his experience could make a difference hunting him down.

All he wants is to sit at the end of his jetty on the Noosa River and ignore the fact that girls from the area have vanished over the past fourteen months. All blonde and pretty. Youngest: 13. Oldest: 16. He knows they are all dead but the cops were saying 'missing' or 'vanished . That's what you have to say if you don t have a body.

Jenny Brown was the first. She vanished sometime after 4 in the afternoon, Saturday 15 October the previous year. Except for her parents and her friends and everybody who knew her, it was thought she was just a runaway. Especially by the cops who allowed a good two or three minutes before arriving at that conclusion. By the time they'd reached the gate to the front yard of her house, before they'd even walked across the road and climbed into their cruiser, they would've forgotten Jenny Brown even existed.

But then others disappeared and they couldn't call them all runaways. Darian can't sit idly by and he decides he is going to find the killer and deal with him ... his way.

My Take

At thirty years old Darian Richards became Officer in Charge of Victoria Police's Homicide Squad, having earned the reputation of Australia's top homicide investigator. But failure doesn't sit well with him and sixteen years later, when he fails to find a serial killer taking girls riding trains, he resigns and heads north to Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

It seems there are serial killers everywhere, many murders going undetected. A year after Darian has fled from the south, a serial killer taking young girls in Queensland strikes on the Sunshine Coast. Darian Richards can't stand by and do nothing. He becomes a free lance investigator.

He draws into his net Marie, the wife of a local friend. She is a constable in the Queensland Police and through her he learns what the police know. They form a maverick team, together with Isosceles, an international investigator who provides online services.

By this time we have also learnt that if the courts don't convict and dispense justice then Darian will dispense his own. Over the years he has done this several times, removing perps who have beaten the courts. Darian Richards is a dangerous man, and a rather unlikeable character. You find yourself asking how different he is to the people he pursues.

What didn't work all that well for me in this novel were chapters written from the point of view of the killer whose public count is eight abductions. The author tries to get into his sick mind and the result is horrifying, making for a very noir novel.

My rating: 4.3

Tony Cavanaugh has already published a second novel featuring Darian Richards, DEAD GIRL SING.

Other reviews to check

• Phil Brown @ The Australian
• Karen @ AustCrime
• Rob Minshull @ ABC 
• Bernadette @ Fair Dinkum Crime  

About the author

Tony Cavanaugh is an Australian writer and producer of film and television, writing numerous dramas since the 1980s. He has over thirty years experience in the industry, in all fields, from the genesis of an idea to production. He has lectured at several prestigious universities and institutions including RMIT, Melbourne University, and the Australian Writer s Guild, and has been a regular guest on radio commenting on the film and television industry. Tony was also invited to judge the Logie Awards, Australian Film Institute Awards, and the International Emmy Awards, held in New York. 

Crime Fiction Alphabet 2013: the Letter I

The Alphabet in Crime Fiction - a Community Meme.

This meme is an annual event on this blog. This is its 4th outing.
We already have a strong core of weekly contributors but you can join at any time.

Last week we featured the letter H
 

This week's letter is the letter I

Here are the rules

The page telling bloggers which letter to focus on will appear on each Monday together with a Mr Linky.

By Friday of each week participants try to write a blog post about crime fiction related to the letter of the week.

Your post MUST be related to either the first letter of a book's title, the first letter of an author's first name, or the first letter of the author's surname, or even maybe a crime fiction "topic". But above all, it has to be crime fiction.

So you see you have lots of choice.
You could write a review, or a bio of an author, so long as it fits the rules somehow.
(It is ok too to skip a week.)
You probably won't have to do a lot of extra reading in order to participate, but I warn you that your TBR  may grow as a result of the suggestions other participants make.
Feel free to use either of the images provided in your blog.

Your assistance in advertising this community meme, and pointing people to this page, would be very much appreciated.

By the end of this week  post your blog post title and URL in the Mr Linky below.
Please place a link in your blog post back to this page.
Visit other blogs and leave comments.

Check the Crime Fiction Alphabet page for summaries of previous years, and for links to this year's entries.

Thanks for participating.

---

Review: BRING UP THE BODIES, Hilary Mantel - audio book

• published in 2012
• #2 in the Wolf Hall Trilogy
• winner of the Man Booker Prize 2012
• this edition from Audible
• Narrated by Simon Vance
• Unabridged, length 14 hours 30 mins
• Read an extract

Synopsis (Fantastic Fiction)

The sequel to Hilary Mantel's 2009 Man Booker Prize winner and New York Times bestseller, Wolf Hall delves into the heart of Tudor history with the downfall of Anne Boleyn

Though he battled for seven years to marry her, Henry is disenchanted with Anne Boleyn. She has failed to give him a son and her sharp intelligence and audacious will alienate his old friends and the noble families of England. When the discarded Katherine dies in exile from the court, Anne stands starkly exposed, the focus of gossip and malice.

At a word from Henry, Thomas Cromwell is ready to bring her down. Over three terrifying weeks, Anne is ensnared in a web of conspiracy, while the demure Jane Seymour stands waiting her turn for the poisoned wedding ring. But Anne and her powerful family will not yield without a ferocious struggle. Hilary Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies follows the dramatic trial of the queen and her suitors for adultery and treason. To defeat the Boleyns, Cromwell must ally with his natural enemies, the papist aristocracy. What price will he pay for Anne's head?

My Take

BRING UP THE BODIES gives a fascinating insight into Henry VIII's court and in particular into the way Thomas Cromwell, "Master Secretary", manipulated the families around the throne. Cromwell is as much concerned with keeping himself on top as with keeping Henry VIII happy.  The novel focusses on the period of 1535-6, when Anne's attempts to give Henry a male heir fail, and Henry's dissatisfaction, coupled with rumour and innuendo, result in her trial and eventual execution.

I am fairly familiar with Tudor history but this gives the reader a detailed "insider" point of view. I found it impossible to pick "real truth" from fiction, and the characters really do come to life. It is a wonderful way to learn history, or at least to get a commentary on it. The events described will send you off to check the novel against historical fact. Mantel's explanation of what motivates Thomas Cromwell makes you think twice.

Simon Vance does an excellent job of the narration.

You will notice that I am counting this as a non-crime-fiction title, although you could argue that an immense amount of crime is committed.

My rating: 4.7

Read some articles and reviews

• Winner of the Man Booker Prize for the second time running
• New York Times
• The Book Score

What I read in May 2013

Crime Fiction Pick of the Month 2013

Another productive month with some really worthwhile and satisfying reads. Some new Aussie authors to try too.

• 4.4, THE LOST LIBRARY, A.M. Dean - library book
• 4.8, STANDING IN ANOTHER MAN'S GRAVE, Ian Rankin - audio book
• 4.5, ORDEAL BY INNOCENCE, Agatha Christie
• 4.7, THE EARTH HUMS IN B FLAT, Mari Strachan  - library book
• 4.8, SUFFICIENT GRACE, Amy Espeseth - Aussie author
• 4.8, THE MARMALADE FILES, Steve Lewis & Chris Uhlmann - Aussie author
• REFLECTION OF EVIL, Bridget Powell - Aussie author
• THE UNITED STATES OF AIR, J.M. Porup  - Aussie author
• 4.1, THE BAGHDAD RAILWAY CLUB, Andrew Martin  -  library book
• 5.0, TRUST YOUR EYES, Linwood Barclay - library book, Canadian author
• 4.3, BAY OF FIRES, Poppy Gee  - Aussie author
• 4.7, IN HER BLOOD, Annie Hauxwell  - Aussie author

My pick of the month was TRUST YOUR EYES by Linwood Barclay
The author, a Canadian, has been a favourite of mine for some years, and in fact I have another of his titles on my shelves right now.

Synopsis (author's website)

A schizophrenic man spends his days and nights on a website called Whirl360, believing he’s employed by the CIA to store the details of every town and city in the world in his head. Then one day, he sees something that shouldn’t be there: a woman being murdered behind a window on a New York street. Suddenly Thomas has more to deal with than just his delusions, as he gets drawn into a deadly conspiracy.

From Orion Books
Map-obsessed Thomas spends his days and nights on a virtual tour of the world through his computer screen, believing he must store the details of every town and city in his head. Then one day, while surfing a street view program, he sees something that shouldn't be there: a woman being murdered behind a window on a New York street.
When Thomas tells his brother Ray what he has witnessed, Ray humours him with a half-hearted investigation - until he realises Thomas may have stumbled onto a deadly conspiracy, which puts them both in danger...
With enough suspense to rival a Hitchcock film, this is a thriller with edge.

See my review

See what others have chosen for their pick of the month.